Fill Your Cup: Smoothies and Self-care

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Mornings at our house can be a bit chaotic. When I’m on top of my game, the craziness mellows into a nice pattern. When I’m not…well, let’s just say two kids running out the door with half-zipped backpacks and a crazy woman screaming after them is not my ideal way to start a day.

Honestly, I’ve started my day off without breakfast way too many times, and I know I’m not the only one.  

After much trial and error, I have found the best way to get us all going is for me to take care of myself. I now start most days with a workout followed by a smoothie. In fact, I’ve made so many smoothies over the last few years that I’ve had to replace my BlendTec blender’s motor–and those things can blend up a cell phone!

Smoothies are a great way to get a tasty, healthy meal, replenish after a workout, give yourself an energy boost or even help support glowing skin and a healthy immune system. I’ve tried plenty of recipes, tweaking them along the way, and have found my go-to breakfast smoothies to get my day started on the right foot.

Smoothie Basics:

1. A good blender. I prefer BlendTec, but Ninja or Magic Bullet are great choices also. Whatever works for your budget or your style, make sure you are aware of your blender’s capabilities. Some can blend hard ingredients like raw carrots or sweet potatoes easily; others may not have the power to do so, in which case you can pre-cook those ingredients to soften them.

2. Prep your ingredients. Peel, chop, cook, portion, or measure ingredients beforehand. This makes it easier to just throw them all in the blender and have it done quickly.

3. Know what kind of smoothie you want. Protein for after a workout? Energy to get through a long day? Something chocolaty?

4. Layering. Putting the ingredients in the blender in the right order helps them all blend smoothly. Start with whatever liquid you are using, followed by solids like greens and yogurt. Then put frozen things in last. This way your blender mechanism hits the easier stuff first, before it gets to the harder, frozen ingredients.

Here are my Top 5 Breakfast Smoothie Recipes:

Chocolate Peanut Butter (packed full of protein)

1 cup almond milk

1 banana

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 scoop protein powder

ice cubes

Awake (bright and fresh, a real eye-opener)

1 cup water

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 Granny Smith apple

1/2 avocado

Focus (full of good stuff for your brain)

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp ground Chia seeds

1 cup greens

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, cherries, etc)

Glow (green tea has antioxidants that are good for your skin)

1 cup brewed green tea

1 tsp honey

1 chopped carrot

1 tbsp ground Chia seeds

1/2 cup frozen mango

Strength (sweet potatoes are great for your muscles)

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp ground Chia seeds

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup sweet potato (cooked or raw, depending on blender strength)

1/2 apple

ice cubes

 

*Feel free to swap ingredients to taste. The last time I made the Glow smoothie, I substituted a coconut green tea for plain green tea, and it added a nice tropical flair. 

We know that as mothers self-care is important, but too often we put ourselves last on the priority list. When we put a little effort into focusing on ourselves for a moment, it really makes a difference. You can’t pour from an empty vessel. So fill your cup to the top, mamas!

 

 

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