Fit Tip of the Day: GREEN up your Fruit Smoothie!!

The good old "I'm on a diet" classic, the fruit smoothie, is a rather delicious treat if you ask me!  What better way to stick to your healthy eating habits on a hot summer day in the DFdub (and I mean...HOT!?) Well, next time you choose to whip up one of these healthy delights, don't get caught in a rut of using the same ingredients.  Add some GREEN!  Toss in a LARGE handful of fresh spinach (or maybe 2)!  It may not look quite as pretty, but by greening-it-up, you've added an intense boost of nutrition!!  Spinach is one of many dark green veggies who offer big time rejuvenating and waist-slimming health benefits!!

RoxyB's Green-It-Up Fruit Smoothie

So.  To get started, simply add a packed cup of spinach to your fav healthy fruit smoothie recipe, OR, try my current go-to concoction! Add ingredients in the order listed and blend for about 1 minute! 

2 packed cups fresh spinach 

1-2 cups berries (of any kind!)

1 banana

1 cup ice

1 T flax seed

1/2 cup coconut milk

Word to the wise:  Add your spinach at the BOTTOM of your blender (or Ninja...if you don't have one, you SHOULD!  They're the bomb!) to ensure that it gets fully blended into your smoothie!

Skip out on the sugared-up cold-bev indulgences this weekend, and partake in a GREEN fruit smoothie!! YUM.

PS- A GREEN smoothie is also a super-sneaky way to hook your baby/toddler/child up with some extra veggies!  My little munchkin LOVES a good spinach, strawberry & banana smoothie!

-Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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An Alternative to Juicing for Weight-Loss

My personal wellness philosophy embraces health choices that are sustainable and create lasting results.  I steer clear of anything that is meant to be temporary and am anti-quick-fix {barring special circumstances in which a doctor recommends such}.  For this reason, I am not a proponent of "Juicing" for weight-loss.  Although the juicing diet is nutritious, it is a diet that could not be maintained as a way of life.  It does not provide the full spread of nutrients one needs to sustain normal activity on a day to day basis.  Any temporary diet, especially one that involves a drastic calorie-cut will most likely get quick weight-loss results, but upon returning to a normal caloric intake, this weight will return!  This process confuses the body and can actually SLOW your metabolism, resulting in an even MORE difficult weight-loss journey.  This particular article is not meant to focus on the downfalls of juicing, but to offer a natural, healthy, and more sustainable alternative.

To anyone who is considering Juicing for weight-loss, I would recommend instead adopting more raw foods into your daily eating regimen.  Eliminate any processed foods you regularly eat (white bread, crackers, breakfast bars, frozen meals, fast food, etc...) and replace them with raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, & seeds.  Eating raw helps to clean the yuckiness out of your body that processed foods leave behind.  It also provides a vast array of energy-building, and fat-burning nuttrients.  By choosing not to cook your veggies, you are skipping the step that zaps a large amount of the nutrient-punch!

If you are seeking a cleanse, a gradual increase in raw foods will not have the immediate effect you are looking for.  If you're interested in making raw-eating a lifestyle, I would recommend first choosing 1 NON-raw ingredient per meal, and then piling on the raw goodness around that ingredient!  For example:

• Grilled Fish Lettuce Wraps w/ raw veggies,  & sliced raw almonds.  
• Fresh Spinach Salad topped with your fave fruits, raw veggies, chia seeds, & walnuts (try a tsp of balsamic vinegar on top!)
• Black Bean & Avocado Salad on mixed greens & kale w/ sprouts, sunflower seeds, chopped raw broccoli, mango, & diced onions.  
• BONUS TIP:  Use your fave spices OR some oil & vinegar to add extra flavor to any dish!

Replacing a juicing diet with eating raw allows you to be more creative with your snacks and meals!  I am currently working on a more detailed eating plan which will be available on the blog in the coming months.  Stay tuned for that!

Remember that the most efficient and long-term effective way to lose weight and keep it off is the combine exercise and nutrition!  When paired with exercise, he nutrient punch in raw foods will assist in maintaining your energy levels throughout the day, recovering from exercise more quickly, and keeping your metabolism functioning at its most efficient levels!

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Grilled Chicken Apple Spinach Salad

 This is a great dinner for those of you honoring your "carb curfew".  It's bursting with freshness, while providing a mouthful of nutrients AND deliciousness!  The greens are offset by the sweetness of the apple and the carrots give it a nice but subtle little crunch.  YUM! :)

Grilled Chicken Apple Spinach Salad:

{serves one}

-3 cups fresh spinach

-1 apple peeled (yes, with a peeler)

-2 carrots peeled
-1/2 cucumber sliced super-thin

-1 grilled chicken breast (season the chicken to keep from needing a dressing!)

- toss in bowl and ENJOY!  

**TIP:  If your chicken isn't nice & juicy, the salad may seem a bit dry...even with the apples!  Add a tsp or so of balsamic or red wine vinegar to moisten it up!

-Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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