One of my favorite things

I got inspired yesterday after Angela's post about Green Monsters on Oh She Glows. I remember reading about green monster smoothies on another blog over the summer, and couldn't figure out what the heck the person was talking about. So, I clicked on the link and magically went over to the Green Monster page and started poking around. I wasn't too sure about them at first since one of the major ingredients is spinach and other greens. I got a little scared at first, but was dieing of curiosity. I kept going back to the website and thinking about whether I should try one. See my dentist gave me a no juice, no sugary drinks, no added sugar prescription after my December cleaning after finding 2 more cavities. I really don't like cavities. I don't mind getting my teeth cleaned at all, but I get very nervous at the end when the X-rays are reviewed and my dentist starts checking to see if everything is okay. I've had at least one cavity every 6 months for many years now making me officially cavity prone. They have some ideas, which is why the sugar had to go. It was hard! I love juice, and smoothies, and I had to change a lot of things in my diet, especially when it came to running. My follow up cleaning was back in June after a 10 day family vacation to Italy, home of gelato. I was rather nervous. I had gotten an awesome Sonicare tooth brush, started brushing after every meal, flossing, using fluoride toothpaste & mouthwash, the whole works. (I should say that I had pretty good dental hygiene before, but I really stepped it up. I don't like the drill!) Finally I got a clean bill. No Cavities!!! For the first time in at least 5 years. So, one day I was relaxing at home watching "The Spirit of the Marathon" on hulu and I decided to make a green monster smoothie. I tried just the basic one to start, and loved it! You can't taste the spinach in it at all. I started making the chocolate green monster and can't get enough of them. Some days I have so much energy I bounce off of the walls, or practice for an extra hour. They are one of my favorite things to have after a long run! Chocolate & milk, you just can't go wrong! My favorite way is to make it with Amazing Grass Chocolate Amazing Meal (it has some protein powder added to it and has no sugar in it!!!!!), which I'm out of at the moment, so I'm using Chocolate Amazing Grass Superfood instead, which I'm totally hooked on to. Doing something good for myself helps me feel better, inside and out. I think that's part of Angela's message. Take care of yourself, nurture the good, and let it shine through on the outside. Reading her blog is definitely one my favorite things to do everyday. To make this wonderful smoothie I use one scoop (or packet) of Chocolate Superfood or Meal, 2 handfulls of spinach, banana, skim milk, and 4-8 ice cubes. Blend and enjoy (Angela suggests a fun glass).

So, is there something you do just for yourself? Something that makes you happy & just glow? We all deserve a little happiness!