At the beginning of the year, I refused to make a New Year's Resolution. I find them a waste of time and I usually fail. If something drastic hasn't changed in a person's life, it's unlikely that they'll be able to make drastic changes in behavior. I decided to make little changes. I ended up getting a new "fancy" touch screen phone. I didn't even have texting before! On this phone, I installed an "app" for weight and exercise tracking. I am a Yoga teacher and also ride horses, so I wanted to be able to keep track of everything all in one place. I extremely appreciate the organization that my new phone provides me. Extremely. I decided this year's theme (theme instead of resolution) is "New Year, New Solution, Steady Evolution" (arr). Instead of setting myself up for failure, I set myself up for success. I made small changes and they turned into (EVOLVED) big, drastic changes. Little victories make up huge successes. Of course, it's all relative. I decided to greatly reduce and eliminate some processed foods altogether from my diet. I was already vegetarian, so that part was easy. But, I hadn't been experimenting with cooking and recipes as much. Cooking brings me so much joy. So, I needed to find a way to work it in to my schedule. Time management is all about priority for me. I prioritize the most important things in my life. Everything else, well- it's just everything else! I started getting myself into more of a routine. Becoming more organized has decluttered my brain. And, so has eating healthier. Eating processed foods can cause many problems: obesity, fatigue, chronic pain problems, inflammation, digestive issues- the list goes on and on. It's really surprising that some ingredients are even allowed in "food?" and I use that term very loosely. Some of the "food?" on supermarket shelves today hardly resembles food. Check out the ingredients on the food you buy next time. If you cannot pronounce it, you probably won't want to put it in your body! My daily Yoga practice has also evolved this year. And with it, has my early morning jump start green smoothie concoction which I make after practice! I have been using Amazing Grass Amazing Meal (I use the chai and the pomegranate mango flavors). I soak raw almonds overnight in water. In the morning, the almond peels slide right off. Use all fresh, organic food whenever possible. In the blender: 1 scoop of Amazing Meal- you will need to refrigerate it after opening since it's raw and alive. 1/8 cup of raw, sprouted, peeled almonds, 2 leaves of kale (destemmed), 1/2 cup- 1 cup raw spinach, 1/4 cup blackberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/8 avocado, 1/4 cup pineapple, 1/4 pear, 1/4 apple and 1 Tbsp raw ground flax seed or oil. I use Naked Juice brand juices and put about 1/2 cup and add a little water. I also like Bolthouse Farms- whatever is on sale. Blend with ice for at least 3-5 minutes for optimum enzymatic release. Of course, this recipe is just a guide, so experiment with flavor. Happy Smoothieing! Steady Evolutioning! Peace