I'd never made a green smoothie myself up until a few days ago. Green vegetables are full of beneficial nutrients and low in sugar and I try to have them in some form every day. A smoothie can be a great way to achieve this if you're not the biggest vegetable lover. Some can be a little bit time-consuming to make and you have to get the balance of fruit and vegetables right so that it's not too bitter and not too sweet. I made this one a few days ago and I think I got it pretty spot on ;-) if I say so myself.
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| tastes better than it looks! |
Ingredients:
250ml Coconut milk (not the canned kind, the one you'd find with the milk alternatives)
1/2 an avocado
120g mango (chopped)
juice of half a lime
40g spinach
small cube shredded fresh ginger
Pour out the coconut milk, add the spinach, avocado and mango. Squeeze the lime juice and add a few shreds of ginger. Blend for a minute or two until smooth. Enjoy!
Great source of potassium which helps with the functioning of the nervous system and to maintain healthy blood pressure levels (be careful with intake if you have kidney problems!). Also high in vitamin C, vitamin E and other antioxidants to help strengthen your immune system throughout the winter. Hopefully this will help perk me up a bit. Is this part of a 'new year's resolution' for me? No! Just part of me doing the best I can to maintain a healthy lifestyle without too much pressure.
New year, New me?
It's Blue Monday today which is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. I'm not sure if there's any truth behind it but January is definitely a tough month for many. The weather is miserable and cold, it's dark outside, the excitement of Christmas time is over, colds and flu are going round and many of us have financial troubles on top of all this.
A lot of people put pressure on themselves to kick-start themselves into a new health routine as soon as it hits January 1st. I think the 'New Year, new me' concept can be detrimental to our mental wellbeing for several reasons. If you're already someone who finds January difficult, why make it worse by cutting out your favourite foods/drinks and pushing yourself into a punishing exercise routine? Last thing you need! Secondly, a lot of people make unrealistic targets for themselves and set themselves up for failure and disappointment. Taking steps to better yourself is definitely a positive but it can be done at any time of the year and in a way that is sustainable.
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| new years resolutions don't always work out well! |
I spent most of last year in a depressive episode and started to feel better around late summer/early autumn. CBT helped me to get myself back into a routine and from October onwards I had been going to the gym 3 times per week and making the effort to plan meals and eat well. Although I feel like I do need to lose quite a bit of weight, I allowed myself to enjoy Christmas and relaxed a bit with my eating and exercise habits. Enjoyment and pleasure are such an important part of life, especially throughout the darker months of the year when you need a bit of a boost. So whilst I am going to try to have foods that nourish my body I will also make sure I have food for the soul also! No puritanical January for me!
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| my January present from me to me ;-) |
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