So as I’ve started to diversify and deepen my yoga practice, by doing Bikram and Ashtanga, I’ve started to reevaluate my eating habits. Instead of candy bars for quick snacks I mixed up some trial mix from the bulk food station at the grocery store. The last two weeks I cut out meat and chicken and stuck to seafood as it relates to animal product consumption. Never been a fan of salads but this week I broke out some spinach, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes. Vegetables were a little tart for my taste so I chopped up a nectarine to add some sweetness. For dressing a little balsamic vinaigrette.

But my favorite thing to make now, as I navigate new eating habits, is a smoothie. I am a blender bad ass, get out my face. Yesterday after Bikram class I whipped up a post-yoga dinner time smoothie: some strawberries, some raspberries, 1 banana, table spoon nonalcoholic banana-colada juice, cup of chocolate soy milk. Dreamy. For breakfast I use a combination of three different fruits and vanilla soy milk. Fruits can range from blueberries to raspberries, mangoes to peaches. I usually pick the fruit based on whatever is left in the refrigerator.

The other week tried a green smoothie recipe from the web: baby spinach, slices of cantaloupe, slices of plantains and cup of water. Didn’t go over so well with me. I don’t think I like plantains and two the smoothie has to be super cold to get it down. I plan to keep experimenting with green smoothies. Don’t want my smoothie game to be one-sided with only fruit.

© Rashida Bartley