Smoothies, Food Choices, and Lent

 I don't know why but lately I have been having a smoothie almost everyday.   I love them after I run because they offer me instant rebuilding goodness.  I am addicted to chocolate and my favorite smoothie gives me my fix without being too hard on my nutrition plan.

My all time favorite smoothie:

Chocolate Peanut Butter with Banana.

Here is the recipe:
 3 heaping tbsp of Cottage cheese (I don't like cottage cheese on its own but when it's creamy in a smoothie I can tolerate it.)
1-2 raw organic eggs ( I get these fresh from a friend.)
Handful of spinach
1/2 frozen ripe banana
Almond milk(enough to make the blender go)
 1-2 tbsp of cocoa
Dash of cinnamon
1-2 tbsp of local honey
1 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp of chia seed or ground flax seed
Optional: 1/2 cup of raw old fashioned oatmeal

Add several ice cubes after you've finished the initial blending.
Blend this all up...it's a yummy meal...lots of protein..lots of filling carbs...even some sneaky veggies in there!

Today I made this smoothie:

Fruit smoothie:

Handful of spinach
Handful of blueberries
2 frozen strawberries
1/2 frozen ripe banana
3-4 slices of frozen peaches
Vanilla almond milk- a splash to make the blender go...
2-3 tbsp of cottage cheese
1 raw, fresh egg
1/4 avacado

This didn't even need extra sweetener.

I like to add some kind of fat to all my smoothies. It goes a long way in making me stay fuller longer. Usually this includes either peanut butter, avocado, or coconut oil.

Here is the recipe for the smoothie I posted on twitter a few days ago:

Banana avocado smoothie
A handful of spinach
2-3 tbsp of cottage cheese
1/2 cup raw old fashioned oatmeal
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 avacado
1 frozen ripe banana
1 tsp of honey
2 raw, fresh, organic eggs
About a half cup of vanilla almond milk

This one is very green looking when blended but it was a good change of scenery for my taste buds!

This past week has been an epic fail in the food department.  I find it so easy to stick to my exercise plan.  But my food choices are another story. Just when I think I am free of the desire to eat processed foods, I have a bite then, I just want more. I need to detox from the junk. It makes me feel horrible.  Why is it we choose things that make us feel bad even when we know it will make us feel bad?

Romans 7:15-"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

It is even more important that I am fueling my body with good foods as our half marathon will be here before I know it.  Food is fuel...

I am looking forward to the season of Lent. I am not catholic but one of my best friends invited us to participate in Lent this year as we reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for us. One point she made was that of the three things Jesus fasted from, one of those was food.  I guess God knew we would struggle with food. He knew we would seek Him as our strength. I am helpless on this journey without Him!