Think Kit Day 2: Flip the Script

If you’re a subscriber to my blog, I apologize in advance for the flurry of posts over the next few days as I catch up with the past week of SmallBox’s December Think Kit. The next prompt is:

What did you change your mind about this year? Was it a big deal – the way you feel about an issue? Or something small – maybe you learned to like Brussels sprouts? What was the moment or series of moments that changed how you felt? How did your friends or family react? Have you uttered the phrase, “I’ll never change my mind!” since then?

2014 was the Year of the Smoothie. It wasn’t so much that I learned to like smoothies themselves (because I already thought they were delicious). But the thought of making a smoothie weirdly intimidated me. What should I put in it? How do I know if it will taste good? Should I keep the ingredients on hand all the time? Will they be healthy, or will they basically be milkshakes? Admittedly, the smoothie-making process concerned me more than it should have. But this year, not only did I jump on the smoothie bandwagon, I learned to truly enjoy making them - thinking of flavor combinations, freezing fruit for future smoothie use, adjusting the amount of liquid to find just the right consistency. It all began in June, with a four-week “clean-eating challenge.” Don’t ask me to define clean eating, because no one really knows what exactly that means. Whether or not those four weeks involved true “clean eating” was beside the point. The purpose behind it for me was to eliminate certain foods and then add them back in one at a time to see if any had an effect on my stomach. Eliminating foods meant I had to find new eating habits to replace those foods (this definitely wasn’t a fast!). So instead of a daily bowl of cereal, I substituted a morning smoothie. At first they required a lot of thought, but over time, I developed a mental smoothie checklist - almond milk, protein, fruits/veggies, fat. It became a habit, but one that still allowed for experimentation.

After the four-week food experiment, I didn’t discover any adverse reactions to food, but I did learn a little more about what foods work well (or not) before I run. I’m still on board with smoothies, but on cold winter mornings, they’re not quite as appealing. So, for now, out with the breakfast smoothie and in with the post-run recovery smoothie. And sometimes, yes, they are basically milkshakes.