Green Energy Drink...the elixir to radiant health

Yummy kale in our garden

As you know from my last couple of posts, I'm a homeschooling mama now and since I know many of my friends are also in the same boat, I thought I would do a post on the energy elixir I discovered a number of years ago.

I started thinking about this being the perfect blog post last night as I was plugging in my cell phone to charge it for the evening and I was thinking, "wouldn't it be cool if we mamas could re-charge our batteries so easily." Cell phones are a crucial way of staying connected in our fast paced lives but when they run out of charge they are useless.

Mothers are useless as well when they run out of steam. They are the back bone of society and are true warriors as caring for children and the family is a 24/7 job. Being a mother is daunting and overwhelming at times and often all that keeps us going is coffee and sticky kisses. Personally, I don't partake in coffee, so the kisses have to be REALLY good. At the very least we need respite care to re-charge our drained batteries.

Yes, sleep is one way to rejuvenate and restore ourselves but I only get a really deep sleep every now and then these days as there is always someone up and about in the evenings. If it isn't an older child waking me as they come home late, (I sleep with one eye open until all my chicks are in the nest) or a little one with a night terror, it's me, getting up to attend to my urgent bladder of which has never been the same since the twins birth. So, yeah, me and sleep, let's just say we are passing strangers in the night.

Then there is something to be said for meditating.

 
 The practice of which helps us reconnect with our soul, which is eternal and when we connect with the deepest part of ourselves, which is creative energy at it's core, we can fill the tanks nicely. You have to get in the groove though and seated meditation isn't the easiest thing to do when you are a mama as it requires sitting STILL, and you either have to get up earlier than your kids (in my house that means I'm up before the birds) or stay up late at night which I do, do...but often I'm writing or reading. Still, this is a great way to re-charge at the soul level and I think people who meditate a lot look ageless.

Then there is always doing something outside your comfort zone which stimulates and excites you. Have you ever taken a course even though you didn't think you could find the energy and somehow you  are walking on air and looking at your life through new lenses?

 


Well those are all great ways to energize yourself but what I'm proposing is giving your body some juice (literally and figuratively) to boost your energy.

I don't know about you but we ate really healthy this summer. LOTS of different salads and various veggies from our garden. Most days our treats were all the summer fruits available in our area of the world. We did however eat our fair share of ice cream and baked treats. I knew Alyssa and Mitchell would be leaving home in August and I wanted to give them all their fav desserts. We had carrot cake, brownies, lemon pound cake, date squares, oh the list goes on and on. I know as I was waving goodbye to our beautiful children I was feeling sluggish and it wasn't solely a deep sadness but was my body saying I had to let go of a few pounds and find balance again.


Now we are all different but what I discovered 10 years ago was when I indulge in any dairy products, anything processed and definitely sugary type foods, my body reacts strongly and I feel exhausted. When I was trying to conceive in my early 40's, I had read when we assist our liver by clearing toxins out of our diet, our hormones balance and work more efficiently. A side benefit was having great skin, glossy hair, beautiful nails and hey, I looked younger too. I think I have found the green elixir to ageing gracefully.

So if you are in need of an energy boost, want to lose a few pounds or even look younger, head out into your garden (or check out your local farmer's market) and gather as many colourful vegetables as you can find and join me back in my kitchen.

When you start your homestead, plant your fruit first because it takes a number of years for them to produce. This is the first year that we allowed apples to grow on our three year old trees...This is our Spartan apple tree.

A bowl full of energy, carrots, parsley, kale, swiss chard, and apples.

Now if you know me or have read my blog at all, you will know that I'm not a high maintenance type of gal. Last fall when D gave me a new compost bin, you would think he had given me a diamond ring for how ecstatic I was, so when he gave me a Champion juicer for my birthday a number of years ago, I WAS BEYOND thrilled. Plus, our family has benefited with greater health.

If you don't have a juicer (yet...I hope my post convinces you to buy one) you can certainly buy some green powder, or go and become a wheat grass junkie at your local health food store (like I used to be) ...that is the next thing I dream of...a wheat grass extractor with a fridge in the garage to store my wheat grass trays....it will come.

I found a great powder by Webber Naturals at Costco for a great price ($25.00) and often this is what I start my day with. I shake up a cupful and drink it about 1/2 hour before I eat my oatmeal which aids in the digestion and jump starts my day. Below my breakfast of choice.

When I make my oatmeal, I also add a scoop of 8 grain cereal to the cooked oatmeal, along with some ground flax seed. Then I go crazy with walnuts, almonds, cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or frozen fruit I keep for my smoothies. I find that when we are in a rush and if I'm wanting the little kids to eat their oatmeal fast, then I add the frozen fruit and it cools off the oatmeal quickly...although I like to savour my oatmeal before I start my day.

Oh I like adding all sorts of things to my oatmeal...today there was soy yogurt, walnuts and bananas

 So if you don't have a juicer, check out all the powder greens to give your liver a boost and help with your digestion. This one addition will give you a big boost.

If you want to see what you are eating however, gather your vegetables, the skies the limit.

 

 Today, I gathered kale, apples fresh off our tree, parsley, swiss chard, cucumbers, carrots, and ginger. What I forgot, but I usually put in all my juices is some celery...but this is what I love about juicing, each time it's a bit different. The ginger is a warming herb and great for digestion, plus gives it a zing.

Parsley is a diuretic and great for your liver

Here is my Champion juicer in action....you can put the pulp in your carrot muffins, yum!

 Oh look at that beautiful green colour!

 

Cheers!

To make silly cracker people, spread some hummus, add a cucumber slices, 1/2 a cherry tomato for eyes and a slice of apple for the mouth...the kids were moving the tomatoes around and laughing like crazy...food is fun!

And voila! my afternoon snack with the kiddos. I drank the green juice but we all ate the crazy WASA cracker/hummus people. Our kids will drink a carrot, heavy to the apple and a tiny bit of ginger juice (apple/carrot zinger) but when I add too much of the green stuff they scrunch up their little noses. That's okay. They eat their greens by way of broccoli, beans, cucumbers, etc. Their little bodies regenerate so fast and they haven't the toxins built up from years of damage yet so they don't have to eat pounds of organic vegetables to re-charge. We are certainly mentors when they see us chug our green drinks and chase them for a messy kiss with our green moustaches afterwards.

I wish you could come over for a juice.  Although I think my friends Tamara, Jane, and Laura have partaken and certainly my sisters B and J have caught me juicing. They all know I have to stay young and energized to keep up with Will and the twins. Hey, and if you think that this may be too much, just try each day cutting up a bunch of veggies and over the course of the day munching on all that raw power. You will feel GREAT!

 Life is so good and needs all our enthusiasm and gusto to enjoy it.

Here is a YouTube clip I found on juicing...if you are wanting to learn more check it out.

(If you are using an Apple product, you may not be able to watch this video below, if so I hope this link works for you, "The Benefits of Juicing.")

Wishing you a radiant, energetic, life.

Until, I see you again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope