A: The diet recommendations are just recommendations. It’s something that you can follow if you would like. We do recommend smoothies in the morning because it is a great way to get a lot of nutrients at once and is easy for the body to digest first thing in the morning. The protein powder in the smoothie is important because you want to balance the protein, fat and carbs in the smoothie. We also use the protein powder for the Adrenal Kickstart. But if that's something that doesn't work for you and you feel you can't have the smoothies, then finding an alternative with foods that are allowed on the diet should be okay. I highly encourage you to do the smoothie because it is a great way to start the day with all those nutrients.