A Green Smoothie for the New Year
This month always seems to be the time of well intentioned resolutions. I can’t tell you how many years I have resolved to get skinny or get healthy or all number of things that have slowly dissolved into far off memories by February. Gym memberships, personal training sessions, diet plans, you name it. As much as we all love to make resolutions, I know I am not alone in the experience of not sticking with them through the whole year.
There is something about the new year that is shiny and fresh that makes me feel like all things are possible. I often felt like I ended the year before with unhealthy choices, too much stuff, too many sweets, etc. that come January 1st I was craving a complete reset. I would set high aspirations, oftentimes to an extreme that would be impossible to attain within a year’s time.
I then found myself in a terrible cycle of always setting resolutions, never keeping them through February, and then feeling such a sense of guilt and shame for not sticking with what I had set out to accomplish. I finally got to the point of not wanting to make resolutions if I was just going to break them anyway. I didn’t even realize I was perpetuating the problem. By essentially telling myself I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything I resolved to do, I was continuing the vicious cycle.
In the spring of 2018 I had a wake up call that I feel like I have talked about often but applies to this portion of my health journey as well. I was listening to Jen Hatmaker interview Rachel Hollis on her podcast (You can find the link to the show notes here) and Rachel Hollis shared that she hears from women all the time that want to change their lives. They would tell her that they have been praying constantly for God to change their situation, help them lose weight, whatever the goal may be. She then went on to explain that God had already given those women the tools they needed to make that change, what they chose to do with those tools would be how they honored Him.
It was truly a wake up call in so many ways. I could go on and on about how that one moment completely changed my perspective. As silly as it sounds to actually say it, I had never thought I had the tools to build something with my life. I had gotten caught in this cycle of feeling like things were happening to me and I was just getting swept along in the current. But after that moment, I decided to do my best to honor God with what he had given me.
After that moment, in the fall of 2018, I got a call from a family member that my dear Aunt had only a few weeks to live. Perhaps it seems odd to transition from a metaphorical wake up call to an actual sobering phone call, but looking back now I can see how it all changed my perspective. I am still processing the time I spent with her, and I don’t know if I have figured out fully how to grieve, but I was able to be there beside her for those last few weeks. Although it was beyond difficult, it was also beautiful and a time that I will never forget. I remember watching her struggle to walk down the hallway in an effort to keep her blood flowing as well keep the cancer at bay for as long as possible. We had heard that cancer has a difficult time overtaking a body in frequent motion so we were encouraging her to move more every day. In one moment it hit me, that the end of one’s life is not the time to try to move more and make different choices. It was a wake up call for me in a different way.
When I got home, I desperately needed something that was whole. A friend of mine was conducting a boot camp for the month of December and I signed up. Maybe I wanted a distraction but I also couldn’t deny how I had felt so strongly that I needed to do something about my health before it was too late.
Through that boot camp I worked out every day for 30 days and it changed my whole perspective. I saw something through from beginning to end, something that I have always seen as too difficult for me. There is truly something to be said for endorphins as well, I had never felt better. Another Hollis Co phrase is “Move Your Body, Change Your Mind”. And it is true! I felt better, I slept better, and my confidence was building with the energy I felt.
So, in January of 2019, I resolved to continue my health journey through continuing to work out. I signed up for a few 5Ks to get myself out of my comfort zone (I have always hated running). I also wanted to get my nutrition in check. I started by ready Kelly Leveque’s book Body Love, and drinking her green smoothie first thing practically every morning. This book is definitely one you should check out (find it here) and check out the resources on her website as well. She just came out with a new book that I can’t wait to read, you can find it here.
Her smoothie was an easy thing for me to introduce. If I started off my day with a smoothie I felt like I was doing something good for myself and I was fueling my body correctly. It changed my whole outlook on my day. I normally would skip breakfast so this was a quick way to help me to stay on track. Now I prep my smoothies in advance and it couldn’t be easier. It has changed my interactions with my coworkers and family, my energy levels, and my motivation to stay healthy in general. If I missed a smoothie one day, I totally felt unbalanced. It changed my cravings too and I found myself gravitating toward healthier options when given the choice. If I did splurge on something unhealthy, I didn’t feel guilty because I had already started off my day with a green smoothie.
I wanted to share my experience because I think there is truly something to taking small steps toward one’s goal. If you can take small steps every day toward getting healthy, it makes a huge difference in the long run. Before I was trying to go from one extreme to the other, from not working out at all to going to the gym every day and eating only “healthy” food. Am I where I want to be? No. But I am in the healthiest place I have ever been and I am on the road to get where I want to go. There is something to be said for small steps as it increases the desire to take larger steps. Give Kelly Leveque’s smoothie a try and let me know what you think!
Fab Four Smoothie from Kelly Leveque:
Ingredients:
1 to 2 Tablespoons of fiber (I usually use flax seed but you could use chia seeds, etc.)
1 to 2 tablespoons of fat (I always use avocado)
Unlimited greens like spinach or kale
¼ cup of fruit (optional, I always use frozen mixed berries)
Superfoods like ashawaganda, etc.
1 serving of protein
6 to 8 ounces of liquid
For my protein, I use a protein powder that is 100% grass fed whey. I avoid soy but a soy protein powder or plant based powder would also work. For my liquid, I use unsweetened almond milk but you could also use coconut milk, or simply water. As a habit, I have used frozen spinach and frozen berries so I can have both on hand at all times and it keeps the smoothie colder for longer. Blend all ingredients together and enjoy!
What resolutions are you making for this year? Do you have any health or nutrition tips/recipes I should try? Let me know in the comments!