The easiest way I've found to make positive changes in your life is to begin with your food. This might sound counter-productive, especially if you've tried a myriad of diets, but if you make small changes to what you use to fuel your day, each decision, each interaction, each day will (overall) be better than the one previous.
I am not suggesting you do anything extreme. My suggestion: start by aiming for a week's worth of breakfast smoothies. If you have a blender and a freezer, you're over halfway there! And, if you're worried that you'll be too hungry, don't. You won't. Trust me. I'm what my gram (affectionately) calls "such a good eater." I cannot handle hunger pains--or the rage that quickly ensues; in our household, we call this a "food moody." So, please, don't think I am setting you up for all of that.
If you've ever had a fruit smoothie, they are tasty, but they can leave you high and dry pretty quickly. All that sugar, with little fiber, means you might not be full long. The secret: greens. Sneaking vegetables into these delicious smoothies will not only fuel your mind, it will become something to which you look forward. Fresh or frozen chopped spinach has a great taste and it adds to the oomph of the meal. Initially, when Danny transitioned from corner store donut breakfasts each morning, he was not interested in vegetables mixed in with his fruit. So, I did what any loving, supportive fiancé would've done: I did it anyway and told him later. Now, even the dark green color doesn't freak him out. We've even started adding fresh kale in our daily smoothies. Just wash the leaves and tear them off of the stalks before blending.
A basic breakfast smoothie requires:
- a blender
- 1/3 to 1/2 c fresh or frozen fruit (blueberries are perfect, strawberries work, perhaps mango, mixed berries will do...)
- fresh or frozen greens (spinach or kale have worked best for us)--start out small, maybe a handful
- 1/2 to 1 banana
- 1/2 c to 1 c milk or almond milk (Danny prefers chocolate almond milk)
Sometimes, just to change things up, I've also added:
- 1 T of peanut or almond butter
- 1/3 to 1/2 c oats
Eventually, you want to get to a place where you are filling the rest of the blender up with spinach and kale, but start where you are and work to move from there.
We have a bunch of superfoods that we've researched and combined to make our ideal mixture. That will be another post, but for now, try to make yourself one a day for a week and see whether it feels good. If you try the week challenge, and you're successful, please share in the comments!
If you're looking for more of a dessert smoothie, give the Chocolate Peanut Butter [Veggie] Dessert Smoothie a try!
What helps you start your day right?
Labels: gluten-free, Mindful Eating, vegan, vegetarian
