I've returned to my YMCA aquacize classes and Carl brought our Total Gym to the living room. Hopefully between those two exercises, I can begin to regain some muscle. In addition, the weather is slowly warming, allowing me to get outside. Last Sunday I gathered my Peta Easi-Grip hand shovel...
with its arm support cuff...
my red Wolf Garten hand rake...
and my new and therefore sharp clippers (no picture posted) into my bucket and drove my Hoveround out to cut back my monkey grass while the temperatures neared 70 degrees. It was late enough in the afternoon that the grasses on the east side of the house were already shaded, so I rode the two blocks to our church and cut back that monkey grass instead. I got a beneficial triple whammy of peaceful silence, vitamin D, and the good feeling that comes from doing something for someone else.
In addition to my exercises and the antibiotic, I've decided I need to improve my diet. I used to be a health nut, cooking healthy meals with whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, avoiding sugar, eating healthy snacks. Lately, though, I've subsisted on mostly caffeine and sugar while downing the occasional clementine or salad. I can tell. My energy level is low, my skin is sallow and my moods mimic The Wildfire. I can't blame it all on the arthritis.
I know I need the enzymes and other nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables, but I just can't seem to make myself eat them regularly. So I've decided to try something new. Now, try not to gag. Keep an open mind. Really. Are you ready? I've been blending vegetables and fruits together in a high-powered blender to make green smoothies. MMMMmmmm. Think V8 Fusion, only unpasteurized. And green. Of course, the color changes depending on the ingredients.
Carl loved my first batch so much that he drank two glasses and asked if I would make it again. Hannah seemed to like it, too.
Katie and Hailey actually requested that I pack green smoothies in their lunches...after I perfected the flavor a little. In my first attempt I blended together about 30% vegetables (fresh spinach, collard greens and romaine lettuce) and 70% fruit (prepackaged frozen strawberries, mangoes, peaches and pineapple along with one fourth of a lemon--peels and all--and two fresh bananas). I added some Xylitol (a sweetener), flax oil and some water.
My verdict? Well, it didn't make me gag. That's a positive...right? It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. I've decided that my next batch will have even fewer vegetables of only one type (probably spinach) until I develop a taste for green smoothies. I'm determined to keep at this as I strongly believe it will help me actually feel better in a matter of weeks. I don't believe smoothies and their enzymes alone will heal me, but they are a stepping stone.
Well, I need to get out to the kitchen and work on perfecting the flavor. I'll keep you posted. I know you're dying to try this at home. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day.
