Smoothie Madness!

Smoothies are one of life's understated pleasures, aren't they? I really love how versatile they are - and that just because you are having one, doesn't make it indulgent - it just feels that way. Sure, you can go all in and make an over-the-top caloric nightmare...but most of the time, you can have what you want, sneak in some veggies and never notice how good it is for you!

They are great for kids too, for so many reasons...

First is - FUN!

Second - Sneak those veggies in!

Third - Eaaaaasy.

Fourth - they think they are being spoiled!

Fifth - versatility! they never get boring!

I had my kids sitting on the counter, "helping" me make them (they are not even 3 yet). By help, I mean copying the blender noise and then taste-testing them, complete with smoothie-staches! Sorry, cell-phone cam here...

If you don't own an immersion blender, go out and buy one right now. I mean it! It has been one of the best gifts I have ever received. It makes things so easy - I haven't touched my blender in years. Easy to puree, wherever you need to (in the pan? sure!), easy to clean - pop it apart and rinse. Easy to make anything, honestly.

We made smoothies on vacation to try and use up the leftovers in the fridge on the last day...I make smoothies for a quick breakfast some days...(a good way to get rid of egg nog before it expires)...sometimes a nutritious snack for the kids to prime them for a healthy lunch. Really, the sky's the limit here.

Use whatever you have on hand and experiment - some you may hate, but some you may really like...and that's all part of the fun too. I'm really excited about trying some of the super health food adds listed down below from other sites...like brown rice, or avocado (you know me!), or even green tea in some. So many great ideas and ways to boost your levels easily. I am about to start a super vitamin regimen from my doctor - Vitamin B, D, C, Fish Oil, blah blah blah - all because of the serious gaps in my nutrition. Once I get back up there, I really wanted to find a way to fit the nutrients and vitamins in from my diet, and this is an actual, feasible...pretty darn easy way to accomplish that. Time was always my problem...Variety the second...and a husband that wants nothing to do with healthy foods as a third! lol So...this is a great alternative to sneak more in for myself, any time of day.... and to give the kids that same benefit in a power packed food. I'm all for as nutritionally dense as humanly possible. :)

To start easily! Combine any of the following to your liking, listed here for idea spurring!

Always use whole fresh (or just frozen by yourself) if possible, skin on is best. As whole as you can get. Frozen is next best, canned is last resort.

• Fruits - fresh (skin on, if possible for whole nutrition), frozen, canned
• Veggies - steamed and cooled, frozen, canned
• peanut butter (natural)
• milk, cream, eggnog, yogurt, frozen yogurt, silken tofu, splash of orange juice to thin (any juice)
• healthy add-ins - wheat germ, ground flax seed, oat bran, green tea (see below)
• flavor add-ins - pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cocoa powder, coconut (creamed is awesome), coffee, lemon, lime, mint syrup, nutmeg, vanilla extract (any extract, really), fresh herbs (just bruised - mint, lemon balm, bee balm, lavender, basil, cilantro, etc...)

Interesting herb-enhanced smoothie list here.

First one we made (yes, oh-so-technical directions here...):

Cherry Berry

- handful of frozen cherries

- handful of strawberries (leave the tops on! ...as long as they don't look moldy or wilted)

- 1/2 large banana

- 2-3 large spoonfuls of silken tofu or plain yogurt

- splash of milk (tofu will make it much thicker, so you may want to add more milk accordingly)

- 3 shakes of cinnamon

- opt. drizzle of agave nectar (can use honey or maple syrup)

blend and enjoy!

Second one:

Eggnog Smoothie

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup eggnog (depending on how thin you want it, use more)

- 1/2 large banana

- 2 ice cubes

- 3 large spoonfuls of plain yogurt (the tofu and the egg flavors together did not work for me)

- 1 shake pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg

I tried adding a handful of frozen raspberries to this one and it was also good - but then again, I love eggnog. The second one is not the healthiest, but hey...that eggnog wasn't gonna drink itself before it expired! :)

I have a bunch more I will share as time goes on - we made a really good melon one on vacation..I just have to remember how we did it! Also a peanut butter and banana... yum.

So.....

If making a veggie smoothie, here are some sweetener suggestions- dates or raisins (soak in warm water first), fruit juice concentrate, honey, maple syrup, molasses, agave nectar (low GI)

Green smoothies sound gross, but if you go slow and get used to the added veggies before you add more, it may be the next best way to getting in your 5 a day. :) Ideas the following article recommends: Avocado (1/4 to 1/2 for some good, healthy and satisfying fats)...Leafy greens such as spinach or collard greens are the most neutral in flavor - meaning they are less likely to gag you. :)

got this searching, in a cool article from ecoki : "Greening Your Smoothie"

Here are a few cool tips from them to get some veggies in there:

• Add the green to taste – start with a handful, and work your way up, as you get used to the new ingredient in your mix
• Lemon juice is a pungent over-powering ingredient to mask odd tastes, but also gives a fresh spin in your traditional smoothie. Add a few squirts to your next one.
• Always use the whole fruit in your smoothie, as opposed to fruit juice or peeling it. If you’re going to make it good for you, then take the time to use whole, fresh foods
• A lot of people like bananas in their smoothies – it makes it creamy and thick
• Frozen fruits make it thick, cold and refreshing. Try freezing your favourites in chunks so they are ready to go
• Silken tofu doesn’t add any taste but a great creamy consistency with a load of protein
• Keep it simple: choose two fruits that compliment each other, some greens, and added protein (tofu, yogurt, cashews (really))
• If you want, add high-quality protein powder, like hemp protein
• Don’t try to make it gross. Putting 5 handfuls of kale in a blender with half-banana won’t sell you. And no, maple syrup won’t make it better.
• Collards and spinach are the most neutral in taste
• Add 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado for extra creaminess and healthy fats
• flaxmeal adds a boost of Omega-3s and fibre
• Try using dates instead of sugar or other sweeteners if you need some extra sweetness in your smoothie

Try these combination or add to a current favourite. Mix and match your favourite fruits with a few greens and some add-ins to up the health benefits. Blend all ingredients (frozen fruit works best), adding water to desired consistency, and enjoy.

Banana Bread: 1/2 banana, 3 dates, greens, and 1/4 cup walnuts (soaked overnight)

PB & J: 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 cup strawberries, greens, and 1/2 banana (optional)

Tropical Twist: 1 cup pineapple chunks, 1 cup mango chunks, greens, 3 tablespoons hemp seeds

Our standby: 1/2 avocado, 1 cup fruit, 3 handfuls spinach, 1 scoop hemp protein powder, a date or two (depending on fruit)

all below from Juicing-for-Health.com

Green tea: This is wonderful for its anti-oxidant properties. You can purchase green tea leaves/sachets/powder from your local supermarket. Steep the leaves/sachets in boiled water for about 4 to 5 minutes, strain the leaves and leave it to cool before using for your smooties.

• Cooked brown rice: you can purchase brown or unpolished rice (more fibrous and less starchy) from your local health food store. Cook it and leave to cool before uses.

• • Oats: Oats have a higher level of soluble fiber and are helpful in lowering cholesterol level. Eaten on its own, oats may taste rather bland, so add it to your smoothie. Let it stand in hot boiled water and leave to cool before use.

Other supplements you can add, dosing according to bottle/doctor recommendations, grinding them and adding to smoothie after it is mixed (great way to get your daily vitamins in if you hate swallowing pills like moi):

• Acidophilus, Bee pollen (yikes!), Brewer's yeast, Calcium powder, Chlorella powder, Chlorophyll liquid or powder, Lecithin powder or granules, Protein powder, Spirulina powder, Vitamin C powder, Wheat bran

I realize I am ignoring the pink elephant here....but.....now that we are back....can we pretend this whole year never happened and just move on to the next project? ;) Please? Yes?! I hoped you'd say that! Hopefully I can keep up something here as the year goes on...maybe not every week, but forward progress of some kind....

Less is more, my friends...keep it simple. ♥♥♥

Recipe Madness

Ok, so these will not be recipes that would be fit to file under "Recipe Madness", but the title made me chuckle, so there it is.  I'd like to share a few recipes I find or make up along the way on this blog.  You can choose whether or not they are fit for man or beast... if they make it here, at least I liked them...and since it's my blog, I can cry if I want to!  ;)

This is my only caveat:  I like a lot of "weird" stuff.  And sometimes I make combinations just to try them.  Sometimes I like them and others, well, those times I know why I never became a professional chef.  By the way, "weird" in our house is defined as something Mike doesn't like. 

Since I want to try and reduce the amount of calories I ingest daily, and also a few carbs along the way, I decided to go a little South Beach on myself and try a lettuce wrap sandwich.  I have had a few in the past (like a rosemary chicken goat cheese wrap!  Yum!) and they never fail to amaze me in the fact that I really don't miss the bread at all.  In fact, I like the refreshing crunch of the lettuce leaf instead.  Not all the time, of course, but if I skip the bread now and then, that's almost 200 calories I can either use somewhere else or skip altogether - a worthy sacrifice!

Today was the start of this new endeavor, so I came up with this lunch quickly after getting the kids settled in their own highchairs, munching on their own good stuff.  Can you believe my kids like prunes?  That amazes me every day...but, that's another story.   ;)  

What should I call this one?   Hmm.....

Avocado and Egg Lettuce Wrap

(that's pretty straightforward, huh?)

2 red leaf lettuce leaves

2 eggs

4-5 thin slices of avocado (hass)

1 tbsp hummus (any kind, I used the classic)

Dijon mustard (to taste)

dash of Cumin (optional)

Using the smallest amount of butter possible, fry up the two eggs, breaking the yolk so the whites and yolks all cook together.  While they are cooking, mix the dijon mustard and the hummus together in a small bowl.  When at desired flavor, place the lettuce leaves on your plate and spread half of the hummus/mustard mixture around on each leaf. When eggs are cooked, place 1 egg on each leaf, on top of the mixture.  Spread the other half of the hummus on the eggs. Cut the avocado into chunks and add on top.  Sprinkle with cumin and wrap.  

Warning, they take a lot of practice and skill to eat without getting messy.  I haven't mastered that quite yet.  Also, I made this without mixing the hummus and mustard first, and this is why I modified the recipe.  The picture shows a big dollop of the mustard on top...and since I am a softie and Dijon can be quite like horseradish in the strength, I figured it would be better spread around a bit.  

I ate this with 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries and a big glass of water.  The dijon mustard and the cumin added a nice kick.  I liked this one quite a bit and will make it often for a quick lunch.  

Approx calories for the whole meal:  325

I walked this morning for 35 minutes, only burning 235 calories.  Boo!  Then, in the afternoon, I did 30 Day Shred, and doing some research, first timers to the levels might burn around 225-250 cals.  All that work for the same as a 40-minute run.  This is going to take some time to get used to!

Project Start: Lose 50 Pounds

God, that sounds hard.  It sounds like an impossible goal sitting on this side of it.  I have always struggled with my weight, typically "yo-yo"ing since I was a teenager, and always conscious and self-conscious about it, no matter how healthy I was at the time.  

I have come to realize that I have a medical condition, known as PCOS, that causes my body to go into a mode called "Insulin Resistance".  That is basically the step right before diabetes sets in, and why it is known as a pre-diabetic condition in medical circles.  What that means is that my body is shutting down the pathways to the cells that glucose would normally enter to level out blood sugar. So, my pancreas is overproducing insulin to force open these pathways.  Since the pathways are still opening, my body just works as normal, but one day, when my pancreas is overworked, it will shut down, and diabetes will be the instant result. It will look like to the outside observer that I didn't have diabetes one day, and the next, I did.  Scary thought, since you can't ever go back from that point. 

Right now, my blood sugar would register as normal, or in a healthy range, almost as if nothing was wrong.  But, my pancreas is working overtime, and every day I do not exercise or eat right is a day I walk toward the irreversible condition of diabetes.  That should be enough to get me going, right?  Well, it is not enough to just exercise.  It will be a huge step to just lose 10 pounds with this condition, but eating "right" is a must now.  And I say it that way because everyone has a different "right" way to eat for their particular situation.  

Doing a ton of research over the last two years about the kids' nutrition, I have gleaned much good information for myself as well.  And I can tell you that it is exactly the opposite of how I have been dieting/eating for health.  Low fat is not the answer, at least not for me.  

I have to stay away from processed carbs, sugar, bad fats.  Any of these foods will turn directly into fat because my system is telling itself to store the fat, since my cells are resisting the insulin. That is why it has been so hard for me to keep weight off.  A few years ago, I dropped 20 pounds over 9 months.  I was at the gym 5-6 days a week for 2 hours a day.  High intensity workouts and strength training.  Spinning, running, high impact aerobics - super high energy workouts.  I was burning almost 800-1000 calories every day, sometimes more.  I never cut back or changed what I was eating, only worked out more if I had a highly caloric day.  I built up an insane amount of muscle, but my weight dropped very slowly.  I should have realized it back then, but it was my PCOS that was preventing me from losing more weight faster. With how much I was exercising, I should have lost much more in that time.  After I fell off the exercise bandwagon, around December of that year, by February, I had already gained 10 of it back, and by summer, I wouldn't be caught dead in a bikini again.  It came back so fast and I never connected the dots. I worked my butt off and as soon as I stopped, I was worse off then I ever was before.  And then I got pregnant with the triplets!  Bad timing.  ;)

So, back story behind us (phew!), I need to change my eating habits and start exercising again.  I miss running so much that it hurts.  My peace, my quiet, and my aggression had an outlet - so many good feelings and thinking time - it is an incredible teacher.  Of endurance, patience, aggression, control and the ability to master different muscle use, I could go on and on!  

In Late July, I started to run again, on our treadmill in the house.  Not exactly the same as being outdoors, but it felt good.  I ran every day for a month, and then we lost Ruger.  So, my drive faltered, since he was so much a part of my morning routine, sniffing the track before and after, like he was wondering where I went on it... so cute.  Not to mention, that week, my knees ached so bad, I could barely walk the week that he died.  It was agonizing pain, physical and emotional. I always wondered what caused it and how, once I started again, I could avoid that pain.  

Having a nice chat with my doc this week, he and I agreed that I need to lose at least 30 pounds to start. Ok, fine. I knew that I needed to lose weight, but our conversation has me feeling like a bit of a loser. I went in with a torn muscle in my stomach.  A few weeks ago, I went outside of the garage to check if we had a package delivered.  It was a bitterly cold day, so I jogged quickly to get back inside.  Literally about 25 feet.  Before I got to the door, I felt a searing pain in my left side stomach area.  It burned like crazy and I knew I tore a muscle.  My doctor thinks it's a hernia.  From jogging 25 feet.  Wow.  That brought me to a new low.  

How fat do you have to be to tear a muscle jogging 25 feet?  How out-of-shape do you have to be?  Well, all of that is me right now.  And don't worry, this is not a "pity me" speech, so you don't have to leave me a comment to soothe my aching self esteem. :) I need this motivation, this anger at myself to move forward.  This is my "tacklin' fuel".  (Name that movie!) 

The other blow to my plan was his response to my question about the sore knees after running. He said not to even think about running until I lose 30 pounds.  WHAT?  But, I run.  That's what I do!  Now I have to walk??!  I need to run!  I felt like crying, like someone had taken away my most powerful weapon in the fight for all I want to physically be. It's just not fair.  (I know, wah, wah, wah.) 

So, my plan.

• Eat whole grains. Veggies. GOOD fats (olive oil, avocado, almonds, etc...). Fruits. Lean protein. No low fat foods, since they tend to bump up carbs to compensate.  No low carb diet, since all I need is a Low G.I. diet. Yummy, whole grain forms of carbs. Another post! 

• Watch my calorie intake.  The next post will show the calculator I robbed from another weight loss blog I stalk.  

• Plan my meals for the week, including snacks, until it gets to be second nature.  

• Exercise. Walk. Up a serious incline. Blech.

And if all goes well, I can theoretically lose 2 pounds a week.  It's been done!  I am inspired by the blog I am reading, unfortunately private, but she is a triplet mama and she is doing it.  She keeps losing 2 pounds every week, so I am encouraged.  

I would love to join the Y again, since I adored their facility.  I need variety with my workouts, and that allowed me to choose what I wanted to do when I got there.  Plus!  They have an hour and a half of free child care every day.  Woo hoo!  We live too far away and don't have a second vehicle right now...so it just isn't a financial option at the moment.  Remember?  No money!!  lol

So, tomorrow morning, I start to exercise, which means I have to get up earlier than the troops.

No more sleeping in!