Happy New Year! On this day of Epiphany, the holidays are finally concluded with a resounding oomph. The weeks of chocolates, cookies, cakes, cheese, candies and Champagne (why do they all start with "C"?!) being relentlessly thrust upon us from all sides are finally over. I did my best to resist, but it's difficult not to buckle in the face of tradition. Who doesn't like a cup of eggnog on Christmas morning? Or a handful of sea salt caramels? Or a celebratory cocktail? Or a rich and complicated dessert to end a festive meal? I am not impervious to any of these charms, but the older I get, the more my body rejects them. I consulted a few different sources online and have determined that, in Ayurvedic terms, I have an excess of Kapha at the moment (you can read about the doshas here). So I have cut out all sugar and dairy, and am also avoiding fermented foods and soy. Even after just a week of this, I am feeling much better—more energetic, more optimistic, more rested. I have been making bone broths with fresh ginger juice and freshly grated turmeric stirred in; steaming bowls of kichari with a squeeze of fresh lemon; and lots of vegetables, roasted and steamed. For a treat, and to make the most of all the gorgeous winter citrus in my fridge, I devised an update of the Orange Julius that I think improves upon the original.

The Orange Julius was sold at the orange juice stand of Julius Freed in Los Angeles, where it was invented in 1929, allegedly as a way to neutralize the acidity of the citrus. To the fresh juice was added ice, sweetener, milk, powdered egg whites and vanilla, and the result was an addictively frothy and creamy drink that became very popular across the country. It was even named the official beverage of the 1964 New York World's Fair. Eventually, the company was bought by Dairy Queen and I believe some form of the Orange Julius still survives, no doubt loaded with ersatz ingredients.

My version gets its orange not just from citrus (I used clementines, grapefruit and navel oranges) but from carrots, too. I also added a piece of ginger. First you have to make the juice, then you blend that with a small amount of honey or maple syrup, vanilla, a little cream from a can of coconut milk and enough ice to give you a thick, frothy texture.

The original was an inspired combination that flies in the face of the curdled strangeness you might expect from orange juice plus milk. But this recipe gives you something less cloying and complicated. It's got all the bold, bright flavors of the citrus and ginger, mellowed a bit by the carrot and infused with a sultry streak of rich coconut. It's the perfect energy boost to send you sailing into the new year.