I don't always love working out. I loathe walking the three blocks on the icy sidewalks to the gym half asleep with caffeine rushing through my veins in an attempt to give me that much needed boost on a lazy morning. Some days are easier than others but my crazy schedule can take a toll on my energy levels. What motivates me is the rush, that euphoric rush I get after a spinning class, I enjoy the muscle soreness I get after an arm day, I look forward to that moment when I am able to do a chin up or a push up and I am amazed at the ability my body has to get stronger. Exercising drains and energizes me at the same time. It replaces anger with motivation, it somehow recycles my energy into fuel I can actually use. My mood is stable, my body works better, I no longer struggle with insomnia and I can still keep that balance I struggled so hard to achieve through years of therapy fighting my eating disorder. Exercising keeps me sane and so does food.
One thing I love after a good workout is a good smoothie. I try to pack in as many nutrients as I can in order to get my body to recover and detox whether with foods or supplements. Here's what a typical post workout smoothie looks like for me: today's blend, the ingredients and why I chose them.
Ingredients
- frozen wild blueberries (antioxidants)
- strawberries (antioxidants)
- kale (two leafs) (fibre, nutrient dense)
- one small beet (helps detox, fiber, antioxidants)
Supplements
- bee pollen
- greens (Trophic greens are my fave; provides tons of nutrients, helps the body detox)
- fish oil (usually I use a 2:1 EPA DHA ratio, today I used a high DHA one; good for everything)
- GLA (your skin's BFF)
- protein powder (muscle recovery)
- MegaFood Turmeric Booster (anti-inflammatory, muscle recovery, antioxidants)
YUM!
My magic Blendtec blender liquefied it all into this.
It's hard to keep that balance in a crazy, hectic lifestyle that involves working, blogging, volunteering on my days off and constantly learning but I see it as a constant work in progress. I try to pay attention to what I eat and I see food as fuel, much needed fuel to help my body help me. As I've learned in therapy I know I need to feed the soul sometimes and I do indulge in things that might not be "healthy" but booooy do they hit the spot sometimes. Sweet potato fries anyone?
What motivates you to exercise? What do you do to stay healthy?Labels: blendtec, eating disorders, EN, exercise, greens, gym, kale, nutrients, omega 3, post workout, protein, smoothie, wellness diary