It is a sort of madness we all seem to brush off as normal. One day we are passing around shiny silver trays stacked with holiday cookies, festive treats, calorie-laden everything and sparkly glasses filled to the brim with fizzy pink champagne.
Then boom.
Midnight hits. A new year and suddenly we are in detox mode. (A word so sinister, it sounds as if we have all been chugging chemicals all year long.) We trade in our bag of chocolate chips, jar of vanilla extract and extra-large bag of white flour for a bunch of kale, bag of chia seeds, a bowl of lemons and some cayenne and apple cider vinegar. An overnight shift from holiday mode to healthy makeover mode. We find ourselves stumbling through Whole Foods, loading up our baskets with armfuls of greens and veggies, not really knowing the recipe plan ahead.
I have heard this one before.. Hi. I just bought a bunch of kale, red radishes, two yellow bell peppers, some celery, an avocado, two gallons of coconut water, a knobby bit of ginger and nine lemons. What do I do now?
Our indulgent holiday gift list is now replaced with a wish list of healthy new year habits. No sugar. Less caffeine. Goodbye carbs. Hello green juice. Less alcohol. More whole grains. Less gluten. More sleep. More yoga. More water-drinking. And on and on.
But enough of the wish lists and high hopes. Enough of the rage and craziness. Stop fighting your body. It only wants to help you. It wants you to get healthy, but it really begs you to slow down and take things at your own pace. Just look in the mirror.
Happy. New Year. now what?
That imperfect person staring back at you is not only your one teammate, but your team captain. Your leader and your follower. So put on some war paint and muster of some darn team spirit.
Instead of focusing on all your bad habits to trash, start focusing on good habits. Feel great about doing just ONE new healthy thing today and tomorrow. And the next day. Focus on the good stuff.
Quit the obsessing and start giving yourself a few gold stars for making small, elegant, thoughtful strides. Then maybe next year you can turn around and look back on all those small steps and see the very long and proud path you have traveled.
beach. sunrise, sunset on 2012..
Otherwise you may just look back and see a crazy, stressed out, obsessive yo-yo dieter, yo-yo exerciser that never really finds any path. No thank you.
one good thing.
Here is one good habit to try. Green smoothies! I love them. Here are two I whipped up this week. These are whole food recipes made using my Vitamix. If you do not have a Vitamix – make 2013 your year to save up and buy one! They are awesome. Free shipping when you order from this link.
Sweet Citrus Avocado Dreamboat – citrus, avocado, apple and greens
serves 1-2
2 small satsumas or 1 large orange, peeled
1 cup kale or spinach
pinch of parsley
1/2 small avocado
1/2 cup apple, chopped
1 cup coconut water or water, chilled
1/2 cup ice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
dash cayenne (optional)
Green Sunshine Whirl – greens, citrus and frosty sweet fruit
serves 1-2
1+ cup greens (any variety – spinach, chard, kale, arugula..)
1 large orange, peeled
1/2 cup grapefruit juice or coconut water
1/2 cup frozen grapes OR frozen watermelon
1/2 banana (optional, adds creaminess)
1/2 cup ice
+water to thin out to desired consistency
tips! Want more sweetness? Add in 1/2 pear or 1/2 and apple or 1/2 cup grapes. Want more tartness? Add in some lemon juice. Want more green? Simply add in more leafy greens + a splash more liquid.
more. more. more. on green smoothie making HERE.
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