Green Smoothies

Green smoothies ... some of you might not have heard of this or know how to make one.
It's basically a drink that has different types of leafy greens and water blended together and often has fruit in the mix. Those who like the taste of sugar in their diet can start with a green smoothie that has more fruits to leafy greens (by weight). Over time you get used to the taste of leafy greens and can start adding more in.

The best way to see what ratio works best for you is adding some ingredients to the blender, blending, then tasting a bit to see if you like how it tastes - if not add in some more fruit. Depending on what you add to the mix the smoothie may not come out green. If you add berries it often changes it to a purple-red type of color - this can help fool others into thinking there's no greens in it.

One of the many benefits of having green smoothies regularly is that it easily helps you get in the recommended fruit and vegetable servings. It's a quick meal that you can take with you on the go. It's also easier for the body to digest.

One of the things you might notice if you drink green smoothies on a regular basis is that you feel more energetic - such a bonus to feel good throughout the whole day. There's a good amount of people out there who find they don't crave sweets and processed foods as much when they keep up their green smoothie habit.
If you get into the habit of drinking a green smoothie you'll start seeing the health benefits popping up.

Different examples of a green smoothie (blended with water):

• spinach + strawberries + banana
• spinach + kiwi + pineapple + banana
• romaine lettuce + mixed berries
• mixed baby greens + celery + cucumber + banana + apple
• spinach + peaches + orange
• romaine lettuce + banana + pear + mango

There's so many possibilities - add your favorite fruit with some greens you like (please use something that's not iceberg lettuce) 

Why not try taking the green smoothie challenge of drinking a green smoothie each day for 30 days , your body will thank you for it if you do

Tips For Becoming Healthier and Getting in Better Shape

We all have people around us that we enjoy spending time and creating memories with. To make sure we can be with our loved ones and friends for as long as possible it's important to take care of our health.
To make sure the healthy changes stay with us for the long run it's often easier to add a good habit one at a time.

Here are some tips to help you get healthier and more fit:

1. Make sure you get enough sleep on a daily basis. This makes getting in exercise so much easier because you'll have the energy to do it.

2. Keep track of how much water you're drinking. You'll be able to see whether you're getting enough or not.

3. Find some type of exercise that you really enjoy and look forward to.

4. Aim to get in at least 20 minutes of exercise on 5 days of the week.

5. Do a couple of strength/weight training sessions a week. It helps preserve your muscles as you age and/or lose weight.

6. Join a site like http://www.sparkpeople.com/ . There's a forum area with lots of categories where the members support each other. The site is for people of varying fitness levels.
myfitnesspal, caloriecount, fitday, and cronometer are some other places where you can keep accountability for what you eat and how active you are during the day.

7. Join a support group to help keep you motivated. With support it makes it easier to reach your own goals.  If you don't like going to support groups you can read online forum posts in communities that support healthy goals.

8. Add color to your meals by using different colored vegetables. You get more nutrients and the plate looks more attractive to the eye.

9. When you do groceries pick up a fruit or vegetable you haven't tried and add it to one of your meals.

10. Make a list of your favorite foods and find healthier versions on recipe websites.

11. Give yourself non-food rewards when you reach a health goal or a fitness girl (ex. foot massage, take a bubble bath, buy a new piece of clothing, set aside money for something you want ...)

12. Take some time for yourself that's just for you (alone time) where you can relax or do something you enjoy in peace.

13. If you want to lose weight you can use BodyMedia device or Fitbit device. The devices show you how many calories you're actually burning in a day, how many steps you've taken, plus you can log the food you've eaten and track your weight as well.

14. Find an exercise buddy to workout with - it can be a friend, a family member, spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, or even your dog.

15. Move more during the day - this can include parking further away so you walk further, or taking extra trips to bring groceries into the house. Being active throughout the day helps the body stay healthy.