For quite a while I meant to write a blog post on my Green Smoothie Journey… I however delayed several times as I didn’t want to take away from the mommy focus of this blog, but the more I blended and juiced and whipped stuff up, it led me to exploring other healthy options not just for myself but my family- and then the title Mean Green Smoothie slurping momma machine kinda stuck 🙂 You like?
A little context here though.. Since I made me a baby back in 2009, I’ve pretty much yo-yo’d with my weight. A year after birth though I was back to my pre-preg weight and declining. This was the result of exercise and 2 bottles of herbal life shakes and then the ‘herbal life principle’ (adopted by me and then Co-worker Kadine). The ‘herbal life principle’ simply included a breakfast or lunch of oats, water, ice, soy milk and fruit blended and had for breakfast, lunch or both, so that year I was a real slimmaz boy…
Fastrack with life, its obligations, busy cycles and trying to juggle many roles, you get complacent, you stop assessing what goes in and then voila… poof… you’re all of many many pounds heavier as shown in my November 2002 snapshot- That has to be my heaviest weight by far.
So in about late October of 2012, while working from home, with cramps and aches, I really couldn’t work up an appetite and like clockwork a Mint green smoothie recipe popped up on Hey Fran Hey’s Facebook timeline. This is coupled with continuous GreenSmoothie updates from My friend Monique at IrieDiva I decided a ‘drink may just do the trick. What I wound up with was a very simple green smoothie made from 2 cups water; Juice from 1 lemon; 1 inch piece of ginger; 4 inch piece of cucumber; 1/4 cup mint; 1-2 handfuls ice and I added star fruit. Very pretty to look at but boy was it sour. I later learnt this was more of a detox mix than a smoothie but was not to be daunted by a super sour first attempt.
Now let’s just say, several smoothies later and with feedback from friends who had been blending and slurping, I experimented and noted and added and subtracted… all this time with a running Facebook album of my concoctions and boy did the “ewwws” and “nasty” and “ughhh” comments roll in as many could not fathom the thought of drinking any green looking sludge as seen below.
Yet the more I slurped and the more I experimented, I discovered much nicer blends and the guiding principle- more fruits than veggies to ‘mask the veg taste’.. It became so exciting to toss things in my refrigerator together and then try the new tastes. With only 5-10 minutes prep time I also had nothing to lose. I also became a slight Instagram Fanatic (well maybe a big fanatic) and so it was like heaven sharing my many smoothie pics with like minded #GreenSmoothie #Healthy #Hearty #Happy Hashtaggers.
There was also the many health benefits.. The 8 oz glasses of smoothies gave a major energy kick-NATURALLY and then there were friends with healthy weight loss success stories. Truth is, even as I may have thought of the weight loss potential,
the real motivation was: 1. Easy meal to go 2. Little to no clean up 3. Keeping full on healthy, natural fruits and vegetables and the exciting challenge to come up with new mixes.
Well today, I think I’ve now added another benefit: that of weight loss. I have long decided not to do constant weigh ins but to focus on how my clothes fit and how My face especially looked in photographs as it tends to show any weight gain first..
Within 1-2 months, I already started feeling the difference in how my skirts and dresses fit and later how I looked on a whole. I also noted, a new healthy glow and these little improvements pushed me to continue the good life.
Well let’s just say many months in.. I’m feeling like a slimmaz 🙂 and it shows too in all the clothes lying in my closet that I was suddenly keen on trying out. The journey though is no where near its pinnacle, so my slurping with exercise shall continue, But you be the judge, Have a look at my photographs below and let me know….
I am super excited to also share how my Green Smoothie journey has simultaneously evolved into my Healthy, Hearty, Happy Regime for my family and especially my toddler as well.. but more on that in another post.
Do you whip the greens? Blend? Juice? combination? What are some of your favourite recipes? Have a look at some of my better looking and tasting ‘Green Smoothies’ and feel free to share your fave recipes.
For more on a green Smoothie weight loss story.. check out my girl Iriediva’s post on her Green Smoothie success story
Cheers
This blog has started in a colourful manner.
So with work, studying and my energetic three year old man I just went way off with my diet. So starting today Ama try again with these green smoothies in the mix coupled with exercise.