In our forties, there is nothing my friends and I want more than energy. We don't covet designer clothes, jobs, guys, babies, or great hair. After some catch-up, it's been confirmed: we just want our energy back.

Pure energy that has us spring out of bed at daybreak. The kind that keeps us going to work, to play, with all the sparkle and enthusiasm of our twenties.

So I go back to basics. I just hedge my bets on good sleep and a lot of green juice. I imagine all the chlorophyll is bringing some much needed oxygen into my poor mitochondria. And to think there's plenty of iron and B vitamins helps support my new obsession - the green smoothie.

The building blocks of a green smoothie are very simple. You need a liquid, a fruit, and a choice of greens.

For the liquid, I find it very bland to use water. So I have a jar of freshly squeezed honeydew and limes in the fridge. My favorite fruit right now is the frozen mango. It gives the smoothie a depth of flavor and it's so unusual than the banana.

My favorite green base is the spinach. Spinach is a very accommodating green. It doesn't force its own flavor on others so it is quite versatile for any combination.

I've also realized that adding an herb lends a more complicated smoothie with interesting nuances to taste. I added the cilantro here and it just complements the mango so well. Cilantro is also great for chelating heavy metals like mercury.

If you like things with a little heat, try adding a small nob of ginger. The ginger and cilantro give the mango an exotic twist. So here's the recipe.

Energy Smoothie

Ingredients:

8 ounces of freshly squeezed honeydew melon and 1 lime

1 cup of frozen organic mango

a small piece of ginger

1 cup of spinach

handful of cilantro

Instructions:

Put everything into the Vitamix and whiz until liquified, and enjoy.