green monsters and a weigh in

the deliciousness does not match the nutritiousness.

that's not to say that i don't think nutritious foods are delicious, i definitely do but when you cram two handfuls of fresh spinach into a blender with fruit, you don't typically expect it to turn out to be a delicious treat, snack, meal. BUT IT IS!

the top smoothie is a blend of fresh squeezed oj (from one orange), about 3/4 cup cold water, 1/2 tbsp agave, one banana, 1/2 a green apple, two handfuls of spinach, 1 tbsp of chia seeds and ice.

i've been experimenting with all sorts of fruit combinations and so far, not one mix has disappointed.  even the little guy comes back asking for more.  today, i used the oj, chia, spinach, water and ice with mango, strawberries & pineapple YUM!

chia seeds are new to me.  i've heard/read a lot of positive things about chia seeds being loaded with healthy omega fats.  straight from wikpedia:

... Chia seed may be eaten raw as a whole seed, providing protein, fats and fiber.^[9] Ground chia seed is sometimes added to pinole, a coarseflour made from toasted maize kernels. Chia seeds placed in water or fruit juice are consumed in Mexico and known as chia fresca. The soaked seeds are gelatinous in texture and are used in gruels, porridges and puddings. Ground chia seed is used in baked goods includingbreads, cakes and biscuits.

Chia sprouts are used in a similar manner as alfalfa sprouts in salads, sandwiches and other dishes. Chia sprouts are sometimes grown on porous clay figurines which has led to the popular U.S. cultural icon of the Chia Pet.

[edit]Nutrient content and potential health benefits

In a one ounce (28 g) sample, dried chia seeds contain 9% of the Daily Value for protein (4g), 13% fat (9g) (57% of which is ALA) and 42% dietary fiber (11g), based on a daily intake of 2000 calories.^[9] The seeds also contain the essential minerals phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium and sodium^[9] in amounts comparable to other edible seeds, such as flax^[10] or sesame.^[11] ...

some call it a "superfood" and since i believe everything "some" says, i decided to give it a try.  will it give me more energy?  will it help clear up my skin?  will it keep me feeling full longer?  will it help with my digestion? 

chia seeds are packed with fiber, protein and omega-3's (which is great for healthy skin, hair and nails).  supposedly, they're "good for" diabetics and great for your thyroid.

honestly, i do notice a difference in my energy level after i drink my smoothie. no lie.  maybe it's just because i'm no longer hungry but whatevs.  i'm going to keep adding that tablespoon to every smoothie until the bag is gone and then i'll make my final judgment call. buy more or not?

****

in other news, i finished my 30 day cycle of "making the cut" and started again.  i took my final measurements last week.  i was up just under a pound but down a few inches.  i actually took before and after photos which are really telling. the fact of the matter is i didn't/don't have a lot of weight to lose so the difference was muscle gain and a noticeable loss of inches around my waist, butt, thighs and back.  i'm not brave enough to post the photos here though.  wimpy.  instead, i tried to be discreet and take my a photo during my last workout. 

throughout the process i re-learned what i already knew.  honestly people, diet is everything.  i workout often and i workout hard but, i did not follow jillian's meal plan recommendations and as a result, i did not drop any weight.  

for me, this is not a big deal.  i'm at a healthy weight and i'm happy with the way i look but more importantly,  now i'm really happy with the way i feel.  this program helped me gain a lot of muscle and, it made me more excited to go to the gym everyday.

so diet is everything and, i genuinely enjoy hard core workouts.  these are the two things i re-learned.  i know for a fact that if i had followed her dietary recommendations, i would have walked away leaner but, i also know for a fact that i eat really balanced and healthy as is.  if were unhappy with my progress/results, i would have made more of an effort to change my diet.  

at the end of it, i finished happy, healthy and ready for more.

****

another thing to mention is the awesomeness that is impact fitness.  this gal sells the cutest fitness wear out of a little studio in her back yard.  she sells by appointment only but had a little open house on friday so i took the kids up to check it out.

this stuff is not easy on your pocket book but the quality is top notch and, for someone who wears workout clothes a lot, i think having higher-end pieces is the way to go.  considering the beating these clothes take (think sweating, washing, repeat over and over again), it's worth the money to get some items that will last.   

so i did.

first, the little guy was super proud of himself when he found a hidden stash of clothes in the closets against the wall.  he opened one to show me and it came toppling down on him.  an embarrassing mess.  luckily the owner was super sweet and has young kids of her own.  

i walked away with a pair of combat shorts, capri's and two tanks.  the tanks are long which i love because i'm tall.  the shorts and the capri's are so very comfortable, loose but not too loose.  just right for me.  i get so tired of super tight fitting workout clothing.  i noticed she had a variety of sizes and fits which means there's something for everyone and the clothes are cute enough that they could actually be worn outside of the gym (not that i'm not guilty of this anyway).

even though i used up all of my allowance for the next two years and even though i didn't branch out and pick colors other than army green and black, i'm excited for my new gear.  maybe i'll take a picture of myself one day?  yeah, probably.

****

what else?  gosh, we've been loving this weather (hence the lack of posting here and everywhere).  we've been hanging in the sun as much as we can and playing with friends.  this means i'm running (the car) back and forth and here and there all day long.

i went to the dermatologist last week which was a nice thing to be able to cross of my "list of responsible things to do."

she made me take my sandals off and then giggled at the mole on my big toe, "you have a mole on your toe!"  she was really kinda of awesome.  not what i expected at all.  basically, she only removes moles that cause concern for melanoma and while i have "a lot of moles," i also have only "good moles."  word.

and then on another day, my friend amanda sent me a box with goodies. i love getting boxes. don't you?! girl does this thing where she's subscribes to cooking magazines but she doesn't like to cook.  she's one of those people who wants to like to cook but doesn't really want to like to cook.  maybe the magazines will make her want to cook or like to cook?  no.  they don't.  so she sent them all to me.  and i'm excited to cook some things.  AND, she sent us a bag of peets coffee.  oh my.

lucky for me, the husband/hunk makes my coffee every morning.  lie.  he makes his coffee and is nice enough to add a few cups for me. peets coffee is the best coffee i've had so far in my coffee-drinking life.  if i can't find it here, she's going to have to ship me more OR ... bring me more when i meet her in arizona this coming november!!!!

yep, that's happening and i haven't been this excited to save money in quite a while.  "nobody gets to eat food for the next three months, dad and i are going to arizona!"

anyway, life around these parts has been awesome.  never a dull moment and nothing to complain about.   i've been getting an hour at the coffee shop once a week while sissy takes tumbling and this is like h.e.a.v.e.n. 

we've also spent a couple of lovely evenings at my parents enjoying their nice deck.  yesterday the kids swam in the blow up pool until little guy had an accident in his pants and ruined all the fun.  

we had delicious food and always, great company. 

saturday i enjoyed a lovely 9.52 mile run and a breakfast of gnats with my favorite running buddies including neighbor/friend/running buddy, her sister and candice.  the air smelled so sweet, i asked candice if she wanted to lick it like i did.  i can't remember what her reply was.  probably, "absolutely" or, "no doubt" or, "for sure."  naturally.

i want to scream I LOVE SUMMER! but, you can't hear me.

now i'm off to the gym for an hour on the treadmill and then an hour of yoga.  the family will have to fend for themselves as far as dinner is concerned because i just took way too long writing this post.

done.