I’ve been out to LA quite a bit and one of my favorite spots is Hugo’s on Santa Monica Blvd. It’s known for being a celebrity hangout but also for having fresh, healthy food. Their menu is huge and they have options for vegetarians, vegans, meat eaters and even those with a serious sweet tooth. On my last trip out in January (for my Exercise TV shoot) my friend Nancy and I went there for breakfast and we both had this awesome green smoothie. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with the restaurant’s co-owner, Tom Kaplan, via email and he shared the recipe with me. He said it’s actually from Yogi Bhajan and it’s part of the Kundalini Yoga tradition!

Green Smoothie

Ingredients (I got mine at Whole Foods):

8 oz Orange Juice

1 Medium Banana (he said to scrape inner peel to get all the nutrients)

1 Tbsp Liquid Chlorophyll

2 tsp Rice Bran Syrup

2 tsp Hemp Oil (original Yogi recipe calls for Sesame or Almond Oil)

“It’s a perfect breakfast for women.  A woman can use this drink to take her daily dose of sesame oil or almond oil.  To lose weight, use 2 tbsp protein powder in place of the oil and drink four times per day instead of meals.” from Foods for Health & Healing, Remedies and Recipes” by Yogi Bhajan

**Cari’s Tip: To reduce calories…only use 1 tsp of Hemp oil and 1 tsp rice bran syrup. I also added about 1 8oz cup of ice to mine to make it thicker. If you want to up your antioxidants and vitamins…you can also mix in some kale or spinach.

I’m so excited that Giada De Laurentiis will be in Houston tomorrow as part of her book tour. She has a new book out: “Giada at Home” and will be doing a book signing at Sur La Table. I’m planning to attend the event and also try to get a 5-minute interview with her (keep your fingers crossed for me)  to ask her how she incorporates fitness and yoga into her busy schedule and talk about why it’s important to use fresh ingredients and herbs. Sure, she does have some recipes that aren’t low-cal or low-fat, but for the most part…she uses organic, healthy ingredients including tons of fruits and veggies, along with whole wheat pastas and whole grains.

I can’t wait to blog about some of her new recipes in this book! I’ve mentioned her in my blog before and here is a recap of some of her recipes that I’ve tried:

Poached Pears

Summer Chopped Salad

Artichoke and Tomato Panzanella