Restart

Okay, okay...I have fallen off my SOTD! Never mind the fact that I posted in January and not again this year! So yes, I am going to restart, but first an update.
My New Year's Challenge was completed! I was Vegan for 2 months and I felt great during that time.  The first 2 weeks my body was detoxing (won't get into those details)! After those 2 weeks, I noticed my digestive system was happier than before. Most evenings I end up feeling pretty icky, bloated and a bit nauseous, With this challenge, that icky feeling was gone and I felt good in the evenings. Also, after those first 2 weeks I had lost 6 lbs! Unfortunately, after my system regulated itself, I gained those lbs back :( In addition, I cut out all added refined sugar and most of my caffeine intake.
  At the start of my challenge I went and had my cholesterol checked, I was surprise at the results (higher than anticipated for my "bad" and my "good" was low). At the end of my challenge I tested again, another surprise! My overall cholesterol went UP??? Wait, what? However my triglycerides went down, my bad cholesterol went down and my good cholesterol went up. Nothing was a significant change, but still. I had a friend that told me when she went vegan for 6 weeks her cholesterol dropped 100 pts. I wasn't really expecting that, but some kind of drop was more what I was hoping for!!


 I have had people tell me "you need longer to see any change". Um, two months of vegan should produce some kind of change! I also have had it said that it could be due to a lack of Vitamin D that would throw this off. Um, ND in the winter time, ok, I could believe that! Also, I know our body produces its own cholesterol, could I be just odd person that overproduces all by themselves? Anyway, those were my results.

For anyone who wonders...no I didn't stick with it, for a number of reasons. The first one being, although my husband supported my challenge, he did not join me in it. Therefore, I was cooking a meal for myself and a meal for the family every meal. That was more than I wished to continue.


Right now, I am ready to start another challenge, maybe not full plant-based diet, but mostly a plant-based diet.  My husband is willing to join me in this challenge now. We will be moving toward that and see how we like it (I have some meat in the freezer that I don't want to waste my money on that we will need to use up).

For today, restarting the SOTD challenge.
Strawberry Pineapple - how have I NOT made this combo yet???
1/2 banana
1 cup (ish) hulled fresh strawberries
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
2 T hemp hearts (these are my go too protein item!)
4 T raw oatmeal
almond milk to blend (maybe 1 cup)
touch of vanilla
Yum.

Another Green Smoothie

That wonderful time of year is coming. The time of year when I can wake up, go to my garden, grab some ingredients to throw in my blender.  Fresh is best. And it doesn't get much fresher! Yum. Not much is ready in the garden, it has been a S L O W spring.  But...I have enough spinach to start the harvest for my smoothies! Of course I am not organic certified, but I don't use pesticides in my garden.

1/2 banana

handful of FRESH spinach

handful of frozen pineapple

handful of frozen mango

1 T wheat germ

1T ground flax seed

1 T raw honey

1/2 c silken tofu

1 c almond milk

 

Blend and enjoy the creamy greenie!

Banana Split Smoothie

OH YUM! One of the best smoothies I have made. NOT neccesarily the healthiest, but very good! 

Banana Split Smoothie

1 Banana

1 Cup Strawberries

1 Cup Pineapple

1 T dark cocoa powder

1/2 C greek yogurt

1 T Wheat Germ

1 T ground flax seed

2 T hemp seed

Almond Milk to make a smoothie consistency

This made more than 4 cups, but I gave some to all the kids. They loved it too!

Blueberry Citrus and Tropical Carrot Ginger Smoothies

A brief update on my double smoothie diet. So far so good! I have had 2 smoothies everyday, except last Saturday, for a week now! Doing fairly well with not getting hungry too! I have to admit I snack some, but I am really trying to keep them healthy ie. Kale Chips.  I haven't made it to the gym yet, but I will excuse that with the fact that it is still Christmas vacation from school, therefore I have 3 kids at home PLUS hubs is still working OT.  Hopefully gym time will start soon!

Today's smoothies: Blueberry Citrus and Tropical Carrot Ginger

Blueberry Citrus

1 Banana

1 Fresh grapefruit juice

1 Fresh Orange juice

1/4 -1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1 T honey

1 T wheat germ

2 T hemp seed

1 T ground flax seed

1/2 T barley grass powder

3 T uncooked oatmeal

water to make 4 cups

The grapefruit lends a little bit of a bitter taste to this smoothie, the honey corrects that some. Add more honey for a sweeter smoothie.

For lunch:

Tropical Carrot Ginger

1 large raw carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks

1/4 C frozen pineapple

1/2 C frozen mango

1 ginger ice cube

1 T honey

2 stalks of fresh kale (take the leaves off the stalk and discard the stalk)

1 c water

This made a bit over 2 cups of smoothie.

In addition, I have been curious about the calorie count to some of my smoothies.  I found a site that lets you add food and track your calorie count for the day. Of course, I  don't know the accuracy of this site, but it gives an estimate. I am finding that most of my smoothies are about 500 calories. Not sure if that is good or bad. However, I think the ingredients in my smoothies are all HEALTHY calories. Things like honey and the greek yogurt tend to up the calorie count too, but I still don't feel bad about them. I use raw honey in my smoothies, there is a lot of health benefits that come with that. Same goes for the greek yogurt. PLUS I am useing these smoothies as a meal replacement.   In comparison: an everything bagel with 2 T cream cheese, coffee with cream and sugar is about 450 calories. There, I justified what I do, right?

Mixing it up!

I started this blog calling it "All the Life". It was originally going to be a way to remember all the events that go on in my life. My journal essentially.  Ok, so that didn't really happen past March! It is now August! So I am mixing it up. I renamed the blog. It has a new purpose. Hopefully I can keep it up this time!Now the purpose of my blog will be to record events from my life, and to document the smoothies I make.
In January 2012 I decided to change my breakfast habit. I dislike a "normal" breakfast. Oatmeal, yuck! Cold cereal, ewww. Eggs and pancakes, I would rather have for supper.  If I was to eat breakfast it would be tea and toast or a pastry. Not the healthiest.  So I decided that my breakfasts would change to be a smoothie. I have kept it up and have a smoothie most mornings.   Some of the creations are interesting. I have been putting a post on my Facebook account, but not the recipe. Here I will try and post the recipe.
The new name of my blog, Blended, should nicely bring everything together. "Blending" life events and my smoothie blog together.
As I sit and type this morning, I have a smoothie by my side.
Smoothie of the Day: SOTD

Mango Melon Pina Colada

1 banana

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

3/4 cup coconut milk (from a can)

1/4 cup frozen mango

1/4 cup fresh honeydew melon cut in chunks

1 T ground flax seed

1T wheat germ

2 T uncooked quick oats

Soy milk

Blend and add enough soy milk to be the consistency you want.

I made too much today. I would need to cut down on the amounts next time.  I try and make about 4 cups each day, 2 servings of 2 cups each, my husband gets the other one. 

Enjoy!