Egyptian Foodies: Are You Ready to Shake it Up With a 7-Day Smoothie Challenge?

Eating clean sure looks good on Instagram, and it certainly makes for motivational hashtags – but how many of us have actualised them into our kitchen counters and our bodies? Not many of us, let's admit it. And it's not because we like eating unhealthy garbage and junk, but because we always think it's going to take too much time and much motivation that we barely have between our busy professional and social lives. But, because Dana Dinnawi dedicated her life to coaching people on how to implement healthy lifestyles, starting with the foods they put into their bodies, she came up with the smoothie challenge. It's actually quite simple, and FREE! No excuses. You sign up for the challenge, you look at the guide of what you need to buy and where to get it, and then you start.

Why smoothies, though? Why not bombard us with a crazy diet plan with boiled vegetables and tasteless edibles? Dinnawi, founder of Empowered Wellness and Living, tells us, "It's the easiest way to take a step towards eating healthy and making long-term lifestyles changes; it's easy to make and it takes about 10 minutes, it's nutritious and a complete meal." For the lazy people we are, and the way we look at breakfast like a meal that would take about 14 hours to make if not prepared from the night before, smoothies sound like a great deal (especially that we get to have tons of our favourite fruits in there). She adds that, "I'll be picking three winners through social media posts – whoever takes the most pictures and posts them on my group or on their own social media will be the winner." Don't worry, you don't have to weigh yourself and say how much you've lost, that's just ridiculous. What will you win besides a great winter body? Dinnawi will offer you her programmes for free – and that's how she knows you're motivated.

For Dinnawi, the challenge is a reflection of her own challenge with weight gain. The health coach recalls her struggle with her weight, all while being expected to be a mother, have the energy for her children, and maintain a relationship with her husband. She hated exercising. She hated diets. Who doesn't? Especially diets, they don't make sense because they force you to cut out everything you love. But what Dinnawi did is start a healthy food journey, starting with a detox, and continuing to eliminate toxins and allergens from her body – it worked because, as she puts it, "I was waking up before everyone else and I was HAPPY to be awake. When you’re happy to be awake, you can do practically anything." And that's what Dinnawi hopes for everyone she coaches, to cleanse and be content.

Join Dinnawi's group on Facebook, here, or her Instagram @DanaDinnawi, or visit her website to learn more about her programmes, and don't forget to cop yourself a smoothie guide.