My Breakfast Green Drink

Since it's so easy for me to skip breakfast and since I know it's better for me to eat something, I make a "Green" Drink for breakfast, where the green comes from "Spring Mix and/or Spinach". It actually tastes great and I feel more satisfied when I drink this during the morning.

Blend together:
2 cups 100% pineapple juice
2 cups 100% papaya juice
very large handful(s) of organic spring mix and or spinach
1 avocado or 2 tsps. flax seed oil
1 banana

Fresh and organic is best, but I use what I can get. Sometimes I use a frozen banana instead or ice cubes to make it cold then. Usually I just drink the first glass as is and put the rest into my empty juice bottle and put it in the fridge and drink more a little bit later.

We use a Vitamix, http://vitamix.com/ but a blender or blender/juicer combination will work,
depending upon what you want to put into it. You can add lots of things to it, but right now, mine is very simple. Sometimes I add an apple.

As a friend who knows about eating more raw foods explains it:

Straight juice goes directly to our bloodstream.
Fruits and veggies blended are like pre-digested food on our system.

What do you put in your green drink and why? Or try it and experiment with what works for you.

Oh, and I feel even better when I drink a glass of water about an hour before I have breakfast. A friend from the "Old World" suggested it, saying it's great for your digestive system too.

Eating whole grains reduces chance of stroke for a woman

Health Tip:
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers from Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that just one more whole grain serving a day that women eat lessens the likelihood of their having a stroke. The research involved a study of 75,521 women participating in Harvard University's Nurses Health Study. Between 1984 and 1996, 352 strokes occurred among the women. The researchers found that the women who ate the equivalent of two or three slices of whole grain bread daily had a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of having an ischemic stroke (the most common type) than women who ate the equivalent of less than half a slice of whole grain bread daily.

Rachel says, "So replace those refined products with whole grain to benefit from its rewards. This includes whole grain products such as whole wheat bread, whole grain cereal, popcorn, wheat germ, oatmeal, bulgur and couscous."

Walking Program

I guess it's time to start walking or doing some sort of exercise again. With just a few weeks left until the 5K run/walk on August 18, maybe I should pull out these instructions for the suggested walking program that was shared with us and try it out. 20 minutes huh? Maybe I'll start tomorrow:).

I know the kids and the dogs would enjoy it, but would I enjoy it again? Oh, can't take them since we're supposed to walk fast enough that, it's hard to carry on a full conversation. Yikes, we've got to warm up and cool down and it's 60 minutes altogether. Well here it is below, if you want to do it. I'm not even opening the Running Program she sent.

Walking program
Based on time
Weeks 1-2
Day 1- Walk 20 min
Day 2- Walk 25 min
Day 3- Walk 30 min
Day 4- Walk 35 min
Weeks 3-5
Day 1- Walk 30 min
Day 2- Walk 25 min *intervals +
Day 3- Walk 40 min
Day 4- Walk 25 min *intervals +
Weeks 6-8
Day 1- Walk 40 min
Day 2- Walk 30 min *intervals +
Day 3- Walk 50 min
Day 4- Walk 30 min *intervals +
Week 9-11
Day 1- Walk 50 min
Day 2- Walk 35 min *intervals +
Day 3- Walk 50 min
Day 4- Walk 35 min *intervals+
Race Week
Day 1- Walk 60 min
Day 2- Walk 50 min
Day 3- Off
Day 4- Race Day
All days except interval days should include a 5 minute warm-up, followed by a constant, sustained effort. You should walk at a pace where you can talk, but it would be hard to carry on a full conversation. This should be followed by an adequate cool-down and some stretches for your legs.
*On interval days, start out with a 5 minute warm-up, and then repeat a 5 minute hard effort followed by a 5 minute recovery for the specified time. The hard effort should be harder than your normal days, and the recovery period should be easier than your normal
days. Incorporating hills or increasing speed are two ways to increase your effort for intervals. End with a cool-down and leg stretches.
+Do your walking workout plus weights on these days. The total workout time will still be one hour.

Basic Smoothie Recipe

Weekly health tip:

If you're looking for a healthy summer snack for you and the kids,
try this basic smoothie recipe:·

16 oz. liquid (soy milk, milk, juice, coconut milk, etc.)·
8 oz. plain yogurt·
1 ripe banana (If you have ripe bananas, peel and cut them into chunks, then freeze them for later.)·
1 ½-2 C. frozen fruit·
I Tbs. honey if needed-most fruit combinations don't need any extra sugar. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Get creative. When you feel brave, here are some other things you could add: peanut butter, fresh mint, nuts, seeds, granola. For a naughty twist, try chocolate syrup with cherries. Yum!

Shin splints?

In preparation for the 5 K walk our RS Sisters will be doing, the weekly Health Tip is:

Shin splints? Strengthen your shins by filling a sock full of coins and sitting with your feet hanging down, not touching the floor. Put the sock on top of both feet. Raise and lower your feet, bending at the ankle. Don't lower too far, or you'll lose the sock. Do this every day, completing about 20 repetitions.

I haven't decided to participate yet, but I think actually posting this tips will get to consider it. I miss my former walking partner and am at a loss to get started again. I guess I just need to start as begun is half done, right?

Health Tip Challenge

Health Tip:

This week, learn to make one thing from scratch that you usually rely on a mix for. Taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, spaghetti seasoning, brownies, none of these are very hard, and you definitely won't miss the extra ingredients that are found in the prepackaged mix. What is all that stuff anyway?

Increase awareness, write it down

Weekly Health Tip:

Every six months keep a 3 day food log. You might be surprised how much you eat…or how much you don't eat if you have to write it down. This is not an exercise in counting calories, but just the act of writing EVERYTHING down makes you aware of any unwanted excess or shortage.

I was told of a great site to do just this online at www.fitday.com, which I prefer. Sign up for your own FREE account. It calculates everything for you automatically. It's very cool and it is amazing what writing it all down for the day does for your awareness. Do you know of other sites?

Your own pitcher of water helps you keep track

Weekly Health Tip:

Fill a 2 Liter pitcher full of water in the morning. Set it aside where no one else will drink it, and try to finish it by the end of the day.

I drink a lot of water, so this one should be quite easy for me. I have a large glass I keep in a special spot in a cupboard and fill it often. I've heard if we are thirsty, we are already dehydrated. Can this be?

What water tips do you have?