FAQ

1. Are all of your shakes made with kale? No, but it started that way (hence the noble title Kale Queen. Now, I incorporate spinach, cucumbers, cabbage, beets, beet greens, you name it. And all fruits are fair game. But, I never ever ever put broccoli or arugula in my shakes. There is no way to kill that taste, no matter how hard I've tried. It's a shame too, because both broccoli and arugula are amazing vegetables with tons of fiber and other nutrients. If you come across a shake with those two, and you've figured out how to make them undetectable, I will try it, and blog about it.
2. What kind of blender do you use? Right now, we have a VitaMix. But I started out with a Ninja, and I was not happy with it. The blades seemed like they went dull within a month. I always had really gritty, chunky kale shakes that I had to chew. Adding more liquids didn't help. Later, my mom gave me her brand new blender she bought and never used, the Montel Williams HealthMaster. That blender pulverized everything, but I had issues with it. Firstly, it was loud as hell. I could wake the dead when that sucker was on. (Side story: I once was making a breakfast shake for work, and my boyfriend's daughter was sleeping on the couch just outside the kitchen. It was summer break, I felt kinda bad as it was 8 a.m., but I need my fiber and there's nothing I could do about it. As soon as I turned it on, she bolted upright, fell back down, and flicked me off. It was actually funny. Imagine a disgruntled teenager with crazy hair being woken up by what she thought was a jet engine in the living room, and then you'll maybe chuckle. I sure did!) Secondly, the lid was difficult to lock into place. I needed two hands, and my thumbs had to force the lid into the locking position. It hurt my thumbs. Never a good sign. Thirdly, the canister was leaking from the bottom after only five months. I used the blender everyday, multiple times a day, and it wasn't handling it. I probably could have called the vendor, but I really had my heart set on a VitaMix, and considering I used the blender all the time, it was a valid investment. Plus, I have a seven year warranty on a refurbished blender, so it was cheap and I don't worry or care if it breaks (at least, not for the next seven years or so).
3. What do you like to do for fun? I used to be able to list a bunch of things I was interested in, like painting, or swimming, or fishing, stuff like that. And I did those things as much as I could.
   While I was a portly little thing, I made excuses about not having the time to work out, the money to eat right, etc etc. Some of those reasons were totally valid. I was a full time student and I was working full time. Sometimes, I only got home at 9 p.m. and I was starving. There's not much I could have done back then, but at the same time, I know I didn't really try either.
   My point is, you have to MAKE your health an interest, or a hobby. Losing weight, getting toned, eating right should become your 'thing' because the more you do it, the more you work at it, the better you become. They don't say "practice makes perfect" for nothing. When I first started losing weight, I didn't know a thing about nutrition. I didn't know how to eat right, how to work out, how to be healthy. I didn't know I can make healthy food taste good. As far as I was concerned, eating veggies consisted of lumpy, soggy steamed broccoli as a side dish. GROSS! So I still like fishing, and painting, but I also love cooking, I love being active, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.