Well hello 2017! It always feels inspiring to start a new year. Maybe because it signifies a fresh start, free from the weight of the last year. It’s a time to reassess and move forward without all the things that are weighing you down. I started a new tradition this year of writing down all that I accomplished last year in addition to what I hope to bring more of into my life in the coming year. It felt less constricting than the typical “resolutions” and it was pleasant way to recall all of the lovely memories and experiences. What traditions or practices do you guys have for the start of a year? Feel free to share them below in the comments 🙂
As we move into the new year I’ve been noticing the recurring theme of balance lately. Whether it’s in my yoga practice, life, or the meals I’m eating, the “b” word keeps reappearing. It’s almost as if it’s trying to tell me something…hmmm. I finally started to listen to it and have been striving for more equilibrium in all things. Lately, my focus has been bringing more balance to what I’m eating. As we all know it’s easy to go overboard with indulging during the holidays. I let my meal planning and meal prep sort of go by the wayside towards the end of last year and ate out way more than my body is used to. In order to re-center myself, I’ve been consciously thinking through every meal I eat. I consider what type of nutrients and nourishment it will provide and how it will potentially make my body feel. I’m essentially taking my practice of mindfulness off my yoga mat and employing it everywhere else in my life.
As is bound to happen, there are instances when I’m short on time or don’t have any food prepped. In these cases my go-to option is a smoothie. As cliche and fad-tastic as they may be, smoothies are a great way to quickly supply the body with nutrition. They are infinitely customizable and are ready in a jiffy (uh did I just use the word “jiffy”… how old am I?!). I’ve developed a formula for the way I like my smoothies so I’ll share it with you below. That way you’ll have more than this one recipe to get you started if you are a smoothie virgin. As for this balancing green smoothie I’m sharing today, it’s meant to do exactly as it’s name suggests: bring balance to the body. It’s full of alkalizing spinach, blood-purifying cilantro, and digestion-boosting ground ginger. Plus, you get the lovely omegas and amino acids from the hemp seeds. Hooray!
building your own smoothie
The recipe below is a perfect example for how I build my smoothies. I usually have 2 cups frozen fruits/veg total then I add filtered cold water until it just covers all of the frozen stuff. Finally I add any supplements/add-ins and then blend away. I’ve been mostly using all frozen fruits/veg lately because it produces more consistent results, but overall I’ve found that adding just enough liquid to cover the frozen stuff usually produces a nice, thick smoothie that isn’t too runny/thin. I prefer adding in a bit of healthy fat to the mix which you’ll see in the form of hemp seeds below, but I also like using cashew or almond butter for this as well. I was using coconut water or nut milk as the liquid in my smoothies but in an effort to save money and eliminate the potential for added sugar, I mostly use cold filtered water. Depending on the day and what I’m looking for I’ll change up the add-ins. For hormone balance and sustained energy, I’ll add maca powder. If I’m strictly looking for sustained energy I’ll use cacao or matcha. For even more greens, I’ll use either spirulina, moringa, or matcha. For digestive benefits and a little spicy kick, I’ll use ground or fresh ginger. For anti-inflammatory benefits I’ll add a good bit of turmeric. For an antioxidant boost I’ll either use a heavy dose of blueberries, acai, or pomegranate powder. I love adding fresh herbs to the mix if I have them. My favorites are mint (good for digestion and has cooling properties) and cilantro (great for cleansing the blood). I’m not too big on protein powders as I’ve been disappointed with them in the past, but I did try one in this smoothie by Amazing Grass that I really liked.
Balancing Green Smoothie
1/2 cup frozen sliced banana (about 1 small banana)
1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 cup frozen spinach
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground ginger
1 to 1 1/2 cups cold filtered water (depends on how thick you want it and how powerful your blender is)
optional: a serving of your favorite protein powder (I tried out Amazing Grass’s original protein superfood mix this time and loved it!)
Blend until smooth. Drink immediately. Makes 1 large smoothie.
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