In order for me to continue growing as a person, get healthier, and to be a successful health and wellness coach, I challenge myself to try new things. This not only helps me, but it also ensures I'm able to cater to the needs of my diverse clientele. I believe there is a way for everyone to achieve their fitness goals. It's just a matter of working effective habits into one's lifestyle.
That being said, 2013 is shaping up to be a nutrition-intensive year -- partially inspired by the many nutritional questions I've gotten over the past months, and partially motivated by the fact that we can really change so much simply by caring about what we put into our bodies. It's easy to look from the outside in because what we see with our eyes is so obvious. However, real, sustainable change often comes from the inside out. This is true for making both positive physical and mental changes we strive for.
My first big challenge of this year was to consume zero alcohol during the month of January. While I'm not someone who consumes a lot of alcohol anyway, I was finding that the Saturday night cocktail outing alone was effecting my workouts, sleep, and recovery. It wasn't a given that I would be doing tequila shots on the weekend, but when hanging with my friends, the odds were pretty good. Just that one late night of drinking could cause enough fatigue to throw me off of my regular workout schedule. Not to mention the unnecessary added empty calories and the poor hormonal environment that alcohol causes your body to manage. The long and short of this experiment is that I feel great, and my physique has improved as well. I've taken notes throughout the month, and will eventually turn them into an article describing in greater detail the benefits of no alcohol. However, for now it's on to the "juice or blend" topic.
Inspired by the detoxing experience of no alcohol, I looked deeper into the world of juicing. Don't get me wrong, I've always been into vegetables and fruit -- in fact, I have two supplements that are plant-based. It's simply that I'm in the habit of eating vegetables with meals or mixing those supplements into my protein shake. Additionally, I don't have a juicer staring at me in the face to remind me to do it. Which brings me to the blending topic.
I thought to myself that instead of spending money on a juicer and risk having another expensive paperweight lying around, I'd just try and use my blender to mix fruits and veggies -- much like I do my protein shake. Well, I'm glad I did, because not only do I love the way that it tastes, but I'm also experiencing the benefits of the abundance of anti-inflammatory agents found in vegetables. Drinking these blends has definitely increased my recovery time between workouts. Additionally, when blending all the fruits and veggies, you don't lose the fiber like you do when juicing.
I've been enjoying these three blends of fruit and vegetables. Try them and see what you think.
- The Hydrant: Green apple, pear, broccoli, cucumber, carrots, and coconut water. This baby will keep you hydrated.
If you find your blend too thick just add water or coconut juice and blend longer. All it takes is a decent blender (mine is five years old) and time to break down the fruits and vegetables.
If you try these, please let me know what you think.
I'm also interested in some more recipes so don't hesitate to leave a comment with new ideas for me.
Happy blending!
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