Struggling with liquid to fruit ratios?      Discouraged that healthy smoothies like a watery salad?
                     Trapped in the paradox of when should you add ice?

Oh, well, obviously, it must be the New Year and your back on your, I'm gonna have a smoothie-a-day kick.  You've been rocking the workouts, drinking less alcohol, really starting to pay attention to what you put in your body and how it makes you feel, you moving in the right direction for all your desires to become reality. And yet, you are still struggling with making a smoothie. 

I found an amazing resource. Super Skinny Me has a great pic, PRINT IT OUT! and tape it to your fridge or cabinet or laminate it and keep it on the counter, it's a great resource.  

Getting into drinking smoothies for a meal can be a pain if they are not blending well (or at all), they taste bad and there's no variety. Start easy, work your way up to adding kale and beet to your meals, there's no rush.

Here's an easy, delicious,beginner-friendly smoothie:
btw-I make this all the time!

Fruits/Veggies:
banana (1/2)
spinach (this has a lighter flavor than kale or beet greens, use maybe a hands worth of baby spinach)
optional: blueberries if I'm feeling fun 

Base:
Coconut Milk (start off with 1 cup-blend-add more as need)

Thicken Up:
Almond Butter (1 serving)
Optional: Flax Seeds (1 serving)
Coconut Water Ice Cube (3-5?  I guess, I mean, it depends on your ice tray and if your using frozen or fresh fruits and stuff.  Anyways- get an ice tray substitute coconut water for water, amazing!)  

Flavor It:
Cinnamon (just a bit, sometimes more...it's so good)

Super Foods:
Protein Power (I use VeganMax from Lifetime Fitness-it has 24g/serving-WORD!)
Optional: Hemp Seeds
Optional: Flax Seeds


Thanks so much to Super Skinny Me for keeping people inspired!
Smoothie Connoisseurs-help some peeps out: Comment with your favorite recipes or tricks to making better smoothies.  We must educate to elevate.
Make it, Love it, Share it with a friend!

Here you are, once again, so close to entering your ideal weight range.  Ya know, the one where all your hopes and dreams come true.  Or you may believe something else happens when you achieve this victory, but regardless of where you are on your weight-loss journey, the last 20 can be the most stubborn to release.

I've been close, many times.  7 years ago, I decided to be vegan, and I lost over 100 lbs.  I would get down to my last 20 so many times, but I could never lose them.  I was working out, I changed my diet, what was I missing??? 
The biggest change finally came when I stopped beating my body up through my workout and poor food choices.  Even vegans can be bad.

Whatever your reasons for losing those last 20: the summer swim suit, helping ease joint pain, fertility, getting that hot date, losing the last 20 can be complicated and torturous or it can be the most tranformative experience, setting a new tone for how you live your life and how you treat your body. 

Those last lbs that you hold on to, that stuff is old.  It's the baggage.  It's those habits, those limiting behaviors and thoughts. You've gotta clean out this junk too.  That's step one!
 
Try these two techniques this week:
Loving Kindness Meditation  
This meditation helps reduce the stress-response, a know culprite in weight gain, and has been know to boost immunity (see work by Dr. Barbara Fredrickson)

Set up: Sit or Stand
Eyes Closed
Take a couple deep breaths
I like to place on hand on my heart and one hand on my low belly, but you can do what you like.  This is for you.

Round 1: Repeat silently to yourself or out loud:

May I be filled with loving kindness
May I be healed and whole
May I be free from unnecessary suffering 
And may I be happy

Then continue with a round dedicated to the following:
Round 2: a loved one
Round 3: an acquaintance (a neutral, no-emotional-attachment someone)
Round 4: someone who has wronged you or you have wronged
Round 5: the whole world.  


Here's a simple breathing technquie:
"When it's just been enough" Breath
Thanks Delora (she taught this in her yoga class this week and it's awesome)

Sit or Stand, close the eyes

Breathe as followed:
In through the nose, Out through the nose
In through the mouth, Out through the mouth
In through the nose, Out through the mouth
In through the mouth, Out through the nose

Repeat 5-10 rounds.

Next week some easy high-protein vegan recipes to get your hormones in check.

Let me know how these worked for you, or share it with a friend.