For the health of it!

Have you ever read the magazine Real Simple? If you haven't, I would highly recommend it; very cool read for anyone enjoys home, hobbies and food. In the February 2011 issue, there is an article entitled "10 ideas for: smoothies". There are some delicious ideas in there, and since I am trying to be more health conscious these days, I tried one the other night. It was a spinach, grape and coconut smoothie. (It wasn't the one that sounded the most delicious, just the one I had the ingredients for.) It was surprisingly very yummy. I could mostly taste the grapes, and unfortunately, this isn't the time of year for grapes. The drink was overall, quite tart...but with sweeter grapes, it would probably be an even tastier drink.

Here's the recipe: 

1 cup seedless grapes (rich source of vitamin A, C, B6 & folate and other good for you stuff. Read more.)

1 cup packed baby spinach (good for everything, cause its a super veggie. Read more.)

1/2 cup ice

1/4 cup coconut milk (another superfood!, tons of electolytes. Read more here.)

Blend until smooth and frothy. 

Here's the nutritional info: 

232 calories; 12g fat; 49mg sodium; 3g protein; 33g carbohydrates; 25g sugar; 3g fiber; 3mg iron; 43mg calcium.

Well, one down, nine to go. I'll post if I try any of the other smoothies from the article. 

Prince Lee Cat

This is my tuxedo cat, Prince Lee. He turned 7 years old this December, but still on occasion gets kitten-like and plays and explores boxes. He's such a sweet boy. And handsome too!

Water, Water Everywhere

So one of my New Year's Resolutions was to drink more water. Sounds simply enough. And I even thought that I'd been doing a pretty good job on this one...until--bum, Bum, BUM--the water calculator. I took this short quiz, and was shocked by how much water it said I should be drinking! I guess I should go get another glass right now!

Answer the questions to find out how much your should be drinking. Click here for the water calculator!

One thing I've been doing to get a little more water, with a little more flavor than just plain water, is cutting light fruit juice with sparkling water. Very yummy, but I am not counting these drinks as soda (as per my New Year's Resolution).

New Year Resolutions: Health, Wealth & Happiness

So it's 1-1-11, what else would I be writing about but my New Year's resolutions! I don't think my resolutions are much different than millions of Americans and billions of people of throughout the world. BUT I have thought a good deal about it, and specific ways to achieve it. Hopefully, being specific, telling anyone who will read it my plan, and then reporting back through blogging after the fact will allow me to accomplish all I am setting out to do. So let's get started...


HEALTH


Eat Better

• Drink more water. Huge problem for me for some reason, not sure why. But in an effort to help, my water drinking habits,  I am resolving to not drinking any non-diet soda, no more than one can of diet soda per day, AND no soda when I eat out. Water, water, water!
• Go grocery shopping regularly. I really seem to do best with my eating habits when there's food in the house, thus, I need to keep good healthy food in the house. 
• Up the fiber, cut back the sugar. I love desert--who doesn't?--but I need to get my sugar quantities under control. I'd also like to get some more high fiber foods in my diet. 

Exercise

• Cardio! 30 minutes, 3 times a week, minimum. Now I know that as a standard, that truly is the minimum for cardio...but I'll come clean, that would be 90 more minutes a week than what I'm getting now. So its a start!
• Take the stairs. Yes, it's true. I take the elevator in my 3-story work building daily (sometimes, several times daily). I will resolve that will take the stairs this year...unless, I'm carrying something heavy!
• Play with the dog daily. That mutt really wears me out!

Be Outside

• Canoe, canoe, canoe! I would really like to get out and paddle more this canoe season than last--the record shouldn't be hard to break, I think we only got out twice. I would like to get out at least once a month April through September. 
• We were generously given a lot of camping gear for the holidays. We need to get out and camp this year. I'm really not down for winter camping, and would love to go more often than this, but I resolve that we will go once a month June through August. 

WEALTH

Financials in Order

• Save, save, save. I feel like we really need to get serious about saving. Spend less to save more. 
• Check in my credit score, at least twice over the year. Make any corrections and raise score, if possible. 

Alternative Sources of Money

• I have lots of vintage plates, dishes, and doodads...I think it would be cool to sell them. I am unsure if I'd like to try to sell on-line or in an antique store. Nothing that is gonna make me rich by any means, but a great way for me to unclutter and make a little money...that will of course go into savings. 

Strive for Simplicity

• So a great way to spend less, and save more...be more simple. In a consumer driven world, this can be hard to do, but I have my hubby, my animals, and my family and friends...what outside of that truly matters?

HAPPINESS

Be More Social

• I'm starting a book & movie club. I've thought about it for a while, and decided I will do it. A very nice way to be social if I do say so myself. 
• See my family more...I live so close to most of them, its a shame we don't get together more. I would like to make it a point to see everyone more. 
• See my friends more...Same thing, I have lots of awesome friends I barely see. Shame, shame. I resolve to make an effort to see my friends more often!

Volunteer

• I would like to get more involved with the camp I grew up at. I love that place, and believe it to be one of the best places in the world. I would like to commit to helping it stay that way. 
• I would like to find a local place to volunteer a couple times a month. Stay tuned for that. 

Randoms

• I resolve to wear a dress/skirt to work twice a month. 
• Watch less TV I'm not interested in...sometimes, I will watch TV I am not interested in, just because it is what's on. I am not anti-TV, not at all, but if there is nothing on I'd rather find something better or turn it off. 
• Put away clean clothes. I put this one for my hubby, who hates that I don't put away my clean clothes...really, baby, 2011 will be the year!

Okay, so I know that is a lot of New Year's resolutions, but they are all things I'd like to do...let's see what I can accomplish. Good luck to me, right. 

Did you set any resolutions this year?