When I hear about a wellness trend like: you should drink almond milk; coconut is a cure for all things; and don't eat anything with Gluten (unless a medical doctor has advised you that you are allergic to something - don't self diagnosis, or start eliminating things from your diet) ...I remind myself while each may have some merit - there was a time when soy milk was all the rage - and let's not forget the greatest marketing campaign - bottled water! - while I will sometimes pick up a bottle of Fuji or Evian water - I stay away from brands that are well - just re-filtered water - read the bottles - it's right there!
Those that know me or are regular readers of the blog - know I'm all about self care, creating the life you want to live and women supporting women, so when Maggie a Holistic Nutritionist - I became friends with while we both studied Mind Calm Meditation - was hosting a 7 day green smoothie challenge, I decided to give it a go. Now this wasn't my first go-round on the blender, over the past 10 years (or more) I have blended up a few green smoothies - often as part of some cleanse, or something I read, that I "should" be doing. But, this challenge was different:
1) it wasn't about living on smoothies - you just add one to your day 2) there was team inspiration - Maggie posted a daily video showing how simple it was and she encouraged participants to share photos of their smoothie each day 3) you choose your smoothies - a huge sample list was provided 4) you could drink them whenever you wanted in the day ... the process was simple: pick your smoothie for the day and drink it when YOU wanted. Along with supporting a fellow entrepreneursness, I am not always great at including vegetables (especially greens) and fruits into my daily meals - so there was my motivation and the smoothie selection had some great sounding combinations.
1) it wasn't about living on smoothies - you just add one to your day 2) there was team inspiration - Maggie posted a daily video showing how simple it was and she encouraged participants to share photos of their smoothie each day 3) you choose your smoothies - a huge sample list was provided 4) you could drink them whenever you wanted in the day ... the process was simple: pick your smoothie for the day and drink it when YOU wanted. Along with supporting a fellow entrepreneursness, I am not always great at including vegetables (especially greens) and fruits into my daily meals - so there was my motivation and the smoothie selection had some great sounding combinations.
I picked my 7 smoothies and added the required ingredients to my weekly grocery list:
While Maggie's 7 day smoothie challenge has come to an end, my green smoothie a day is just beginning. Part of creating your own version of a High Heeled Life is taking care of the machine that is your body - without the proper fuel it will not operate at its full potential. Vegetables and fruits provide valuable nutrients - and if you are like me, perhaps not always great about adding them/the right amounts to daily meals, incorporating a green smoothie into your day is a good start. What I noticed over the 7 days is that my energy levels were better, and everything functioned a little easier, and each time I made a smoothie - I felt good because I was doing something healthy for myself!
I encourage you to start adding a green smoothie to your day and see how over time you will notice subtle improvements in your energy, skin, hair and finger nails, and your mood too! (and if you miss a day or more - don't be hard on yourself - life happens - what is important is that you are aware of what you are or are not eating - and take steps to eat healthy on the daily. Remember tomorrow is another day.)
While creating a green smoothie is easy - knowing what ingredients to blend together for maximum nutritional results can be a little tricky. There are lots of recipes on line - just be sure it's from a knowledgeable source.
We all know that eating balanced meals including vegetables and fruits in our day is important - but it may not always be easy - so instead of no veggies and fruits - if a smoothie helps you get the daily required amount in your day - I say blend away!!
If you are trying to achieve specific results - it's best to seek the advice of a holistic nutritionist, to ensure you are blending a balanced smoothie.
Are green smoothies part of your day?
What is your favourite green smoothie?
You are the curator of your life so make it luxurious,
Stay in Step with High Heeled Life ...
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Dearest Celia,
ReplyDeleteSo far we've managed to eat our quotum of veggies and fruits in a whole and fresh form.
But we both LOVE our Pineapple Cucumber Gazpacho which also has spring onions and a jalapeño. So good and especially during the heat of summer. You find it on my Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mariettesbackto/delicious-healthy-food/ Just scroll down a bit...
Sending you hugs and we're praying for rain to rescue our struggling plants and lawn.
Yesterday we were near the river at our friends' home, enjoying their heavenly warm pool. We got surprised by a thunderstorm and heavy rains! It's only about 4 miles in birds eye view from our home and we had not a single drop of rain. No wonder their garden looks so lush!
Mariette
Dearest Mariette; I am always inspired by the wonderful meals you share with your readers ... it gives me a little reminder of the importance of healthy eating ... you and Pieter are a walking example. Yes, it has been a very dry summer both here in Toronto and at the country house ...hoping the cooler temps of autumn will help the gardens prepare for winter.. hugs to you both .
DeleteWow! thank you so much for sharing your experience with my 7 Day Green Smoothie Challenge Celia. I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am that you loved it and enjoyed a smoothie every day. I am looking forward to seeing where this journey takes you - much love, Maggie
ReplyDeleteMaggie you are a great inspiration for adding a little healthiness to our meals ..hugs C.
DeleteOh, Celia, I think I have too much Italian in me to do 7 days of smoothies. I've given up meat of every kind, and only eat fresh fresh fresh veggies, fruits, chicken & fish. I've also ABOUT give up dessert, but sometimes very late at night I just have to have a bite of something sweet. I'm so impressed with YOU !!!
ReplyDeleteMarsha .. I'm with you I love my food ... working on the reducing part of red meat and increasing the fresh fish. What I loved about this was that it was adding a smoothie to your day (you could continue to eat what you normally do) ... for me it was a great way to get some fruits and veggies into my day (as I may not eating as much as I know I should)...of course I picked the tasty green smoothies ..LOL... I too find I'm "needing" a sweet bite of something late at night .. thanks for visiting I am going to drop by your corner of BlogLand soon... hugs, C.
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