I don't think it's any secret that I think health and fitness is an important part of playing good tennis. I mean, when your skill set and athleticism (or lack thereof) can only take you so far, you've got to find other ways to wear down your opponents. For me, that has meant being the strongest, fittest player I can be and hopefully outlasting anyone I face on the court (or at least giving that impression).
So, keeping in mind that sometimes all I bring to the match is my ability to run down lob after lob after lob, I've decided to jump on the green smoothie bandwagon. That's right. I'm taking on the “Tennis Fixation Green Smoothie Summer Challenge” and am drinking a green smoothie a day all summer long.
So What's A Green Smoothie?
At this point, you may be asking, “the green whoobiddy summer what challenge?” Maybe you haven't had a green smoothie yet. Maybe you don't even know what a green smoothie is. Well, you're about to learn.
A green smoothie is a drink you whip up in your blender combining fruit, greens and (usually) water. It is a great and easy way to incorporate more leafy green vegetables into your diet. In my case, incorporating more means incorporating any at all as I am not a big leafy green vegetable eater. What kind of greens are we talking about? Kale, spinach, swiss chard – all those healthy foods that you and I have been avoiding at all costs.
What Can A Green Smoothie Do?
Green smoothie advocates claim these drinks will help you lose weight, get gorgeous skin, and become super-humanly fit. But I'm hoping for something less than a miracle to occur over the course of my summer. I'm just looking to get a little more fit and healthy so I can play better tennis.
Therefore, I'll be drinking a green smoothie a day all summer long. I'll report to you on my progress occasionally (probably on Twitter and Facebook) and we'll see if there's any tennis miracle to be had from this miracle drink.
Join The Tennis Fixation Green Smoothie Summer Challenge!
If you want to join me for this summer challenge, I would absolutely love that! You can leave me a comment below or “click to tweet” this pre-made Twitter tweet and I'll know just who's in.
Click HERE to tweet: “I'm taking the @TennisFixation #GreenSmoothie #Summer Challenge! #gettinghealthy for #tennis and #fittohit”
And, if you want an easy green smoothie recipe or even if you just want to give one a try, here's a tasty, simple-to-prepare recipe:
EASY BEGINNER'S GREEN SMOOTHIE
2 cups fresh kale (tightly packed, hard stems broken off)
2 cups water
2 cups frozen strawberries
2 bananasPlace kale and water in blender and blend until kale is liquified. Add strawberries and bananas and blend until mixture is the consistency of a smoothie. Makes 4 to 5 cups and will last in a tightly sealed container (like a mason jar) in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Serving size is 1 to 2 cups per day.
© Kim Selzman 2013 All Rights Reserved