Ode to Blueberries!

So today I'm going to pay my respects to a fruit that has captured my heart recently. I have always loved berries. Blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries are all foods I can sit down and eat a large tub of. But blueberries, even though I have always eaten them, have not always been at the top of my list.

Recently, the grocery store I go to has been putting frozen blueberry bags on sale. I am always more likely to reach for the mixed berry bags then any other frozen fruit bag. But most of them do not include blueberries. So, taking advantage of the sales, I purchased a large number of frozen bags of these blue fruits. 

But, I didn't know the best way to eat them in my smoothies. Until I ran out of mangos. I always mixed blueberries into my green smoothes along with other berries. My mango smoothie is always almond milk, frozen mango, and banana. When I went to grab the bag of mangos and got nothing but frozen dust, I figured why not try it with the blueberries. Heck, I had a ton of them to spare. And, if I didn't like it I could always start over. 

The banana, blueberry, and almond milk smoothie stole my heart. It is literally the most delicious new concoction I have come up with in so long. I was addicted. With one banana it is a creamy drink, and with two it makes a delicious "milkshake." 

So for anyone looking for a delicious summer milkshake like drink, this one is a total winner. I use unsweetened almond milk for my recipe. Try it! Besides tasting delicious, these small blue spheres pack antioxidants, vitamin k, magnesium, vitamin c, fiber and copper. Just a few of the wonderful benefits to these delicious fruits. 

Now, the goal is the find other great drinks to try it in!

No Matter How Slow...

I really love this quote! And of course, it's one of the things I have to tell myself when I get discouraged and I realized my top speed for running isn't even in the presidential range for high school standards. I'm not someone who enjoys running all the time. Sometimes it feels good. Sometimes it feels like a chore. I try and gauge what day I'm going to have before I get on the treadmill and start. However, how I feel before I start running is not always how I feel when I finally start doing it. 

So why do I keep at it? Because running slow is still exercise. Running slow still means pushing my body harder than I would be sitting on the couch. I know it might be discouraging for anyone who cannot seem to excel at an exercise to keep trying. Believe me, running the the bane of my existence some days. But, that doesn't mean it's not worth is. It means you are still doing more for yourself than just sitting there wishing you were better at something. So who cares if you finish last? Believe me, it still feels good to finish the race. ( I would know, I have come in last plenty of times!) So go ahead, run slow. Dance awkwardly. Lift three lb. weights on your lunch break. You're still doing more than nothing. And that should make you feel good!

Living a Fit Lifestyle is a long term commitment to your health. It's building healthy eating and exercise habits for your life. And not ones based on fads. No matter how slow you go, changing your diet, or working out, as long as your moving towards your goals all of it counts. Never forget slow progress is still progress!

My Favorite Green Smoothie

I wanted to share my favorite green smoothie right now. I have the ability to eat the same thing over and over again with out ever getting sick of it. Mango has become my new fruit love. I had never even had one mango in my life before this past year!

This photo is courtesy of www.colorwheelmeals.com and I wanted to show you how simple a delicious green smoothie can be! I make my mango green smoothies with just one large, or two big bananas, a cup of spinach and a 1/2 cup of frozen mango. I then add enough water to make a smoothie creamy mix of this.

The banana keeps this smoothie sweet and creamy. I also love the texture of the mango because it too adds to the smooth texture of this drink. This is very thick and very filling! If you do not like your drinks as thick, use more water or use less banana.

So if you are looking for ways to shake up your morning routine, this sweet and filling smoothie might be something to try if you also love mangos.