Workin’ on the Temple: Join Me! + Recipe

I’ve done a decent amount of research on food.  I’ve done this voluntarily and mandatorily (another new word…I often make these).  In my distant path, I was hospitalized with an eating disorder and went thru many, many lectures, therapy sessions, and doctor visits about nutrition (which has nothing to do with the core of an eating disorder).  In my more recent past, I have intentionally researched food, focusing more on the ingredients.  I’m NOT a yoga-going, green juice drinking, vegan, keto, macro-nutrient, sweatband wearing health nut…although my gym offers yoga that I have attended and my recipe today IS a green juice, but I promise I am just your average woman trying to avoid the peanut butter cups and second helping of carbs.  I’m even overweight at this point in my life.  I have fibromyalgia.  I’ve done the yoga classes at my gym because my Dr. told me the best way to manage fibro pain is to keep moving (the pill they prescribed had awful side effects), and the yoga literally just feels so good with the stretching and muscle usage involved. The exercise helps me feel mentally better, as well (of course!).

So here I am working on my temple.  We are instructed to do so.  I am in need of repair! My weight loss goal is 50 pounds.  (No worries, that puts me just 10 pounds under the infamous life insurance chart maximum for my age and height, 10 pounds less than my heaviest in high school and I’m still the same height…possibly shorter.)  Like a building needs constant maintenance and repair, so do we.  I thought I would bring you along as I undergo construction with hopes to inspire, encourage, and support someone else.  After all, those are the goals of my blog…with Jesus in the mix!

What have I done so far to begin my journey?

• Renewed my gym membership.  It comes with those free yoga classes I mentioned that I intend to start again once school lets out for summer. (9 days with kids + 3 inservice days…y’all know I’m counting down.)
• Installed Lifesum on my phone.  This is an app that I am LOVING!  I speak from experience when I say, from my heart, it is about the CALORIES.  Calories in and calories out.  I love how Lifesum helped me determine how many calories I need a day to lose weight and then helps me keep track of them. It is a seriously easy app to use.
• Told you!  To put out there what you are doing is a motivating tool.  I totally invite you to comment about how you are workin’ on your temple and do this with me!

 

I am not joining any “program”, not drinking shakes, not taking pills.  I am counting calories and working out.  I am having 1250-1400 calories a day.  I’m drinking water.  I’m using will-power, and I’m praying for help with temptations.

About the green drink?  I have a hard time with vegetables.  They just don’t want to get on the fork sometimes. I know I need them.  I also know Daniel was like (paraphrasing) “Hey, give me and my men nothing but vegetables and water for ten days and then compare us to your men who ate the royal food”, and after ten days he and his men looked healthier and more nourished than those who ate the royal food.  Daniel 1:11-16  So I thought I would try a green drink primarily because I thought it would be a fast way to get them down.  To my surprise, it wasn’t bad at all!  The secret is to put fruit in in.  In my opinion, you don’t taste the green stuff and what you do taste is really just bland. Adding the fruit makes your drink sweet!  I will add my recipe and photos below, but first I want to reiterate how much I hope being open on this journey helps someone else.  I would love to hear from you!  Your feedback and involvement will totally be appreciated!♥

Spinach and Apple Juice

*I do not have “professional lighting” or camera…just keeping it real!

You will need:

• Spinach Leaves- a handful
• 1/2 an apple- a sweet variety (I used an Ambrosia Gold)
• about 3/4 c water
• blender (I’m using my Hamilton Beach mini blender.  It does the trick!)

Dice up half of the apple and put in blender.  Be sure to take that little white sticker off the apple.  It doesn’t taste good.  Add a handful of spinach.  Fill the blender container with about 3/4 cup of water (more or less–depends on how thick or thin you want your drink).

Blend.  Because I completely filled up my mini blender, I stopped and stirred to make sure everything got completely blended.

   

I held my nose for the first gulp.  I thought if I just hold my nose and take big gulps it will be gone in no time.  After the first gulp I realized it tasted like apples.  I got a little leafy consistency but not a spinach taste…and spinach is a vegetable I like to eat but not drink…but I didn’t get that I was drinking spinach.  It definitely has texture to it but it just was not bad at all.  I plan to try it with pineapple next! I’m adding this to my tool belt for workin’ on the temple.  Stay tuned!

JP/Grace and Pink