Sunday, April 10, 2011

Hydrating Smoothie

I was recently listening to a book on tape that talked about how your choice in food choices reflects your outlook on life.  It seems a little hokey, but I think there is some merit to the idea.  It made me think about my food and eating preferences.  The conclusion that I came up with is this: I must have a dissociative identity disorder when it comes to food!

Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything


One day I will think of the most healthy food that I can manage to make.  I'll make my own applesauce from apples I hand picked, and then dehydrate them to make fruit leather.  I'll create a smoothie that is so packed full of nutrients and flavor that it makes me beam with pride!

Then there are the other days where all I really want in this world is a perfectly created cupcake or a juicy cheesy burger topped with pickles and onions.

That being said, I think what it comes down to is this:  I do not focus on healthy food because I fear unhealthy foods.  I do it because I love them!  I have developed a taste for whole foods and I eat them for the same reason I eat the occasional donut.  They taste good!

A few people and I have had the "fast food" conversation. In no part of my mind do I recognize "fast food" as food.  I think of it more as "convenient, high calorie, high fat, emotion inducing grub".  When I was pregnant my brain craved fast food constantly.  Thankfully I didn't give in all the time, but the craving was there.  I liked the way that the food made me feel.

So my question here is:  Do you like food because of the way it tastes or because of how it makes you feel?

I am sure we all can agree that both reasons play a part in our daily food intake choices.

I recently went for a run that was strenuous for me.  It was further than I had run in a long time, and when I got back from it I was parched and sweaty.  My son's babysitter watched as I grabbed a few items and threw them into the blender.  Then she watched in horror/fascination when I actually drank the fluid I had concocted.  I asked her if she wanted to try the smoothie and, to my surprise, she said ok.

The main ingredient in the smoothie? Celery.

Here is why I choose to feature this vegetable in my smoothie:

http://www.bushmanfitness.com/articles/tips/tips-to-thrive-on-in-combating-dehydration/502/

Her reaction was interesting.  She said it was very "celery-y" and she didn't like it but it fascinated her.  I think that this experience was giving her an insight.  Sometimes we don't really taste a food until we really taste the food.  She kept drinking by the way.  She certainly looked confused by her desire to do so.

I created a smoothie this morning that I wanted to share with you.  It is not for the novice smoothie drinker, unless you want to amp up your tolerance and appreciation for the true taste of food that isn't altered by excessive fat, salt or sugar.

I like to drink this after a long run or when I wake up from a mid-day nap feeling groggy and blech.

Hydrating Smoothie

1 peeled cucumber
1/2 c. baby spinach leaves
1 large celery stalk
Fresh juice from 2 small limes or 1 big lime
2 tsp. of honey
2 cups of water
3 cups of ice
1/2 cup of natural applesauce (nice sweetener, huh?)

BLEND!



If you choose to make this smoothie, let me know what you think. I am on my second huge glass of it today.  It is amazingly refreshing!