Hydrating Green Smoothie Recipe

I woke up a little dehydrated this morning and I'm sure the alcohol from last night is the culprit. I didn't wake up with a hangover (I know my limits and don't like to overdo it), but I still wanted to feel vibrant again.

Spinach smoothies are my go-to health drink lately. I make variations of them with different flavors of greek yogurt, fruits, protein powder, and even kale. I usually throw ice and water to get the consistency that I want, but it can get a little boring. I've heard that coconut water is very hydrating, and believe me, I've tried to down it before. But I don't like it! Not by itself at least. However, it was on sale at Target yesterday so I decided to bite the bullet and try again, but to add to my smoothies! Let me just say, that was the way to do it!

Here's the recipe I made this morning--it's one of the best I've had.

Hydrating Green Smoothie
3/4 cup coconut water (35)
1 banana (110)
2 handfuls of fresh spinach (10)
1 container pomegranate greek yogurt (140)
1 tbsp ground flaxseed (30)
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (60)
2 tsp cocoa powder (5)
4-5 ice cubes
4-6 oz water

Layer each in a blender and blend to preferred consistency (more ice will give a slush smoothie, more water will be thinner). It makes about 30-32 oz of smoothie--all for 390 calories! Split it in 2 and it comes to 195 calories a serving. It's so filling too. Drink up!

Motivation and Protein Powder

A couple of my clients have motivated me recently. I don't want to be a sub par trainer. I want to continue to evolve and make myself a better person.

This last week I've been slacking off a bit. It started because I was feeling tired, but I just need to work my schedule around that. No excuses. These next two weeks my work schedule will be a bit crazy. I'm covering night shifts at a different location while keeping up my training clients and switching them to early mornings. It's also my birthday this week, so it won't be all work! I've got a fun week planned as well.

Using this birthday as a new opportunity to begin change, I want to achieve these goals:

- Run a half marathon before the year ends

- Increase my standard running pace to 6.5 mph (about 9:15 minute mile)

- Decrease my body fat % enough to where I see more than the top half of my abs

- Decrease the amount of sugar I consume

My boyfriend and I just got our first tub of vanilla protein powder. I'm curious to its effects and how it could help me. I'm not big on making shakes (mostly because I'm too lazy to get out the blender everyday, much less clean it everyday) so I'm trying to come up with different ways to incorporate it into my diet.

Tropical Protein Parfait

- 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks

- 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese

- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

- 8 walnut halves

The vanilla protein powder makes this concoction taste sweet. I like how the juice from the pineapple chunks makes this taste better than I think it would on its own. After a few bites, I realized that the vanilla protein mixed with cottage cheese pretty much tasted like cake batter. Whether that's good or bad is all up to you.