Banana Spinach Smoothie- UPDATED

Since I'm on the smoothie kick (and trying to get some veggies into my kids!)- we tried out a new one this morning from one of my favorite health blogs- fANNEtastic foods!

A Banana Spinach Smoothie!  Spinach, Banana, and Milk!  Simple, yet delicious!

I subbed Vanilla Almond Milk for the milk, and added a few ice cubes because I like my smoothies pretty cold- but it turned out great!  I was really skeptical when Anne said that you couldn't taste the spinach at all-- but you truly can't!  It tastes like a banana, vanilla milkshake (depending on how much ice you add).  This is a great Green Starter Smoothie, if you're hesitant about going green.  (cough cough, MOM)

And by the way, the kids did like it, but I may try Chocolate Almond Milk next time.

Note:  I added some Ovaltine to the last few bits of their drinks to get them to finish up.  Although it wasn't a pretty green anymore, it tasted pretty good!

UPDATE 10/12:  I tried this with Dark Chocolate Almond Milk instead of Vanilla, and added 2 tsp of instant coffee---- FANTASTIC!  


Basically, I just combined my Iced Mocha with the Banana Spinach Smoothie.  The reason I did this is because I was reading in my RunnersWorld magazine that bananas are good for fluid transfer within the body, in addition to other things.  (Not the article I read, but a goodie on bananas)  Apparently, I have some trouble with this, as I tend to get dizzy/faint when standing up/ changing positions a lot of the time.  First, the doctor told me to drink more water... which I thought was crazy because I was drinking 8-12 cups a day at that point.  THEN she said to drink LESS water, increase the sodium!  A little contradictory, eh? (Apparently, sodium helps with fluid transfer as well)  So I tried to focus a little more on gatorade, a little less on water.  It helped a little, but not tremendously.


Recently, I've been really bad at getting my water in... maybe 3 cups a day?  Of course, I haven't been doing as much cardio either because of the ankle... but I've been drinking the green smoothies (with added water) - all of which require a banana, in my book.  It occurred to me one day, that the dizziness has really subsided significantly!  Coincidence?  My guess is 'no'.  So, bananas it is!  


Update: 10-15 - Just made it again this morning, this time with nonfat milk and 2T Rich Chocolate Ovaltine... also fantastic, and more protein.  (1g in Almond Milk, 8g in milk)  I still can't get over the fact that I can't taste spinach AT ALL!

My Favorite Recovery Drink!

Amber's Iced Mocha  

• 1c. Silk Vanilla Almond Milk  (or skim milk with with a little bit of vanilla extract added)
• 4T Rich Chocolate Ovaltine
• 2 tsp. Instant Coffee
• 4 Ice Cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend to the consistency of your liking!  (I prefer small ice chunks in mine!)

So, over this passed year, I've been learning about what kinds of food are best for you to eat, and when to eat them.  My favorite discovery this summer was chocolate milk!  Knowing I had some waiting for me at home when I got back from a run, gave me that extra boost I needed to keep going!  

And then, I found out that  adding caffeine WITH the carbs from the chocolate milk helps to restock your muscle glycogen storage even faster than carbs alone-- so why not add some coffee and ice cubes-- no calories, and it practically DOUBLES my after workout treat!

Yum!  Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Nutritionally Challenged.

So, yesterday was my nutrition meeting with my coach, as she has been looking over my food logs for the past 4-5 weeks.  Um, #FAIL!

She said she couldn't believe how many carbs I eat... and I knew I ate a lot, but I didn't think it was THAT bad!  After all, I cut WAY back from what I used to eat!  Why can't we lose weight on relativity??  Compared to how much I used to eat, or compared to how much others around me eat and I-pass-up??  HUH?

Obviously, I've got to focus on the protein, fruits and vegetables-- consistently through out the day- not just in one meal (my beloved Green Smoothies).  This is WAY hard when it comes to eating with extremely picky, young children.  One really good idea Joella suggested was a "Snack Plate".  She's really big on snacking through out the day, as long as you balance it out-- some proteins, some fruits and veggies,  a little carbs.  Put together a snack plate with things such as: cheese, yogurt, pretzels, baby carrots, hummus, nuts/seeds, fruits, veggies, granola- and when my kids (or myself) get hungry, choose what I want, already prepared, but once the carbs are gone, they're gone.  Having it accessible makes it an easier choice, and keeping my blood sugar stable will keep me from going carb crazy later.  Let's start with that and see how it goes.

Here is a list of Meal Ideas from my coach.

Suck it Up, Amber

Background:  I'm recovering from a sprained ankle- and a torn ligament, as I found out yesterday from the physical therapist.  So, running is out for now.  Between that, and missing my first 10K today, I've been pretty down all week.  (and emotional, and extremely cranky, as my family will quickly attest to).  I've had trouble falling asleep without my daily dose of cardio, to burn up some energy and stress.  Throw in the additional stresses of finances and Christmas coming, and my inability to cook (hence screwing up almost ALL of our meals this week) I guess "down" was an understatement- more like miserable.

Long story short, my coach asked me if I wanted to spin with her on Saturday morning, but didn't get back to me to let me know if there was a bike available. (not being a member, I can only go if there's an opening, and have a guest pass)  Now when I say Saturday morning- this is 5:30am.  Not a huge deal for me to be up that early to exercise, but getting up at 4:30am to arrive and not have an available bike would have been pretty disheartening.  I made the decision in the middle of the night when I woke up (2am... remember, not sleeping well...)- shut my alarm off.   5 minutes later, I said, "Suck it up, Amber.  If you can't spin, deal with it.  If you can, it will make you feel a whole lot better about yourself - especially having to miss the race today."  And I turned the alarm back on.

I got a text from my coach as I was driving there.... we were all go!  Glad I didn't sleep in!

I was feeling good- no ankle pain!  And then I got another surprise... this class was in place of their Saturday morning ride, which tends to be a very long distance.  An hour into the class, having no idea how long I had left to ride, I said, "Suck it up, Amber!"  I was doing well... not dying or anything, I was just nervous about how my ankle was fairing.  Then, 90 minutes in, my coach announced that "this" was her last song, and then Jeremiah would take over, and anyone was welcome to stay.  I chose to leave at this point, but let me tell you, after 90 minutes of spinning, I feel awesome!  It truly was the highlight of my week.

I'm so glad I sucked it up, and didn't stay in bed.

GREEN Ice Cubes in my Freezer!

I confess.  I have GREEN ice cubes in my freezer......... purposely!

Earlier this summer my mother introduced our family to a Vita-Mix Blender.  Though, it was quite the investment- it was worth every cent!  I use it at LEAST 3 times a day, for smoothies, soups, sauces, and many other things.  Before the Vita-Mix, we rarely got our 5 fruits and veggies in a day- now we're right on target or more!  I've never eaten healthier!

Now, why the green ice cubes?  Because my husband and I are now addicted to Green Smoothies  (it's the first way I've ever gotten him to eat a salad!!!).  I puree the nutrient packed green stuff (currently, spinach and kale) ahead of time, and then freeze it into ice cubes to save some time in the mornings.

Sure, that doesn't sound very appetizing at first... but when you mix it with fruit, you can't even taste it-- and they are SOOOO good for you!  After about 3 weeks of: 1 green smoothie a day, around 5 days a week- I FINALLY broke through a weight loss plateau that I had been stuck at for a YEAR AND A HALF!!!  Exercise got me hooked on physical activity, running helped me lose some inches, but only green smoothies helped me drop the pounds.  AND, the other thing I noticed-- is that my memory is clearer too. I was really worried that the MS was putting me on a downhill memory slope, and that was very scary.

Have you ever seen the commercial for cleaning wipes where the father and daughter are building a volcano in the white kitchen, and it explodes, leaving red everywhere??  That was me this morning, except green.  (had to break up a frozen spinach square- it didn't exactly go as planned)  All over the cupboards, all over the counters, all over me, in my hair and everything.  I would have taken a picture, but, honestly, I was not a very happy camper at the time.  Thinking back on it though... I wish I would have.  

If anyone has any good green smoothie recipes, I'd love to try 'em out!

Our Basic Recipe:

1 head Romaine Lettuce

1 1/2 c. water  (we like ours relatively thin)

1/2 c. Pomegranate Juice

4T Flaxseed Meal

Since this takes up the whole blender, blend first to make room, then add:

1 banana

1 green apple

1 pear

1 c. frozen strawberries

Blend and enjoy.  

We usually split this, Scott getting a little more.

Enjoy!

X-Ray, oh Joy!

So, everyone is concerned that my sprained ankle is still making a painful appearance.  I get an email this morning, "If your ankle hurt AT ALL during the (Great) Race, you should NOT run on Saturday".  What's so bad about that?  That was supposed to be my "Grand Finale" of the racing season... my first 10K, at Clarion, my Alma Mater.  I wanted to show myself how far I've come.

I can recall a dinner at the cafeteria-- potato soup, french fries, and mashed potatoes- obviously, eating healthy was not on the list.  Though I did hit the gym once in awhile, there really was no effort at all there.  I even remember looking out the window one morning at the ALF (Autumn Leaf Festival) racers thinking, "Who would ever want to do THAT?!"  And look at me now!  Though, I'm no tri-athlete, I've definitely come a long way.

So, I called the doctor, who called in a prescription for an X-Ray.  Yay, fun.  We'll find out the results tomorrow.  Please, oh please....

2011 Great Race

This morning, my sister, Taylor and I ran the 2011 Great Race together! With conflicting schedules, it was actually the first time we were able to run together, EVER!  I was so nervous, but thankful that I was able to run- it feels like it's been years!  (In reality, it's been a week and a half- but still, there's a huge difference in my endurance!)  Note to self: remember this when you are tempted to stay in during the cold winter months!