Green Smoothies

For a long time I have felt that we needed to eat better around here.  I know that we already eat pretty healthy, but I also know we can do better.  With all the candy, treats, and desserts that were around here during the holiday season, we have developed some bad habits.  When I say 'we', I mostly mean Squirrel.  The other kids have come to expect it as well, but Squirrel has been the worst.  She always asks for a treat.  9 am, 2 pm, 5 or 7pm, it didn't matter.  And she was becoming incredibly picky about eating what I offered. I have also noticed that lately it has been hard to get her attention and keep it for any amount of time.  So, with the new year, we have instigated a new rule.  You eat it.  Period.  She has been driving me crazy with her refusal to eat certain things, like eggs and salad.  It was hard for the first couple of days, but surprisingly, she has adjusted pretty quickly.  (She still makes awful faces when she eats her eggs, but she is managing it.)

I have some family and good friends who are eating differently than the typical american diet, and I have seen amazing results in the health of them and their children.  I have gone back and forth on it over the years, trying to nix out the sugar (oh, I love sugar!)  and other things that are not as healthful as they could be.  Generally what happens is that I read a book (I know, surprise, surprise), and I get all inspired to change what we are doing and I want it to happen, RIGHT NOW!  Well, that lasts a week, maybe.  No one likes that drastic of a change, and it's really too hard to pull on a 15 year old growing-like-a-weed boy.  So, last week I found myself with my parents at a 'Green Smoothie Girl' conference (for lack of the word that I can't think of at the moment), it was a couple of hours with her talking about what she has learned about health and diet over the last 20 years.  (If you don't know who that is, google it, it will come up fast.  Her stuff is kind of pricey, but she has great tips and ideas.)  Anyway, she has this system she calls '12 steps to whole foods'. Here's the link: http://greensmoothiegirl.com/get-healthy/programs/12-steps-to-whole-foods/

Well, my mom bought the manual, not the whole program-yikes-it's expensive, and so of course, I've been reading it here and there.  The idea is that you work on one step a month.  And make it a habit, then you start on the next one.  By the end of the year, you are eating a totally different way, and feeling great.  So, we are sort of doing that.  Like I said before, we are already pretty healthy, and I may start doing some of the things she suggests sooner than the manual says, like sprouting nuts and seeds, because that isn't until step 7, and I want to do that sooner, so we can have healthier snacks around here.  Anyway, the first step is making green smoothies a part of your daily life.  I've been doing it for almost a week, and I have to say, I feel better!  Less headaches, system working better, more energy (especially when Apple sleeps at night ;).  Overall, pretty good.  We are doing them gradually though.  I am doing them about 50/50 veggies and fruit.  The kids and I still need things kind of sweet.  The first couple of days were hard for Squirrel, I had not ever before been able to get her to drink a smoothie of any kind, but we reminded her of the new rule, and she has to drink it before we have breakfast, so she gets it down before breakfast is finished being made.  She says, "They are pretty good."  I figure that by slowly incorporating these changes, that it will make it easier for all of us to adjust, and it will make it so that I don't have to learn a whole bunch of new tricks in a week....which just never works, it just wears me out!  So then I go back to what is easy and my hands can do without my brain having to think about it.  :)

I'm sure we will have rough spots here and there, but I'm excited to see what we can do!

So, my wonderful sister in law and brother, here it goes!  You need to know that you have been very inspiring, and a lot of my desire to learn some of these new things are because of you.  I love you both so much!