Rise and Grind

Rise and shine!  Or, in this case, rise and grind up this smoothie.  Okay, let’s be real.  What I was really thinking with this one is yet another meaning of “grind”.  I can count on my sister to have already gone there with me… you know, to the Urban Dictionary definition:

1) grind: when an individual pushes his/herself to attain a goal. Similar to gears grinding when they are worked beyond their capacity.  “I’ve been on the grind lately trying to pay these bills.”

2) grind: your hustle.  Good work ethic.  Doing what you do.  For example: Getting money, editing pix, singing…whatever your hustle is.  When you’re “on your grind” then you’re doing a good/great job at whatever you’re doing.  “Dang, girl, you’re on your grind.”  “I’m just getting my grind on.”

You may not see this post until days after I’ve actually made, drank, photographed, and written this.  But today I got my grind on.  Since leaving my job three months ago today, traveling, and taking a break, I’m back at it.  I know exactly what I want to do and now everything is about following the dream.  I couldn’t feel more excited, nervous, and at peace at the same time.

So for today this juice fit the bill.  It isn’t super sugary, but I still wanted to have it alongside some protein and healthy fats (like eggs and avocado) to avoid a blood sugar spike.  After this I was refreshed, energized, satisfied and ready to go get ’em.

Now for some notes about making this recipe.  When you buy the cucumber, be sure and buy regular cucumbers with seeds in them.  English or seedless cucumbers don’t have as much water in them and will still work, but yield less juice.  I therefore prefer the conventional cucumber.

For some variations, you could add a little lime or lemon to this to brighten it and add a little tartness.  Or, if you have coconut water on hand, you could use that in place of water.

So there you have it people.  Rise and grind.  How do you get your grind on?