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| Giving up soda for Lent. |
Okay, I have to give some background--I grew up in a Catholic environment. When I was old enough to understand Lent, I started to give up some bad habits. It must have been around my middle school years. One season, I gave up cursing and in another, I gave up biting my nails.
It was a success with the nails. I have been able to grow long, thick fingernails that often get in the way of my typing. It's been mostly successful at keeping me from the cursing. What! I've got to be honest about this. God's watching me!
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| Picked up the blueberry smoothie for Lent. |
For this Lenten season, I decided to give up soda. I am in favor of more healthier beverages. I do drink plenty of water, but I also wanted to jazz up my routine with smoothies. Soda only provides me empty calories. The benefit of a smoothie is more energy from the fruits.
Here's what I included in this week's blueberry smoothie:
1 cup water
1 frozen banana
frozen blueberries
frozen cranberries
canned pineapple chunks
red grapes
powdered cinnamon (aids metabolism, especially for diabetics; adds sweetness)
2 tbsp. Ground flax seed (fiber, baby)
2 packets of Stevia in the Raw (for sweetness; better for diabetics)
Activia yogurt—2 portions, blueberry flavored (probiotic)
Notice that I haven't really given full measurements for the fruit. That's because I only estimate about a handful for each fruit. The magic of a smoothie, though, is that you can add ingredients you have on hand or subtract ingredients you do not.
Yes, I might have added too many calories to my smoothie, but I am not worried about that for now. I am just wanting to get into the habit of eating healthier foods. Of late, I had gotten into a rut of consuming processed foods, and I want to move away from them.
I also added a few powdered supplements. For example, ginger powder adds a zingy taste. Ginger is good for inflammation--something I suffer from. I simply squeezed the powder from the capsules into the blender within the watery ingredients.
I then pressed the “smoothie” button. I eventually alternated with the “stir” button. It came out soupy, but I'm used to it. If I wanted my concoction a little more runny, I could have added some more water. The smoothie still poured out through the dispenser.
I ended up with leftovers. I stored the rest in an air tight container. That way, it would not age too quickly. I already feel healthier, knowing that I am doing something good for myself. To be honest, the sweetness of the smoothie cuts out the sting of giving up soda.
What about you, my readers? What have you given up for Lent? What types of smoothies or healthy recipes do you make? Is there something special you put in them? I hope you would consider smoothies for your diet. They are a very sweet and delicious alternative to caffeinated drinks.
May God bless you with His peace, my beloveds.
This has been an entry for Saturday Spreads. I hope you enjoyed it!
