The smoothie we all need to power through this month
We often use January as a time to resolve to be healthier. And it all works for a week or so and then we lose motivation. (Points finger at self). That’s why I want to introduce you all to the book Power Smoothies by Keith Sebastian and Samuel Barnes. This just might be the booster shot you need just to get you through the rest of this month!
The beginning of Power Smoothies reads like a basic nutrition primer. You can refresh you memory on simple and complex carbs, trans-poly-multi-whatever fats, and bone up on calcium. Yes, I know. Punny, sorry. Whatever, if you don’t like it go pump some iron. Ba-dum-dum.
Once you get through that education (if you made it through my puns) Sebastian and Barnes explain what smoothies do for you. Green smoothies are packed with rejuvenating chlorophyll, which is similar, molecularly to human blood. Meanwhile protein rich smoothies are a terrific way to get some energy and muscle-builidng macronutrients. Power Smoothies strives to give you both these things, sometimes in the same smoothie.
There are chapters for protein-heavy smoothies, low and high calorie smoothies, immune system supporting smoothies, and my personal favorite, bedtime smoothies. Unlike most health books which claim that you shouldn’t eat before bed, Power Smoothies exhorts that a light, healthy smoothie before bed is essential-and not just if you are trying to gain muscle. It keeps your metabolism chugging away while you sleep. As someone who loves nothing more than to eat a massive bedtime snack and cannot sleep on an empty stomach, I felt so validated reading this.
Today’s recipe is a high-protein vegan smoothie! It’s packed with fiber, vitamin C, Vitamin A, manganese, riboflavin which means you are getting better digestion, skin, vision and bones–and best of all it is beautiful. And so thick you can eat it with a spoon. More like post-workout dessert, I say! No kale involved. You can have it all!
P.S. Yes, I put my smoothies in bowls. It’s a thing.
The Red Red Red Smoothie from Power Smoothies by Keith Sebastian and Samuel Barnes
- 1 cup chopped watermelon
- 1 cup hulled strawberries (I froze mine)
- 1/2 grapefruit, peeled (I used a ruby red one, of course)
- 1/2 banana (also frozen)
- 1 tsp. peeled, minced, fresh ginger
- 1 scoop mixed-plant protein (I use MRM Veggie Protein)
- 1/2 cup coconut water
Blend and blend and blend. Magic.
