Shake It Up!

Anne H

I passed Jamba Juice on Lexington Avenue on a recent Saturday afternoon, and the line was practically out the door. Some customers came out of the store double fisted, and I thought, “hey! that juice must be something special.”  Oh, yeah, but I bet they haven’t tried a real fresh smoothie….the ones where the fresh strawberries are wreaking a magnificent springtime aroma, like the wonderful fruity aroma that slipped under my nose tonight right at the moment when a short gust of wind and I serendipitously met as I walked past the fruit vendor on my corner.  Seriously, it was a banana, strawberry and mango mix. Sweet!

One of the key core food groups as you know are fruits, and most common nutritional plans would suggest you have three servings of fruit a day, and a fruit smoothie would definitely count as at least one of the three.  If you do not like to “eat” fruit and enjoy juices more, then this works in your favor.  And, if you are interested in adding in some protein (for recovery or to build muscle), the shake works double duty for you.

Types of Drinks - when I’m in the mood, the first thing I think about is whether or not I’d like something very cold/frozen, or a healthful juice drink.  You can visit your local health food store for either one (see below).  Juicing is prepared in a juicing machine, while shakes are prepared in blenders.

When You Are Out –n- About (Health Food Store)

Juicing – You can select from your choice of healthy fruits and vegetables that you would like to have "juiced."  Did I mention to you that when I have a cold, I love a carrot-beet-ginger juice?  This is done with a juicer not a blender.

Shake/Smoothie – Select your fruit, and also mention if you would like your smoothie to be made with orange juice, skim milk, soy milk, or whatever you prefer.  You also can ask them to add a scoop of protein powder, too.  Be specific here (see discussion below).

Shaking It Up At Home

Most of us have a standard blender or hand blender.  If you have a juicer, you are lucky (and must live in a nice big NYC apt!).  If you don’t have a blender you can find a standard blender for a minimal price or you can even order one online at Amazon.com.   A hand blender works too, but it won’t crush the ice (this is very important).  So, if you are interested, set yourself up with the tools and you are on your way.

You can begin your shake with orange juice, skim milk, etc. and then add your favorite fruits.  A fellow Flyer mentioned to me that he buys frozen fruit and adds this to his shakes and it acts both as fresh fruit and ice at the same time.  I tried it and it is fab.  This is a great way to have fresh fruit available without it having to spoil if you are away for the weekend or a few days.  Add your fruit to your liquid, 3 or 4 ice cubes, a scoop of protein powder (optional) and mix on high for about 1-2 minutes.  Voila!  Snack attack mission completed.

I Don’t Know Anything About Protein Powders!

My very first experience with drinking protein after a long workout was about 10 years ago when I found that drinking vanilla soy milk helped my body to recover more effectively.  To try to give you a good understanding of the two types of protein powders available I’ll describe them below, but do want to suggest that you ‘test’ yourself to be sure that you enjoy the taste (so you can give other types a try and not give up) and that your body is agreeable to it and digesting it well.  There is one mention in an article that I read that stated that whey protein has a lot of cholesterol, so if you are on cholesterol medication, I would suggest you contact your doctor before you start a diet of whey protein shakes.

Whey Protein – is a mix of proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese that is manufactured from cow’s milk.  Most of the time whey protein is very easily digestible.  Whey protein is very similar to the protein in eggs and egg whites but without the fat. It is common that athletes use a combination of whey protein and egg whites in their diet.

Soy Protein – comes from soy beans and has similar quantities of protein to protein found in animals.  The FDA stated at 25 grams of soy protein in a daily diet can help reduce the likelihood of developing or advancing heart disease.  Soy protein also helps to reduce the possibility of developing osteoporosis, as well as other diseases indirectly related to hormonal issues such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and endometrial cancer. (Remember Edamame is soy bean so this is a great appetizer before your sushi dinner).

Here is a very interesting article that I found which I suggest you read to learn more about the differences between whey and soy proteins.  This will help you decide what is best for you:

And here are two sample recipes: Use these as your base and then start to make some new ones, mixing up the fruits and come up with your own favorite mixture.

Banana-Strawberry Fruit Smoothie
1 Banana
6 Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 ¼ cup water
A splash of skim milk
1 Tablespoon of Protein Powder (optional)
1 Teaspoon of Flax Oil (optional)
4 ice cubes

Tropical Fruit Shake
½ Mango
½ Banana
4 Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 ¼ cup water
1 Tablespoon of Protein Powder (optional)
1 Teaspoon of Flax Oil (optional)
6 ice cubes

Banana Orange Smoothie
1/2 cup of Orange Juice
½ Banana
6 Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup water
Splash of skim milk
1 Tablespoon of Protein Powder (optional)
1 Teaspoon of Flax Oil (optional)

For those interested in "shakin it up," good luck!  Let me know how it goes and feel free to post any additional suggestions in the comment box, below.  With local fruit vendors on your corner and strawberry season upon us, we’re in for a perfect smoothie season.

PS:  For those with an iPhone, I also read that there was an app for smoothie recipes, so check it out!

Anne H