Eight months ago, I was having coffee with my mother, quite soon after coming out of a relationship. Mid-sentence, she peered closely into my mouth and announced, “Gosh, your teeth have moved! You really need to think about getting braces."
I am not a teenager. I am 23 years old. Throughout my teenage years in Hamilton, our very good family friend and well-known orthodontist had been itching to transform my crooked grin into a radiant smile. Being a stubborn teenager, I had resisted.
However, faced with my mother’s newfound urgency, the pressure was on again, and I finally agreed. Within a few days, I was forwarded an email about a booked consultation appointment, along with the message from my mother: “Step one for lovely teeth and finding you a husband!”
Photo: Supplied
So, I entered the realm of braces, or “adult braces”, as my friends are fond of calling them. To correct my overbite, a bar was fitted to the back of my top front teeth, which made it impossible to bite down with my back teeth. For two months I was unable to eat or chew anything solid, and survived off soups and smoothies. This stage of my life is now known as Lara’s liquid lifestyle.
During that period, I discovered the wonders of having a good blender. I blended from morning (apologies to the residents of Tasman St) to night. When someone else used the blender, I became territorial. I loved my blender.
I began to think carefully about what I put into my soups and smoothies, and in turn what I was putting into my body. I experimented with how I could use fruits, nuts, spices and vegetables to make healthy but delicious creations.
The results of my liquid lifestyle were unexpected and dramatic. I lost a considerable amount of weight without ever feeling hungry, I was never bloated, and I no longer craved bad foods. Instead, I felt satisfied and nourished after my soups and smoothies. My mood improved, as did my concentration levels, and I would wake up earlier and full of energy. Over those two months, I successfully gave up coffee and sugar as I didn’t seem to crave them any more. This later lead me to start my food blog Lara Eats Plants (“And you should too”), which is dedicated to healthy, plant-based, and often blended recipes.
Of course there were drawbacks. Eating in public was a nightmare. Breakfast was OK, as most places serve smoothies, and for lunch, I would have soup if possible, but dinner was tricky. On several occasions I was forced to abandon a lovely meal which I had no hope of successfully eating, and holding a conversation in between mouthfuls was very difficult.
Six months on, I’m now able to eat most foods again, although still not co-ordinated enough to eat a salad in public. But I still try to follow the eating patterns I developed during my liquid lifestyle, and have at least one blended meal a day. These days, every second health article seems to be promoting health detoxes and green smoothies, but if I hadn’t got my adult braces I would never have chosen to eat in that way. While I wouldn’t recommend a diet of purely liquids to anyone, I have to say I’ve never felt better. Getting braces has improved a lot more then my teeth – indirectly, it’s had a positive effect on my diet, energy levels, and overall wellbeing. Who knows? Twelve months down the track, with my perfect grin, I may even find myself a husband.
- Tropical breakfast smoothie
I had this smoothie most days for breakfast. Freezing the banana and blueberries makes them naturally much sweeter. Banana skin is a great source of fiber and helps the body produce serotonin, a chemical which causes a feeling of happiness. Make sure to buy organic, as non organic bananas have usually been sprayed with nasty pesticides. Brazil nuts are a great source of selenium, a mineral many New Zealanders are deficient in. Ginger is good for the immune system, and cinnamon helps stabilise blood sugar to prevent tiredness later in the day.
Ingredients
• 1 organic frozen banana, with the top and bottom cut off but skin left on
• 1 cup coconut water
• Half a cup of frozen blueberries
• Two tbs greek yoghurt
• 10cm chunk of cucumber
• 3-5 brazil nuts
• small piece of fresh ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
Method
Chop the cucumber and banana into rough, 5cm slices. If the banana is too frozen to cut up, run it under briefly under hot water. Discard the stalk and bottom but leave the skin on. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Beetroot and feta soup with walnuts and balsamic
This is one of my favorite soups – it’s easy to make and very delicious. The beetroot provides a great source of iron, which is important for vegetarians. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc and magnesium, and the feta gives the soup a tangy creamy richness.
• 4-5 medium beetroot, chopped into medium-sized pieces
• Half a block of feta
• 1 red onion
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 2½ cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• Walnuts to garnish
• Balsamic vinegar
Method
Sauté the garlic and onions in a soup pot until lightly browned. Add the stock and the beetroot and boil until the beetroot is soft.
Allow to cool then blend with feta, and pumpkin seeds. Season with salt and pepper as you go. You may need to blend in batches.
Once the soup is smooth, return to the pot and re-heat. Serve with additional feta, walnuts, balsamic vinegar and fresh bread.
This content is brought to you with funding support from New Zealand On Air.