I've been a bit quiet

I know it's been a few days since I posted a blog entry, but I saw this and thought you might like it

http://www.womenzoom.com/what-happens-to-your-body-if-you-eat-2-bananas-every-day/

This is a very personal favour that I'd like to ask you

Enterprise Inns: Keep Ayman at the Red Lion, Claverdon - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/So7nhZc7su via @UKChange. 

I know that this is a very personal thing for me, and none of you know this pub, but it is REALLY important to me that this petition be signed and actioned.

SO I ASK YOU......as a favor to me, please sign it and stop a big faceless corporation treading on an honest, hard working, inspiringly creative and friendly man. Please please sign the petition.

Thanks..... Ian xxx

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THANKS TO ALL OF FOR READING MY SLIGHTLY MAD THOUGHTS.

Which is the best mulch maker?

This is a REALLY difficult question for the Modern Mid-life smoothie Monster.

I cannot honestly tell you, because I am a bloke!

I never want to compare products, I am not even slightly interested in the difference between wattage or how many types of blades they have, how many bloody beakers are in the box, or whether or not I can squeeze the juice out of a handful of kale. 

When it comes to the truth of the matter, us men simply couldn't think about anything that we could possibly care about less!

Well.....maybe that's just me.

I can tell you that the blender that I have been using, ever since starting to document this epic saga of mine, the one that I use is starting to lose its lustre.

There are countless different blenders that work better in one area and others that work well in other areas, and I could bore you with millions of facts and figures and you would be none the wiser. There ones that mulch, some that mix, some that extract (whatever that means) and some that juice.

They come with glasses, beakers, small cups, big cups, sports cups and cups with straws. 

There are blenders called bullets, blenders called ninjas.

So I'm not going to bore you by comparing all of these blenders, I will leave that to the idiots on the morning TVhows

I am going to tell you which one I currently have. Which is this one. The magic bullet.

At around £55 it's affordable and for a beginner, it's fairly versatile, with a large number of mixing glasses and cups with handles. It also has a large jug with a juicer option. Each of the cups also have lids so you can take your smoothies with you, and all with colourful screw-on rims.

Not bad, but I have found it hard to clean, and the blades have started to dull a little and are starting to rust at the axle. All this after 6months of continuous use.

 See it here 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magic-Bullet-Blender-17pc-Set-Brand-New-/262370000674

And I will tell you which one I am going to buy which is this one.

Vitamix standard blender

Around £235 for the SERIOUS smoothie monster

From this website 

http://astore.amazon.com/viddapublishi-20/detail/B00LBFUKIA

Quickly and easily create home-cooked meals using nutritious, whole-food ingredients. With a powerful motor and responsive Variable Speed Control to create various textures, the Certified Reconditioned Standard machine allows you to simplify meal preparation—from chopping to puréeing and more—making it a universal tool in the kitchen. Whether you’re preparing healthy family meals or entertaining guests, the large-capacity 64-ounce container is ideal for processing large batches. Its two-part lid allows you to safely add ingredients while the machine is running, giving you ultimate control over flavor and texture. Cleaning is made quick and easy and requires no blade or component disassembly. With a drop of dish soap and warm water, run the machine on High for 30 seconds and rinse for your next use. The package includes a Tamper for processing thick and frozen mixtures, a full-color cookbook, and an instructional DVD. 

This is taken straight from the Vidda website but this blender is strong enough to liquidise the earth....
Well almost...

GOOD BLENDING, MONSTERS

fat burning smoothies

Here are some fat burning smoothies for getting the slightly less gross beach body of your dreams.

there also follow some links for you

http://fatburningman.com/the-best-fat-burning-breakfast-green-smoothie/

http://www.popsugar.co.uk/fitness/10-Breakfast-Smoothies-Help-You-Lose-Weight-37609407

http://www.stylemotivation.com/22-easy-and-healthy-fat-burning-smoothies/

this is a good one http://www.stylemotivation.com/22-easy-and-healthy-fat-burning-smoothies/

Top 10 Fat Burning Smoothies

Although there are a lot of credible and professional smoothies, which are capable of burning fat, we’ve arranged an exclusive list of top 10 fat burning smoothies, which are rather popular among people and earn the best compliments consistently. If you are Vegan, all dairy milk can be replaced with Almond milk or coconut milk

  Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie

 It’s a million-dollar smoothie which helps in burning fat. In fact, it’s good enough to replace a meal. It’s like a blend of peanut butter and banana sandwich. You probably won’t believe that peanut butter smoothie can be a great source for losing weight, but you must perceive that it’s the protein that counts in smoothies, not the other things, and peanut butter has a lot of protein to offer… In order to make this special blessing, all you need is:

• a half banana
• ½ cup smooth or crunchy low-fat peanut butter
• ½ cup of non-fat good quality milk or Almond/coconut milk
• some ice cubes

Just place all these ingredients into the blender and blend it until it gets smooth and radiate a new, fresh life.

Clean Green Smoothie

When you are tired after long hectic day or after a workout, this is the smoothie you need. Clean Green Smoothie naturally fills up your body with immense energy and makes you feel fresh and up to the mark. Besides, like other qualified smoothies, it also plays a vital role in shedding extra weight from your body. If you think this special smoothie is for you, just blend:

• one frozen banana
• two cups of kale
• a tablespoon of spirulina
• two tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1 and a ½ cup of unsweetened almond milk
•  one cup of ice

 Berry Good Smoothie

 This smoothie is utterly packed with berries and whey protein, which helps you to burn fat tremendously. It also hits the top charts and earns the praises on a consistent basis. It tastes outstanding and you can relish it with your loved ones as well.  All you need is:

• two cups of frozen strawberries
• one cup of each: blueberries, cherries, milk, and whey protein.

Mix all of them in the blender and relish and blend it well… However, remember that, this recipe is for 2 servings.

 Coconut Smoothie

 One of the best fat burning objects is coconut milk, the studies have confirmed it, time and time again. It’s easy to make a smoothie of it as well, just blend the main ingredient- 8 ounces of coconut milk – with others:

• 2 eggs Vegans leave this out. Chia seeds are good
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
• ¼ cup of our favorite berries
• a frozen banana
• a tablespoon of raw honey too if you’re an extra sweet person, and get your blood pumping with its delicious taste.

 Peach and White Bean Smoothie

One of the best and professional ways to elevate the protein level in your body is by using white beans. This particular smoothie is not only just tasty, but also, like other smoothies, banishes your extra weight and it’s appropriate to use it for fast metabolism diet. You need:

• ½ cup unsweetened rice milk or almond milk
• a frozen sliced peach cup
• ¼ cup of canned white beans
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• a pinch of nutmeg

Pour it into the blender, and blend it fully for extraordinary flavor. Enjoy!

 Mocha Smoothie

 This smoothie contains chocolate, but still, it’s completely healthy. In fact, it’s perfect for those who are sweet craving because it’s a piece of inspiration for them. However, must add the exact ingredients in order to make particular, chocolaty goodness, smoothie. Add and blend:

• 4 small ice cubes
• ½ cup of low-fat vanilla
• one shot of espresso
•  two teaspoons of cocoa powder

People from all walks of life, love this smoothie and flood it with positive and pleasant reviews, over and over.

 Pomegranate Berry Smoothie

 If you’re familiar with natural diets for fat burning, you must perceive that pomegranate is grand for that facet. The Pomegranate Berry Smoothie is packed with the ultimate power of pomegranate and offers a healthy, fat burning item which is excellent and ring tasteful at any time of the day. Its recipe consists of:

•  ½ cups of frozen berries
• one pomegranate and cup of pomegranate juice
• one ounce whey protein powder
•  one tablespoon honey

You can blend a banana with it too if you relish variety.

Kiwi and Honeydew Smoothie

 Kiwi has a million dollar benefits. Therefore, this particular smoothie outperforms other smoothies several times. However, before you prepare this one, make sure that you’ve all the ingredients around you. So, you can arrange this – Kiwi and Honeydew Smoothie – with:

• 2 cups of honeydew – cubed
• one granny smith apple – chopped
• one kiwi fruit – peeled and chopped
• a tad lemon juice
• a cup of ice cubes.

Just blend it until the mixture is slushy.

Mango Surprise Smoothie

 Avocado is the ingredient that allows you to make this drink silky smooth. This smoothie is immensely delicious compared to several other smoothies, as it contains the taste of mangoes. And, since this mango surprise smoothie contains fat-free vanilla yogurt, you can relish the taste of vanilla yogurt as well without worrying about gaining weight. In fact, the consistent use of this smoothie actually helps you to lose weight rapidly. So, if you love mangoes, blend:

•  one tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¼ fat free vanilla yogurt or vanilla almond yoghurt
• ½ cup of mango juice
• ¼ cup mashed ripe avocado

Peach Smoothie

 This smoothie is rather easy to make, as it contains only three ingredients. However, you can’t underestimate its ability just because it contains only three ingredients, because, when they are combined together, they present lavish taste and outstanding benefits. Especially, when it comes to burning fat, this smoothie dominates exceedingly well. The three chief ingredients of Peach Smoothie are:

• a cup of skim milk or coconut milk
• a cup of frozen, unsweetened peaches
•  two teaspoons of flaxseed oil

ENJOY

TTFN

IJ

We're all going on a..................Diet

So.........who's booked their summer getaway?

I have...all I need to do now is pay for it. 

That is not the only dilemma that I am facing, however. Do I continue to lose weight gradually or do I go for it by living the next two months of my life making fat burning smoothies?  

When it gets down to it, I think it is fair to say that all of us mid-life smoothie monsters are all past our prime, and we are unlikely to try running after members of the opposite sex like we did back in our youth, but shouldn't we try and look our best? 

Shouldn't we at least make an effort to make the very best of our time on the beach?

I am well aware of the fact that the prospect of catching a glimpse of me spreading factor 80 over my massive expanse of pasty, white skin would cause ambivalence in even the most charitable mind, happy to be on holiday, but feeling slightly bilious  by the sight of a slightly  tubby, middle aged English-man with greying hair, rubbing oil onto himself.

NICE

Plus there is the danger of some bleeding heart do-gooders trying to drag me back into sea because they had mistaken me for a beached whale. Or, more realistically, if I have some unfortunate issue with beach furniture.

So I need to make a decision

Here are some of the smoothies I can try

1. Apple Pecan Pie Smoothie

Ok so the first thing that you think of when you see apple pecan pie is certainly not a healthy, fat burning smoothie. This recipe is delicious and dresses up pretty, too. To make it you will need:
• An apple with the skin left on
• ¼ unsalted pecans
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 to 4 ice cubes
• 1 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut butter
• A dash of cinnamon to taste
• A dash of nutmeg
• Just a few drops of stevia liquid or another sweetener to taste
Just blend everything together and enjoy.

2. Berry Good Smoothie

This smoothie is packed with berries and whey protein which will help to burn fat. All you have to do is toss the ingredients in your blender and process for just a few seconds. The recipe makes two servings so enjoy one with someone you love. You will need:
• 2 cups strawberries – You can use fresh but using frozen berries will help to eliminate the need for ice
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup cherries
• 1 cup milk
• 1 ounce whey protein

 WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

Its all about the Base

Here are some two the greatest base liquids for smoothies. There are many that you can use but I have tried both of these and they have become my favourites.

GREEN TEA

Green tea has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used throughout Asia this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer. The reason that green tea has more health benefits attached to it than black tea is (apparently) due to the processing. Black tea is processed in a way that allows for fermentation whereas green tea’s processing avoids the fermentation process. As a result, green tea retains maximum amount of antioxidants and poly-phenols the substances that give green tea its many benefits.

1. Weight Loss. Green tea increases the metabolism. Green tea works to improve fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
2. Diabetes. Green tea helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.
3. Heart Disease. Scientists think, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots.
4. Cancer....Widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them.
5. Cholesterol. Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
6. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.
7. Tooth Decay. Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause major dental conditions
8. Blood Pressure. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
9. Depression. Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers.
10. Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial. Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents known for treating everything from influenza to cancer and other diseases.
11. Skincare. Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, Great news for people of our age.

Green tea is a great liquid base for any smoothie

Simple Green Tea Smoothie

Serves 2

Ingredients

---

2 cups spinach
1 cup green tea, brewed
1 1/2 cups green grapes
1 banana, frozen
1 cup mango

Directions

---

Freeze your banana overnight (slice and store in a freezer-safe bag or mason ja). Blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender until smooth and enjoy.

Coconut Water

Photo By Crisco 1492 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24629169

Coconut water is the ultimate thirst quencher and offers a tasty alternative to water. This pure liquid is packed with nutrients that yield an array of health benefits. 

The eight benefits that explain why it has become so popular:

 

1. Aids in Weight-loss Efforts.

The fat content in coconut water is extremely low, so generous quantities can be consumed without the fear of immediately packing on the pounds. It also suppresses the appetite and makes you feel full because of its rich nature.

2. Picture-Perfect Skin.

For those with acne or other blemishes on the surface of the skin, topical application of coconut water can go a great distance as it has the ability to clear up and subsequently tone the skin. It also moisturizes the skin from within if ingested orally and eliminates large amounts of oil. This explains why products such as facial creams, shampoos, conditioners and lotions that contain traces of coconut extract are more effective.

 

3. The Ultimate Hangover Remedy.

Next time you overdo it and drink more than your belly can handle, consume coconut water to settle your stomach. It will also replace those essential electrolytes that exit the body if you experience bouts of frequent urination and vomiting.

4. Facilitates Digestion.

If you constantly encounter difficulty during the digestion process, coconut water may provide a source of relief. Because of its high concentration of fibre, it aids in the prevention of indigestion and reduces the occurrence of acid reflux.

5. Boosts Hydration.

The ingredients in coconut water are way more effective at hydrating the human body than those of sports and energy drinks. During rigorous exercise or extended periods of physical activity, the human body loses mineral-rich fluids. However, coconut water serves as an excellent replacement medium with 294 mg of potassium and 5 mg of natural sugar per glass, unlike your favorite sports drink that only contains half of the potassium content and five times the amount of processed sugar. In addition, the sodium count is only 25 mg, which is relatively low compared to the 41 and 20 mg found in sports drinks and energy drinks respectively.

6. Reduces Blood Pressure.

In many instances, a disproportionate level of electrolytes can result in high blood pressure. Because coconut water contains an adequate supply of each, it can be used as a balancing mechanism. In some instances, it is recommended that coconut water be consumed at the start of each day to foster the balance of these electrolytes.

7. Rich in Nutrients.

Unlike any other beverage on the market, coconut water contains five essential electrolytes that are present in the human body. These include: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium. Because of its unique composition, coconut water can be enjoyed by individuals with varying medical conditions.

8. Compatible with Human Blood.

Since it is isotonic to human plasma, coconut water can be used in extreme emergencies to quickly rehydrate the human body if administered intravenously. It is not uncommon for the drink to be used in poorer, third-world countries to save human lives.

Coconut Water Smoothie

ingredients

• 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
• 1 cup coconut sorbet
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup coconut water

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup fresh shaved coconut
• A few handfuls coconut water ice cubes*
• *Cook's Note: Pour extra coconut water into an ice tray and freeze until solid.

Directions

Place the pineapple, coconut sorbet, yogurt, coconut water, coconut milk, and shaved coconut in a blender and mix on high for at least 1 minute. If thinner consistency is desired, add more coconut water, yogurt or more coconut milk. Serve in a coconut, if desired.