42. Sexy Smoothies

The woman shall periodically experiment with the vegetable, fruit, and herbal blends that delight her smoothie palette.

For years, I've blended frozen fruit and orange juice every morning.  I love that it usually takes 2 minutes, due in part to my colorfully and nutritionally well-stocked refrigerator.  I've since experimented with new blends, and it's a fantastic way to get a good portion of nutritional value under my belt for the day. 

Also, I'm not huge on cooking full meals daily (it's tough for a single working gal!), but my smoothies ensure that I get my leafy green treats every day.

Here are a few ideas on smoothie prep - if you have any, send 'em my way!

1.  Switch up the juice base - I used to use orange juice, and then I saw how much sugar I was consuming!  I switched to using V8 blends (usually the Light version).  That always offers some variety in taste, and I feel less guilty.
2.  Adjust the color - Usually my smoothies are a pretty orange, but I 've decided to totally vegetize my smoothies lately.  I'm making blends of spinach, kale, pineapple, and mint (thanks to Jamie from Winnipeg!), which results in a dark green concoction.
3.  Freeze smoothie ingredients immediately - Fresh vegetables are always arranged for family-size consumption, and while I guess I could go through an entire bundle of kale in two days, chances are I won't.  So, as soon as I buy fresh greens, I wash, cut, and freeze half of the portion.  That way, they'll be smoothie-ready!  I also use fresh pineapple and papaya, and I do the exact same thing.  Sidebar - to prevent the chunks from sticking together in the freezer (like cement sometimes!!!!), I re-use freezer bags and pack the fruit so that the bags are very flat.  That makes the fruit much easier to separate when you're ready to make your smoothie.
4.  Don't go nuts on spending - I've got a $150 juicer sitting in the box; I'll use it someday - I promise!  I found that it was simply too complicated to use and clean daily. I use the $10 individual smoothie maker that I bought at a neighborhood drugstore.  It's perfect because it makes just what I need for my single smoothie, and I can remove it from its base and take it with me to enjoy during the morning commute.


Hope these are helpful!

30. Colonics/Colon Hydrotherapy

The woman shall perform periodic cleanses of her body to ensure proper digestion, frequent bowel movements, unparallelled comfort, and an overall good mood. 

Ladies, we've gotta be frank here and talk openly about our health with each other.  I've battled constipation for years, and I'm a healthy, active 32-year old who guards what goes into her mouth religiously (although I do slip up with smoked mozzererlla and Häagen-Dazs occasionally!). 

A few years ago, a great friend of mine told me how revolutionary a colonic treatment had been for her.  She described her condition before the colonic - difficulty with doing #2 on a frequent basis, small and hard nuggets when she did go, and a slightly swollen tummy. After the treatment, she said she felt so much better, so I gave it a shot and have been a solid supporter ever since.

A tip for the timid - be sure to ask if a woman or man will be working with you. In every clinic, I've been treated by a woman, and so I was surprised when I discovered a man would be handling my recent colonic. My gynecologist is a guy, so I figured I should go for it. I did, and it was just great. 

I now try to get colonics monthly.  Whenever there are deals on LivingSocial or Groupon, I scoop them up!  Also, I try to buy them in packages (they're a lot cheaper:)

25. Pretty Refrigerators

The woman shall maintain a beautifully stocked refrigerator full of her favorite items from the lean and green food groups.

Our work, demands of the home, and unexpected to-do's don't make healthy eating very easy.  Whether you live alone or share a household, it's really important to make healthy foods available to yourself at all times.  You'll eat healthier if healthier food options are readily available.

Eating well can be more manageable once you equip yourself (and your fridge) with purposeful intent. If calculating the nutritional value of foods is too mind boggling (like it is for me!), focus on making your refrigerator as pretty and colorful as possible with natural foods.  Seriously - feng shui your fridge!

A few tips towards that end:

1. Shop the periphery of the grocery store.  This keeps you in the sections full of fruits and veggies, meats, poultry, and all things natural (and good for you!). Shop for boxed products only when you absolutely must.
2. Keep healthy snacks both at home and at work.  Almonds, raisins, and yogurt are some of my favorites.
3. Commit to grocery shopping on a specific day of the week, and on a full stomach.

22. Beating your PB

The woman shall know her PB and measure her progress by beating it.

Knowing your PB  (personal best in the sense of working out) gives you a great benchmark, and can help you set goals for your commitment to physical well-being.

It's tough to work out with gal pals who have been commited to Insanity or those who are P90X pros when the only thing running for the past six months in your world has been your refrigerator. An idea could be to ask a dear friend to work out with you one day and give you the personal motivation to do your best.

Record all your times, calorie counts, pace, and incline and try to do better each time you work out. Try to develop a schedule that's manageable for you - the worst workouts are the ones you skip.