“Love the skin you’re in,” said Lisi Wolfe, local photographer. With New Year’s under our belt and our resolutions in full swing, most of us will break our resolution within the first week. Why do we make a commitment to ourselves that we know we will not keep? Why do we keep fooling ourselves that we will drastically change with the New Year? What we should really be focusing on is being true to ourselves and love the skin we are in. Of course, we can all make changes and adjustments to our lifestyles.

In our household, having a healthy lifestyle is part of our way of life. Exercising, eating healthy and having balance is very important. I must admit, in our home, I am the junk food, chocolate-hiding junkie. As I try to change my unhealthy eating habits and make drastic lifestyle changes, it comes back to haunt me after a full day of binge, guilt-filled eating. Having spent an afternoon with Dr. Susan Kleiner and a lifetime of education from other nutritionists, each having their own realistic approaches to a healthy lifestyle, I have learned that most of what the media, health clubs, dieticians and nutritionists are trying to sell us is just garbage.

What I have learned is that if a supplement has more than three to five ingredients and you cannot pronounce every one of those ingredients, then neither you nor the professional selling it to you knows exactly what the ingredients are. Buyer beware, you can be doing more harm to your body than good. While overhearing a conversation at a local gym the other day, I was amazed at the misinformation given to a client about diet, eating healthy and food. Fruit, although it has sugar, has never made anyone fat. Drinking coffee or tea has never made anyone fat. What makes you fat is what we put into our beverages and add to our real fruit. Truthfully, cutting out all refined sugar, carbohydrates, animal protein, manmade and altered food for me is nearly impossible, as it is for 99.9 percent of the rest of the world. I have decided to be truthful and love the skin I am in.

I exercise six days a week, play tennis one to three times a week, walk the dog and try to eat very healthy. I am only human, and I do slip. I do not have great genetics, and I — like most people — have to work really hard at keeping my weight and fitness level in check. My kids dance approximately 10 to 12 hours a week, in addition to JV and varsity cheer. My husband is an avid exerciser and health food junkie. Complete strangers stop my husband on the beach or in the gym to see what he eats and how often he exercises, to look and act as fit as he is. His tennis and exercise friends poke fun at his ability to be so disciplined. He has a healthy lifestyle that he has been following for his entire life. Let’s not forget the excellent genetics; his father, at 89 years of age, looks 70.

My goal for 2013 is to love the skin I’m in. No more, no less, and you will see the results that you want, whether it be from diet or exercise or maybe both.

Here is a recipe for the world’s greatest smoothie (my opinion only).

Chunky Monkey Smoothie

1 cup vanilla coconut milk or vanilla almond milk (found in your grocery dairy section)

1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter

1 teaspoon organic raw honey (comes in a jar and is very thick)

1 teaspoon organic coconut oil

1 teaspoon raw chocolate nibs (cacao nibs)

1 banana – cut up

1 serving vegan protein powder (or protein powder of your choice)

½ cup full fat yogurt (optional)

Place in your blender and puree. This is filling, full of healthy fat and vitamins. Can be used as a meal replacement. And you can make adjustments to your own taste. This is not low-calorie. All of these ingredients are real food that your body can digest.