The Benefits of 30 Days of Green Smoothies

- Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle -

The green smoothie challenge ended a few days ago and I must say I am a little sad about it. For me, it was definitely a challenge, but I enjoy a challenge. Having some great friends along for the ride made it even easier.

I guess the older you get, the wiser you start to become. I am to the point where I am I realizing the importance of eating foods that really aid in the overall health of my body. That isn't to say it is easy to eat a carrot over a piece of cheesecake... no, it is usually a battle for us all. We know the things that are good for us, but deciding to choose them is really the key.

It is never too late to do your own 30-day (or 10 or 20-day) green smoothie challenge. I would encourage you to go back and read this post on how to do one and why your body needs this challenge. And remember, I am here for you! I love to encourage other people to live and eat well. I have seen and know the benefits of eating well over not. So know that this blog exists to encourage YOU!

Here are just a few snippets of the benefits I saw while doing the GSC.

1. No signs of irritability/moodiness. I guess you could say this was the best benefit I experienced soon into the challenge. I can be a little "up and down" as far as moods go. But I can honestly say, I was very chipper during the 30-day challenge. Now to be honest... I did skip 2 days where we were gone most of the day and I just did not get my smoothie and crazy enough, my moods were wacky those days. Call it coincidental, but it was obviously true! Next day back on the smoothie challenge, things were definitely better.

2. Increased energy. Even on the days that were gloomy and dark out, I was feeling good. I had the energy and motivation to do the things I don't normally want to do. I had the energy to go out for a walk with my toddler and not be dragging later on in the day. The most radical times I was aware of this was in the morning. I woke up feeling very rested and ready to go and this is not normally the case with me.

3. No aches and pains. Sometimes I suffer from joint pain. From my history and doing a few food (allergy) challenges, I have recognized I am gluten/wheat sensitive. I know if I have had a lot of that in my diet, I tend to get very sore joints and sugar usually exacerbates it even more. When I was on the GSC, I had absolutely no aches and pains... anywhere. It was amazing.

4. No sugar cravings. It's really hard to believe this until you have experienced it. No. Sugar. Cravings... seriously. When you are putting into your body the things it truly craves and properly uses, the junk food cravings completely diminish. If you can get past the first 3 or so days, you will start to see what I mean. I was actually wanting a salad, carrots, nuts and apples.

5. No headaches. I do not enjoy drinking water. I know it is so good for me, but it is a huge chore for me to actually consume it. I know I am borderline dehydrated most days. One of the biggest signs your body sends you to say it is dehydrated is headaches. So I tend to suffer from headaches several times a week. Well, on the challenge, I had zero headaches. I know I was well hydrated because my smoothies were no smaller than a quart every day.

6. No bloating. I love salt. And consuming salt brings on water retention and bloating. On the challenge since I was craving mostly fruits and vegetables, I was not eating as much salty foods. Also, the amount of water in all the fruits that I was adding to the smoothie definitely made my fluid intake much, much higher which acted as a diuretic in itself. My rings were quite loose and the numbers of the scale went down as well.

7. Sense of well-being. I just felt well on this challenge. You know when you are on a cycle of eating well it just naturally filters into other areas of your life... it just makes you feel good. I didn't have a brain-fog that I sometimes suffer from and life seemed more optimistic from all angles. I could directly feel the benefits of eating healthy and it usually continued throughout the day.

So there you have it. If you are on the fence about trying a 10, 20 or 30-day challenge, I would encourage you to go for it. Remember that anything worth trying takes some discipline... and remember that nothing worthwhile rarely comes easy. Great health does not come easily, it takes hard work, a focused mindset and a determined will.

If you were along for the ride with me, please share what benefits of the green smoothie challenge you experienced too!

7 Ways to Save so You Can Eat Healthy

Yesterday I was talking to a good friend of mine who is striving to feed her family healthy like me. Of course, the conversation came up about the rising costs of gas and food and how it is getting trickier to buy healthy foods when the junk foods tend to be so much cheaper.

It would be much easier to grab the junk stuff, but keep focused on the bigger picture of growing a healthy future for you and your family. It may become a challenge to budget for better foods, but it can be done.

Here are some ways I have found that really help my family to buy healthier in a struggling economy...

1. Shop the sales. Very obvious, but very important. And if possible, stock up on those items if you can. When strawberries and peaches are cheap, load up and then freeze them for something good later. 

2. Stop buying the junk. If you stop buying junk, it clears the way for the healthy stuff!

3. Find ways to cut back... specifically you! I have personally made decisions to cut back on my own luxuries so there is a little more leftover for buying food that will benefit my family, specifically my kids. I only get my hair cut once a year, I don't ever get my nails or toes done... and to be a little transparent here, I purchase over 90% of my clothes and shoes either from the Target clearance racks or from my personal favorite, Goodwill. 

4. Shop at different stores to get better deals. I know, more work for you, but this can really help your budget. If grapes are on sale at one store, but apples are cheaper elsewhere those little changes will add up.

5. Clip coupons. Most coupons are for processed foods, but if you look, sometimes there are really good coupons for healthy foods. Like coupons for cherry tomatoes, clementines, Dole salad bags, healthy protein bars, organic juices and more. Here are a few sites to check out for coupons and savings... Mambo Sprouts, Frugal Living, Saving Naturally, and Stonyfield, Seventh Generation, Whole Foods Market.

6. Buy generic where you can. Aldi is a great place to shop. Did you know they are owned by the same family that operates Trader Joe's? I like to buy several things at Aldi like tortilla chips, whole grain pasta, bread and crackers, 100% fruit juices, oats, ground turkey and they have the cheapest and best veggies chips around.

7. Make your own sweets and snacks. My family is a "sweets" family. So this can be a challenge, but I have found when I make my own, from-scratch treats, it helps cut costs plus is so much healthier. Things like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, homemade granola bars, super healthy brownies and of course, smoothies.

What ways help you buy healthy in our economy?