So...

So it has been awhile since I blogged.

So it has taken me longer than I wanted to lose weight.

So it is harder than I like to exercise.

So it proves that I'm still human and feel like quitting.

I feel like eating a pan full of brownies too, but I won't.

I feel like wearing pyjamas all day but I don't. (Honest!)

I feel like watching endless food shows but I can't because we don't have T.V. Or else I probably would.

I feel like a failure, but I'm not!

This is my life and I'm living it, one day at a time.

This is my passion, to be the best woman, wife, mother, and friend I can be.

This is my dream and I am against dreamicide. (I thought I just made that up but I googled it and, dang it, I didn't)

This is my way of making it happen because no one else can do it for me.

So there.

~ Glory

An Important Step

So, as I sit here with angry muscles from these past few workouts - "few" kind of minimizes the terror I've come to associate with my workouts - there is something that I know has changed about my attitude. It's nothing profound or even lucrative if I were to try and write a book about it. Booklet. Going through my 3-4 sets of 10-20 reps has proved two things to me:

1. It's harder than it looks.

2. I'm more capable than I think.

Honestly, this is real, raw emotional stuff. Don't let my size and shape fool you. I might look sturdy on the outside but the inside tells another story. Do you want me to share that story? Well, here it is... I don't want to share it. I value you. But this is too personal. Sorry.

All I can say is that my journey's map has an arrow that says "You Are Here" and I'm further ahead than I was when I started. But there's a lot of distance yet to cover. This is work that needs doing now. And I'm doing it. Because I believe I can. Woo hoo!

~ Glory

To encourage you!

'Tis The Season...For Green Smoothies

Now that we are nearly through our first month since the Christmas holiday, with all its indulgent glory, we are again reminded of the hopes and dreams of the New Year. Not by decorations, music, or menus. Nothing of the sort! Rather, by tight jeans, breathless walks and climbing numbers on the scale. It is now time to get serious, get tough, and get busy doing the right thing for ourselves and our bodies. Yes, my friends, if you have never stuffed your food processor or blender with anything remotely leafy or green before now is the time!

There are a few good starting points to remember. If this is your first foray into the world of smoothies you will definitely need a good powerful blender or food processor. You’re going to be putting a lot of wear and tear on this machine that you hope will follow you through plunging dress sizes and beyond. With that being said, here are some things I have personally learned along the way:

Start out with as few ingredients as possible. Try freezing a banana overnight then chopping it up into the blender along with a handful of spinach in the morning, with a couple ice cubes and a few ounces of water. Blend it only until the leaves are little green specks but try not to blend too long as nutrients are lost as food is oxidized. Pour into a glass just big enough and drink normally or with a straw just to feel fancy.

See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?
Now, for some basic smoothie equations, here are the kinds of ingredients you’re going to want to play with. Yes, you’re going to have fun, I promise!

1. The liquid. Pure H2O is totally fine, since you’re going to be adding whole fruits and veggies into the mix, anyway. For some added health or flavor, however, you can certainly pour in some coconut water, fruit juices, or milks – dairy, soy, rice, almond, or coconut. By the way, greek yogurt totally counts as a liquid and doubles as a protein source. Coolness!

2. Decide what kind of base fruit you want. This is the stuff that’s going to put the “smooth” in smoothie so you’re going to be looking for things like bananas, mangos, peaches, pears, apples, or papayas. Here’s a cool veggie secret: a cucumber would fit here as well as previously cooked pumpkin, sweet potato, or squash. Pick one of these then you can combine flavors with water-rich fruits like melon or citrus, or berries. Mmm berries!

3. Add flavor to your smoothie with berries (kind of obsessed, I admit it), citrus fruits, melon, or pineapple. If you’re brave you can even try things like ginger, cilantro, vanilla bean, clove, cinnamon or even cayenne pepper (use with a chocolaty smoothies made with raw cacao). Otherwise, think about your favorite beverage, sherbet, or yogurt combinations and let that guide your tastebuds.

4. Finally, add your greens. You can add up to 2 cups of spinach, dandelion, romaine lettuce, kale, chard, and even parsley.

That’s basically it! Now just blend the whole eclectic party up into a mild frenzy and pour into a jar, glass, or plastic tumbler. Whatever. Oh, and about protein powders or fiber sources like wheat germ, or milled flax seeds? Just do it! It’s your body, your health, and your smoothie so own it! Make it happen!

Glory