7 Day Green Smoothie Challenge and Hemp Protein

Last week I participated in a 7 Day Smoothie Challenge, which I heard about from Jen at Peanut Butter Runner. I love a challenge that involves something I would normally do (so...a "challenge"), and so I joined in.


























The only remotely difficult aspect of eating smoothies every day for a week was that the temperature dropped back down to normal, seasonal weather with highs in the 40s. Smoothies are my preferred breakfast when it's warm out, not when the morning temps are in the 20s. It was a bit like eating ice cream for breakfast in the winter. Lest you think I want to make a #whitegirlproblem out of this, let me say I enjoyed it and I felt healthier for having consumed veggie smoothies every day for a week.

My basic recipe didn't change, but I experimented with a couple of new protein powders, both made of hemp.


I solicited some suggestions for protein powders on facebook, and I was happy to see how many of my friends had one that they liked. For now, I've started using Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein, suggested by my dear friend Jess (some know her as JHoles, my favorite hippie) for a couple of reasons. First, it's made in Canada, and I think that makes it a little cheaper than it would be otherwise. Also, I'm trying to cut down on the amount of dairy I eat for a variety of reasons, so whey protein just wasn't my first choice. They have Manitoba Harvest at my local grocery store, so it was easy to find and about $20 or less a pop. You can read about the different types of protein powders they make here.

I've tried two kinds. First, the Hemp Protein 50.


























It's ideal for people who want a little more protein in their diets but who aren't ultramarathoners or anything extreme. Its green color blended perfectly in my green smoothies, and while I could taste that something else was in them, the powder's flavor doesn't come through much (this is ideal). It helps make the smoothies a little more filling so I can make it all the way to lunch without feeling super hungry.

I also tried the Chocolate Hemp Protein, which tastes a bit like hot chocolate mix on its own.
























This one has fewer grams of protein per serving (both call for a serving of a 1/4 cup), and it has a little cane sugar for sweetness. It made my smoothie taste like a chocolate milk shake. And to be honest, I try as hard as possible to make my healthy breakfast smoothies or oatmeal taste like dessert, so this one is great for me. I also don't add any other sweetener to the smoothies, so it adds just a touch of sweetness.
Adding chocolate-flavored powder to a smoothie with spinach was kind of a mental hurdle, but I'm glad I did it. Totally tasty.
I also made a sort of faux-ice cream with it last night:

1 frozen banana
3/4 cup almond milk (3/4 cup-ish...)
2 tbs peanut butter
1 tbs chocolate chips
1/4 cup chocolate hemp protein powder

I blended it and the froze it for about 10 minutes while I waited for John to start watching X-Files with me, and it was perfect. I would eat this for every meal if I could.

Two other random things I wanted to include in this post:

John and I made these Ancho Lentil Tacos from the PPK, and LOVED them.


















We just used regular chili powder, but the addition of the adobo sauce goes a long way. Lentils make a perfect meatless taco filling. It seems so obvious that I'm surprised I don't see more recipes like this on the food blogs. They were also super easy, so we'll definitely be making these again soon.

























And finally, I'm nearing the end of Born to Run, but I wanted to give it another shout out because it's so awesome. McDougall's writing is fantastic and really entertaining. The other characters who show up to run this crazy race in the desert are hilarious and I literally don't want to put it down. If you love to run, you will love this book. If you know someone who loves to run, and you think they're kinda nuts, you will love this book. Actually I think anyone who enjoys reading about sports would probably like it.
Sadly, one of the runners in the book, who goes by Caballo Blanco, was found dead this week out on the trail in New Mexico. It's strange to me that he died while I'm reading the book. He and the other runners in it are inspiring.

March Meals, Running Plans, and Smoothies.

This month has gone by in a flash. I think that's what happens when you're writing your dissertation proposal. A little scene like this has played a few times in my head:


[looking at the calendar] "What day is it? The __? Already?! But I'm supposed to have this proposal done in another month or two! HOW CAN THE CLOCK BE MOVING SO FAST??!!! AGHHHHH!!!!!!"


It'll get done. Little by little.

Anywho. Here are a couple of delicious foods we've eaten this month.


Southwestern Pizza, found on Kira's blog, Cook-Pray-Love.


















This is the first Mexican pizza I've made, and we were both really happy with it! Avocado+Greek yogurt+lime juice = happiness. It was perfect for some of the unseasonably warm weather we've been having. I love the mashed black beans as a sort of base instead of a sauce. To make this vegan, I'd omit the cheese (duh) and just mash avocado with lime juice for the topping. It reheats well! This will definitely be on the menu again soon.


Chickpea Picatta from the Post Punk Kitchen


























John and I both loved this recipe. It's really easy, especially if you already have some bread crumbs on hand. The sauce just takes a few minutes to make, and the aroma had both of us drooling while we waited for it to finish. I took Isa's suggestion and made mashed potatoes. You can't see the under the chickpeas and greens, but they're perfect. We also served this over a portobella, which I loved, but John felt was just unnecessary.


In non-food-related news, I decided that THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE THE YEAR.

I registered for the Fort4Fitness Half Marathon in Fort Wayne, IN. It's on September 29, 2012, so that gives me lots of time to get ready in what are debatably London's best running months of the year. Seriously, running in the summer here is designed for people like me who are a) students and b) too lazy to get up early. You can run in the afternoon here in the summer.

I digress. The half! I'm excited and nervous. My official training for it won't start until May, since I'm running the 10k at the Forest City Road Races on April 29th. That's a goal race for me, in my efforts to beat a 60:00 10K time. But I'm increasing my long runs to help train for that, so I should be in good shape to get ready for the half marathon.

Running the race in Fort Wayne is strategic. Besides just the weather, Fort Wayne is a fairly flat place (just like London). I'll get to run past mostly places I know, and the finish line is on the home plate of the relatively new baseball stadium in downtown. I feel like I need to prepare mentally more than anything, and I hope to write about that process here.


Slight subject change (no attempt at a transition here).
For me, one of the best ways to get motivated to run is to read about running. It's part of what I love about Runner's World and the may running-related blogs I follow. After Kira wrote about having read some running books, I decided to check out Born to Run from the library.

























I'm about fifty pages or so into the book, and I'll just say that this story is way more complicated and interesting than I expected. Drug cartels. Ghost stories. Impossible terrain. Cultural traditions. Chia seeds. And running. I'm really enjoying it so far! Only some of the story is focused on the Tarahumara tribe and their running. The stories about other crazy trail runs in Colorado entertain me just as well, and hearing about other people's running experience gives me the itch to get out on the running path. It's great motivation.

But you don't have take my word for it! It's on Amazon, of course, and (probably) at your local library.


And finally, this week one of my favorite health and fitness bloggers, Peanut Butter Runner, invited her to take part in a 7-day Green Smoothie Challenge, and I decided to join. On her site, you can see a list of readers and bloggers who are participating.


















Day 1: check. You can see my collection of ingredients in that picture: spinach, almond milk, frozen banana (in tupperware), and frozen strawberries. Tomorrow's will be slightly different in that I've bought some hemp protein powder to experiments with. I have two different kinds of hemp powder so far, and I plan on writing a similar post about them. We'll see how well they blend into the taste. No matter what I put in those green smoothies, I find that the peanut butter/banana combo dominates. Just how I like it. I plan on trying a few variations on the usual recipe.

Here's to March somehow also going out like a lamb!