Mary Beth Johnson is a wife and mum to four schooners, as she’s dubbed her children. On a normal afternoon, you would find her in moccasins, skinny jeans and a comfortable tee, camera in hand. Recently moving to the suburbs of Atlanta, Mary Beth spends her days homeschooling, sneaking away to the bookstore, trying to act the part of a southerner, and sifting through recipes in The Vegetarian Times. Food is her love language.

It’s January. You know the drill. We’re resolved that this will be our healthiest year yet and we all mean it with all of our hearts and our meal plans and our carefully planned out snack choices. In the first week of 2015 alone I’ve purchased a book from amazon on healthy eating…a workout DVD…and lots of kale.

I’m coming into this new year with a different perspective than I’ve had in the past. I’m recovering slowly from a stressful year of really bad food choices, the largest weight gain I’ve experienced with any of my pregnancies, cheeseburgers on the regular, and no exercising for the first time in years. I’ve been through my own versions of self-doubt before but I think this past year was the worst…and the cheeseburgers in a fast food parking lot certainly didn’t help.

I read an amazing article the other day that talked about human beings and how we are designed to change, yet we fight it with all that is within us. We fight the new days and the new beginnings and we miss all of the opportunities from the earth spinning on its axis. We tell ourselves there is no point and that a little change will not make a big enough impact. But the bottom line is that we need to be changing. We need to be growing. We need to look at January like a gift and 2015 like wrapping paper to a beautiful box of changing days. We need to juice some kale every once in awhile and feel good that’s it’s a new start to a new year.

I’ve been drinking more smoothies in the mornings to give me energy that lasts longer than diet coke. I have never ever tried a green smoothie before but this one was delicious and my kids sucked it down in two seconds flat, so I figured I had stumbled upon a winner. It’s not citrusy, but more of a creamy almond and vanilla taste and it is FULL of good things for your body. Hope you have a healthy and happy year ahead of you and that you treat your body with kindness (maybe that’s my health books talking through me). 😉 

 
//KALE SMOOTHIE

kale 

 handful of almonds

 1 pitted date

half of a frozen banana

 1 or 2 tablespoons of vanilla protein powder (I used this, on recommendation from someone who worked at Whole Foods) 

 organic milk or almond milk 

 Tear kale leaves from their stalk and throw a good handful into the blender. Add a small handful of almonds, pitted date, frozen banana, protein powder, and a big splash of milk (maybe about 1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on the consistency your prefer). If you’re using almond milk, use half almond milk/half water. Blend till smooth and creamy.

If you like your smoothies cold (I do) then you could also add some ice to make it chilled. ENJOY!

 

 
Source: Tracy Anderson via Canadian Living