When we first moved to Seattle, there was a smoothie place near where I worked that had these fantastic Black and Blue smoothies. Since we’ve run out of frozen strawberries at home, I’ve been working my way through a stash of blackberries that we picked and froze last summer. Mixed with blueberries, they’ve become my Black & Blue.
The version I remember was all fruit, including fruit juice. My updated version uses almond milk and vanilla whey powder (or chocolate if I want a Choco Black & Blue). I tend to avoid fruit juice, and I prefer a little protein in my smoothies. It gives them a little more staying power, which is important if they are serving as a meal, and not just a snack.
And don’t forget the kale! The old version did not include leafy greens, that’s for sure. A nice little bonus to using blackberries in a smoothie is that it covers up the green of the kale, if the color icks you out. I will admit that my strawberry-based smoothies can run a bit grey if I’m heavy-handed with the kale. My version includes a banana and ground flaxseeds, too.
My breakfast isn’t the only thing black and blue…I am, too! Well, not really. But I feel like I am! I wrote myself a new weight lifting program, which I started on Monday. Lower body and abs one day, upper body the next. Then repeat. I have apparently truly managed to kick my own butt, because I have a raging case of DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness). Annoying, but OK, because the soreness tells me that I’ve successfully changed my workout enough to challenge my muscles in new ways. I’ve also been lifting long enough to fully know the difference between “hurt” and “injured.” I hurt, but I’m definitely not injured.
So for the next little while, Jeff gets to listen to me whine “I broke my thighs!” every time I stand up, get in or out of the car, climb stairs, pick something up off the floor, breathe, etc. Which amuses him, I’m fairly sure.
I hobbled into the house after biochem class last night and straight into a steaming Epsom salt bath. Then this morning I kneaded my poor leg muscles with my foam roller and did a little yoga. I’m hoping a nice walk later today will work more of the soreness out. Movement is key to recovery.
