Great Falls Photographer | The Smoothie that is Saving My Afternoons
At every start of every New Year, a lot of us are thinking about the same thing: weight loss and exercise. Now, I wouldn’t oppose a little lift here and there, and maybe a six pack (ha!)…but my mission this year is to regain some energy, and (honestly) just make it through every afternoon without worrying about falling asleep in an afternoon meeting. Seriously.
You guys…you know that feeling when you are driving late at night, you’re tired and you are shot-gunning Red Bulls like it’s your job? Just to stay awake? Ok, me neither, because that is NOT safe. But…if that example happens to ring a bell, you know how I feel right after lunch when I’m trying to power through my afternoons. I’m. SO. tired. Now one might think I am up late, partying like it’s 1999…but one would be wrong. My bed time is 9:30. 9:30?! It’s for real. And, believe it or not, I’m not running marathons, either.
So I knew I had to do something and make some kind of change. Fortunately, I happened across a podcast from the amazing Rachel Hollis who was interviewing a wellness and food guru, Kelly Leveque. In this podcast, Kelly explained the science behind blood sugar and the importance of balancing fats, proteins, sugars, and carbohydrates to maximize energy and (bonus!) stop storing fat. She’s a genius, you guys, because all of this science really does work, or at least, it is working for me.
Now, I’m not going to go into all of that science because it is IN DEPTH, and Kelly explains it all WAY better than I ever could (and if you are interested in all the recipes, and all the science, you can purchase her book, Body Love), but trust me on this one: it makes a difference. The down and dirty version is, in short, the following:
Limit carbs. An excess of carbohydrates (after filling the “energy tanks” a.k.a. muscle) will go directly into fat storage. And that’s no bueno for most of us. The actual amount of carbohydrates our body needs is much less than what an average person will typically eat.
Balancing act. Keeping the Fab Four in each of your meals is essential to keeping your hunger at bay: proteins, fats, fiber, greens. With her formula, you should be able to go at least 4-6 hours between meals WITHOUT snacking! My favorite quote from Kelly: “You don’t need snacks. You’re not a toddler.”
For each meal, try for:
4-6 oz of protein for women. If you’re a guy…6 to 8 oz.
2 tablespoons of fat
2 to 4 cups fibrous greens or vegetables
fruit: 1/2 cup max
Ready for the recipe, already?! Okay, here she is….
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon organic almond butter
1 apple, sliced
1 tablespoon chia seeds
So…you throw all of that good stuff in a blender, mix ‘er up, and you are good to go! Full for at least 4-6 hours. The perfect morning start, or afternoon meal replacement. This has saved me on days that I didn’t have enough time (or didn’t plan the night before) for lunch. Now…granted, my smoothie isn’t always the envy of the lunch table, but it keeps me full, awake, and ready to make a good healthy choice for dinner, too! One tip: if you are a “texture” person (like me), do yourself a favor and wait to mix in the chia seeds until you are ready to drink it down!
Cheers to a great week!
All the love,
Bridgette