Good morning!
Look at this picture I found! This was Ryan and my first New Years Eve together back in 2006. I love that dress….clearance from Anthro ’cause it was missing a button!
What a cute bow-tie 😉
Unfortunately last night when I went to bed I rubbed my left eye and felt a migraine coming on. And, yep, it came! 🙁 I slept fine but now have a pounding dull pain behind my eye right now that hopefully will go away soon because this was not worked in the schedule today!
To clear my head I made a Green Monster for my Raw Wednesday breakfast! I’ve heard that bananas are great for when you have migraines so I thought I’d give it a whirl today. Here’s what I used:
- 1 frozen banana
- about 4 cups organic spinach
- 1 scoop raw almond butter
- 1 scoop Sun Warrior
- 1 cup almond milk
- ice
Gave it an old fashioned whirl in the Vita Mix and out came this!
I have to admit, I was a little worried about the protein powder addition because my standard Green Monster is just spinach, almond milk and frozen banana. I didn’t know if the protein powder would make it icky but for an extra 15 grams of protein I had to try! The verdict? Total yum. Couldn’t even taste the protein powder and this was just creamy goodness. Now I am chugging hot tea though because I’m a block of ice!
This morning I also made some wheat berries! I love wheat berries because of their chew! Perfect for topping oatmeal and salads, wouldn’t you say? I let the dry berries soak overnight and then this morning I just simmered them for only about 30 minutes and they were perfect!
I wrote a pretty long to-do list last night before bed (maybe this was why I got a migraine?). I’m going to try getting all my work done first thing this morning and then saving the gym until later in the day. I’m switching things around because everyone has their best time to work and I am totally a morning person! When I was in college I scheduled all my writing workshops to be in the morning and always worked on my drafts right when I woke up. My mind is the clearest then and I just love getting everything so I don’t feel guilty baking or plunging into a novel later in the day.
What about you? When is your best time?
Enjoy your last Raw Wednesday—what shall our challenge be NEXT month?! 😉
megan
May 27, 2009 at 6:34 amI am totally a morning person too. I love to get up early, get everything out of the way (although for me, that includes exercise), then having the rest of the day to bake, cook, read, hang out with my husband, waste time, etc. 🙂
Nicole
May 27, 2009 at 6:46 amMy best time is definitely the early morning! I’m talking like, 5 am! When I have stuff to do, I go to sleep early and wake up super early and get everything done before the sun comes up. I just like having everything out of the way before breakfast!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats
May 27, 2009 at 6:48 amDefinitely a morning girl!! I can’t anything done in the evenings – all I want to do is relax!!
Leah @ Simply Fabulous Now
May 27, 2009 at 6:49 amI love working out in the morning, this way I know that I won’t have a chance to skip it later on! To be honest with you, i’m a morning person and a night person (who likes to go to bed by about 11!).
Thanks for the email about the protein powder! I ended up buying some hemp protein powder last week!
Cute photo of you and Ryan! Love the dress! From what I can tell your shoes look cute too!
Matt (No Meat Athlete)
May 27, 2009 at 6:49 amNever heard of wheat berries… but they look really good. Are they like beans? I’d love to put them on a salad; I’m really getting into salads with beans/grains in them!
brandi
May 27, 2009 at 6:53 amooh, I love that dress!
Good luck with all your to-dos today and I hope that migraine goes away! I get them too, and I know it is not fun.
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini)
May 27, 2009 at 6:54 amI’m definitely a morning person too!!!! Hope that migraine goes away =( That’s no fun! Good luck with your productive day!
Michelle Hisae
May 27, 2009 at 6:54 amI’m definitely a morning person – probably explains why I don’t go out at night often, haha.
Challenge next month? That’s a good question. What about…trying new ways of exercising, dairy-free month, new food month…hmm these are lacking. I’ll keep brainstorming.
Melissa
May 27, 2009 at 6:59 amDefinately a morning person. I wake up at 4:45 in order to workout before work and sometimes if I have enough time, I go grocery shopping afterwards. All this before 7:30am!
Your post from last night definately helped me out this morning Jenna. I woke up to no running water in my apartment building. I thought to myself…could be worse. I used water from my Brita to brush my teeth, ran four miles outside, packed up my stuff to shower and went to my parents to shower there. Normally I would’ve freaked out because I have very high anxiety and get all out of sorts when my schedule gets out of wack. I just thought to myself “What would Jenna say?” and it totally changed my tone….so thanks 🙂
Have a great day and I hope your head feels better.
greenbean
May 27, 2009 at 7:03 ami’m all about the mornings. once the afternoon hits, i’m useless and feel that the day is wasted. i love the mornings!
Christina MINDFUL LIVING
May 27, 2009 at 7:08 ami just bought wheat berries about a week ago and havent made them because I wasnt sure what to do–ill give your method a try! I am a morning/day worker, too– i dont like staying up late– after a certain time my brain just shuts down and I cannot think straight anymore!
Mara @ What's For Dinner?
May 27, 2009 at 7:21 amI absolutely LOVE the protein powder in my green monsters, which reminds me, I have to go get some more! I’m a mid-day person. I’m exhausted in the mornings, and drained by the time its dark, but mid-day? I’m a rockstar!
Danielle
May 27, 2009 at 7:22 amMy best time is early evening!
I love that dress in your picture too cute!
Melanie
May 27, 2009 at 7:24 amMorning is definitely the best time for me to work on complex tasks…I was also the most productive in the morning at school, and I totally petered out around 2 or 3 pm (so late afternoon classes needed to be easy if possible). However, I like to work out after work because I’m finding it to be a really good way to get my aggravation at the stress of the day out.
I’m going to have to try the wheat berries…I’ve heard that they’re really difficult and take a long time to make, but you’ve made it sound pretty easy!
Mary
May 27, 2009 at 7:25 amI used to be a night person. But over the past 2-3 years I have transformed into a morning person!!!
Katherine
May 27, 2009 at 7:26 amI’m definitely a morning person, but it has to be super early (6am) and I HAVE to have gotten enough sleep the night before! I find that, working a regular 9-5, I struggle because I go to sleep around 11 or 11:30 and I’m tired when I wake up so I dont get to really make the most of my mornings. I think I’m going to institute a 10pm in-bed rule for a few weeks and see how it goes!
Good luck with your to-do list and have a wonderful morning!
Angela
May 27, 2009 at 7:27 amI used to only workout in the AM first thing before work and school but now that I work from home I workout whenever I fee like I have the most energy- which, oddly enough tends to be mid-day!
Cute dress!
Bec
May 27, 2009 at 7:27 amI love that dress, its gorgeous!
Recipes for Creativity
May 27, 2009 at 7:27 amI am totally a morning person, too! If any writing, reading, or cleaning needs to be done, it’s the morning or else!
I think next month’s challenge should be something about loving ourselves and our families for who we are, as opposed to another food challenge. Although I love the food challenges and I have had many, many Green Monsters this month, not just on raw Wednesday!
Glidingcalm
May 27, 2009 at 7:27 amfeel better Jenna!! that pic is adorable! you look so good in blue!!!
and that green monster looks so thick and delicious. too bad i used up all my spinach last night!!!
Beth
May 27, 2009 at 7:27 amTotally a morning person. Love the possibility of the morning. Love to get up before the kids, have some coffee and mentally/spiritually/emotionally prepare for the day.
The color of the green monster is amazing. It could be a color in the crayon box: green monster green.
Emily
May 27, 2009 at 7:28 amI’m totally a morning person! I perfer to get up super early and get everything done so I can relax and do fun this all afternoon and evening.
Erin
May 27, 2009 at 7:29 amGorgeous dress! Blue is definitely your color. 😉
I like to “indulge” when everything else (i.e. dishes, cleaning, etc.) is done. That way, it’s much more enjoyable & relxing!
Next month’s challenge should be “Brown Bag Mondays” or something, where no meal is eaten out. This will: encourage people to get creative with their meals, not be tempted to eat something unhealthy, and, most importantly, SAVE MONEY! 😀
-Erin @ “Vegan & the City”
Shannon
May 27, 2009 at 7:29 amTotal morning person…..I love that dress you have on too….You look very tall in that pic….Just curious, how tall are you? 🙂
jenna
May 27, 2009 at 7:36 amShannon,
I’m 5’6″….not that tall, I don’t think! I have high heels on in that photo though! 😉
Sarah
May 27, 2009 at 7:32 amWhat’s funny is when I was younger and unhealthy, the later day was better for me. I took lots of night classes and always worked at night. But now, I’m such a morning person its annoying! I usually get up at 5 or 6 most days and do a lot before noon and then gradually my productivity slows down the rest of the day and I’m usually ready for bed by 9, haha, I’m only 27! But I like it that way 🙂
Amanda
May 27, 2009 at 7:34 ami wish i was a morning person work wise! i normally don’t do work then though so it’s hard for me to convince myself to. i normally work in the afternoons best.
Jenna
May 27, 2009 at 7:36 amYou look soo beautiful in that New Years picture! 🙂
I have not tried wheatberries yet!! I’ve been wanting to…do you buy yours in bulk?
jenna
May 27, 2009 at 7:58 amJenna,
I do! Its really the only way to go because you save so much $$! I only buy what I think I can use in, say, a month and then when I use all that up I just go back for more! I also buy a lot of my flour, oats, nuts and seeds in bulk.
Jenny
May 27, 2009 at 7:36 amMy mind is definitely clearest right when I wake up. I often write my french papers at night, and then edit them in the morning. It’s amazing what a difference the morning makes for me.
That blue is gorgeous on you!! I love Anthro 🙂
Coco Knudson
May 27, 2009 at 7:44 amdef mornings are the perfect time for me to get my personal work out of the way. whether it’s homework I didn’t do the night before or something else. I love mornings and I hate being rushed. I start summer class today and it doesn’t start till 1 so I have all morning to organize my life! Perfect!
Tracey
May 27, 2009 at 7:51 amHi Jenna,
Hope your migraine goes away soon!
For next month’s challenge- how about “Mix It Up Monday”? It would challenge us to try something different on Mondays and break out of our comfort zones – whether eating eggs instead of the same old oats, taking a bike ride instead of the usual running, or having dinner out with friends instead of alone at home. Just a little something to spice up our lives and shake up our routines. Since we all get stuck in ruts, this could be a way to bust out of it! And it could make Mondays something actually look forward to – imagine that!
Hope you have a great day!
I know I get in a rut of eating and doing the same things
MyThy as in "Mighty" ;)
May 27, 2009 at 8:06 amBlue is def your color, it brings out your eyes! =)
Actually in your other pics, I love your tops & necklaces. Are they all from Anthro too?
I’m def an AM person. Gotta have the first 30mins-1hr to myself. We’re pretty much in contact w/ ppl every day from those we luv to coworkers, and strangers that sometimes its nice to just have a moment to ourselves! Plus I like knowing I get so much more done & have the rest of the day to ‘catch up’ if need be!
For a challenge, how about cookin’ that one dish we’ve been “meaning to try” (aka, Veggiegirl’s blondie’s? Dreena’s super charge me cookies [hello am I the LAST person to have made it?], OR Homemade seitan???) but are don’t have time/too intimidated/lazy/etc! These are all on my to-do list! 😉
Ally
May 27, 2009 at 8:17 amYou are soooooooo cute!! You look gorgeous in that dress!!
I am definitely not a morning person 🙁 But I do love the feeling when I actually do force myself to get up early and accomplish a lot before noon.
I like the new recipe challenge idea MyThy just had!
Shelly
May 27, 2009 at 8:20 amI am a mid-day person. It takes a couple hours for me to “wake up” every day and I am always miserable and groggy in the morning.
I was going to say that I have 2 different versions of the green monster. I just use banana,almond milk, spinach, and add ins like spirulina or berries when I have it as a snack; but when I make it for breakfast I always add chocolate protein powder and frozen cranberries. The chocolate/cranberry combo is amazing- and I just need it to be more substantial if it is going to hold me over until lunch.
Hope your migraine gets better!!
Hannah Hawley
May 27, 2009 at 8:22 amMy best time is in the mornings, however, I am not a morning person! It is a constant struggle for me.
Sheri
May 27, 2009 at 8:26 amSince having children I have become a morning person! I love to get up early and workout and do anything else I need to do and get it out of the way so I have the rest of the day to do what I like 🙂 Plus early in the morning it is quiet and very relaxing..
Love that dress so cute! I really do hope your migraine goes away so you can have a happy productive day!
Also, you have inspired me to try some Hot Yoga, I found a studio and I am going to give a few classes a try! 🙂
Life.Art.MidnightSnacks
May 27, 2009 at 8:32 amI am definitely a morning person! I like to get as much done before lunch time!!! 🙂
Lauren
May 27, 2009 at 8:35 amI definitely have that dress from Anthro! Sadly…it was not on clearance. DITTO on the morning person!
elliebelle
May 27, 2009 at 8:35 amI feel the most motivated to work on projects during the mid afternoon and late evening times…I wish I were more motivated in the mornings, but all I want to do is eat a leisurely breakfast and read! haha…
Erica
May 27, 2009 at 8:44 amI am new to being a morning person but I love it.
Also I know you like to things natural but I have found that taking a low dose of blood-pressure medication daily has given me a lot of relief. It did however take much convincing for me to even try it. I left the doctor’s office crying that at 28 I would be going on a daily medication. Well that is my 2 cents not that you asked for it.
e
Shalane
May 27, 2009 at 8:44 amThat dress is GORGEOUS!
I’m such a morning person!
VeggieGirl
May 27, 2009 at 8:46 amI’m an early bird 🙂
Emily
May 27, 2009 at 8:46 amI am the prime definition of a “morning person”! Even waking up first thing to work out I feel wide awake. I’d almost rather work from 7am -3pm because I can focus so much better first thing. Breakfast most definitely helps!!
skinnyrunner
May 27, 2009 at 8:48 amim such a morning person, the earlier the better.
have a good day today getting your to-do list done!
The Experimentarian
May 27, 2009 at 8:51 amI’m a morning person for sure! My day is always best when I can get up early, eat a yummy breakfast and hit the gym. I just feel so much more accomplished! I really need to try that Green Warrior…I’m just dreading the weird looks from my hubby 🙂
Matt
May 27, 2009 at 9:09 amI’m also more alert in the mornings. I am so much more of a morning person than a night person.
Hope the migraine clears up!
Gloria
May 27, 2009 at 9:17 amI love the mornings. I’m so sleepy and unproductive at night after a full day of work, exercise, and errands. I’m usually in bed by 10 and telling my parents to turn down the volume on the TV (ah how the tables have turned…)
I just got some wheat berries and haven’t been able to decide what to do with them yet. I looove the wheatberry salad from Whole Foods. I can’t wait to see how you use them!
And your post last night was great. Thanks for always being so inspiring. I hope you fight off that migraine and have a lovely day!
Jess
May 27, 2009 at 9:18 amWhile I am not a morning person I also find that I write best in the AM. Ironically my best idea come to me in the shower, where I cannot work- water is not good for laptops…I’m not sure why? haha, jk. 😀 I did get a underwater writing slate though for those genius moments. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a “shower thinker”
PS. Love all your Anthro steals…I’m a huge fan but my wallet typically is not! ;(
HeatherBakes
May 27, 2009 at 9:18 amHm, definitely not a morning person- probably more afternoons/evenings.
Hope your head feels better soon!
Help Meghan Run
May 27, 2009 at 9:22 amYup, morning person here, too! 🙂 Then I can feel relaxed throughout the later part of the day.
www. HelpMeghanRun .com
Ally
May 27, 2009 at 9:37 amHello! I found your blog via one of my friends blogs, and I just love it. I love your attitude and your outlook. I’m trying to take better care of myself and eat better and I really enjoy your posts about food–ha. I’m going to have to purchase a blender so I can make myself a green monster–yum!
I am a morning person–don’t get my wrong, I love to sleep in (when I can), but, I feel so much better if I can get all my work done early and then actually enjoy the rest of the day.
Marissa
May 27, 2009 at 9:42 amI think I am more of a mid-day person. Love the old photo of you and Ryan!
Kaila
May 27, 2009 at 9:51 amI’m definitely a morning person, and also I find that if I read/write as soon as I wake up, my mind is sharper all day!
Have a great day Jenna!
K
May 27, 2009 at 10:11 amThat dress is gorgeous! You and Ryan look great in that picture!! I’m at my peak work performance in the morning, hands down!
Kailey (SnackFace)
May 27, 2009 at 10:22 amI love that pic of you and Ryan! So frickin’ adorable!
I’m definitely a morning person when it comes to writing, but being in the journalism school here has tought me to be an anytime writer. For one of my classes, we had to watch a film/tv show/whatever in our wednesday 6-9 p.m. class, then have a critique handed into our prof’s mailbox by 9 a.m. thursday. Tough!
Thanks for the wheatberries info! I’ve had some kicking around, but didn’t know how to make them.
Nicole
May 27, 2009 at 10:23 amI am definitely a morning person…I love having all of my stuff done early in the day so that way I have the afternoon to do whatever I need to!
AshleyH
May 27, 2009 at 10:30 amwhat if every wednesday we had to try something new (a new product, vegetable, etc.)
That might be neat!
Katrina (gluten free gidget)
May 27, 2009 at 10:30 amMorning for me please! I usually feel like an energizer bunny first thing in the morning.
I hope your head feels better!
Ann
May 27, 2009 at 11:11 amIf I dont work out in the morning, it doesnt happen!
Pretty dress Jenna!
polly
May 27, 2009 at 11:19 amMorning girl, here!
Hope you feel better, sweetie.
I vote for mix it up mondays!! That way it could be someone staying in their jammies instead of working out, or maybe going berry picking and eating fresh berries on cold cereal instead of oatmeal? Or going to yoga instead of spinning class or going to spinning class instead of the usual walk?
Mix it up and Mellow out. 😉
XOXO
Sarah (now in FL)
May 27, 2009 at 11:24 amCaption of Ryan in top photo: “Can you believe my luck?” (gestures to you.)
You guys look like you’re going to the Academy Awards.
Heather
May 27, 2009 at 1:36 pmRight there with you, Jenna! I am an absolute morning person. I get up around 7:30 or 8:00 every morning naturally. After a power breakfast and workout, I’m ready to take on the day! I love getting things taken care of early and then chillin’ out for the remainder of the day too! That tempeh looks great. I’ve been eyeing it at the supermarket for awhile now and I think I JUST might have to pick some up for myself. [:
Evelyn Wenzel
May 27, 2009 at 1:40 pmHey just a thought…I don’t get migraines but my husband does and the best remedy we’ve found for them is a little lemon juice. Fresh lemons are best but even if you don’t have one around the bottles of lemon juice you get from the grocery store and keep in the fridge works as well. Whenever he feels a migraine coming on he either takes some lemon juice straight up or mixes it into some water for a quick chug. Symptoms always are noticeably better within 2-3 minutes and usually it is completely cleared up within 20 minutes or so…quicker (and healthier) than excedrin migraine! You just have to experiment with how much you might need to produce what results. I’m sure he takes no more than a tablespoon at a time. Hope you feel better 🙂
Missy
May 27, 2009 at 3:27 pmWheat berries?? Never heard of them – can you give some info?
Lane
May 27, 2009 at 7:02 pmI am definitely a morning person too. But I find that if I don’t exercise in the morning I am more likely to miss it later in the day due to stuff snowballing.
Laura
May 27, 2009 at 7:43 pmI am definitely a morning person. I love having to-do lists and crossing things off as I go.
Also, I was at Costco today and saw that same jar of almond butter for $6.50! I think that is a great price – if you have a Costco where you are you should find someone with a membership and get some. Usually they have the same stuff everywhere – I am in North Carolina. I thought of you when I saw it! I would love to eat it, but since i count every calorie, I stay away from the nut butters right now. Take care!