It’s March already - how’d that happen?

I’ve been offline busy with my Spanish course and keeping up with my fitness programme lately. Days have become weeks…

I have now transferred my fitness journal onto fitday.com, which helps you keep a record of what you eat, what exercise you do, and works out how many calories you need and consume - great stuff. One thing it has drawn my attention to is that I’m not getting enough calcium, due to reducing my dairy consumption, so I’m trying to eat more plant foods containing this mineral to make up the shortfall.

Last month’s habit of Relaxation, became Reading. I felt more able to take time out with something to distract me than just trying to sit in a darkened room and empty my mind. I do want to start meditation, at some point, but right now I’m not in the right “place”. Don’t ask me how I know this, it’s one of those intuitive things. I’m still going to yoga, and do the guided relaxation sessions at the end of the class.

So, marching into March - and the habit for this month is Five a Day. I want to eat the recommended five portions a day of fruit and vegetables, and also look at ways I can “sneak” them in so that it becomes a normal part of my eating habits. I’ve been having breakfast smoothies, but find that I still need something with whole grain too as I feel hungry by about 9.30 if I just have a smoothie.

Anyhoo, here’s one of the smoothies that I quite like. I got the idea of using spinach in it from Leanne Ely, the Dinner Diva.

Berry good smoothie

50g mixed berries (I buy frozen and defrost the night before)

1 medium banana

250ml soya milk (I like Alpro)

25g spinach

1 tablespoon milled flax seed.

Put ingredients in blender and whizz until smooth. This fills up a pint glass, has 2 of the five a day, some iron, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids in the flax seed. If you don’t eat fish, flax or hemp seed is a good way of getting your omega-3 requirements.