A Fresh Spin on Smoothies

Posted on April 26, 2023

 

Sure, there are more exciting topics than smoothie preparation.

 

So why an article on a subject that has been covered widely by every blogger since the dawn of the internet?

 

Well, smoothies are underrated and have a lot to offer.

 

And with a lot of smoothie experience under our belt here at Sporty's Health, we might just be able to offer some unique insights.

 

A smoothie is simply a convenient liquefied food delivery system.

 

And it can be a lot of fun, especially when experimenting with different flavours and therapeutic ingredients.

 

They can be used for hiding certain undesirable textures and flavours too, which can make it easy sneaking healthy ingredients into kids.

 

As technology advances and the innovative nature of humanity marches onward, new appliances have emerged to make the smoothie creation process that much more efficient.

 

How could you benefit from a daily smoothie?

 

Let’s find out …

 

Farewell Capsules & Tablets?

After finishing their daily capsules and tablets, many feel like all they would need to do is jump up and down a little to become a human maraca.

 

Tablet fatigue is a real thing. Some just don’t like swallowing something solid that they haven’t chewed first, which seems quite reasonable when you think about it.

 

Others just get tired of going through the process, another little task to remember, sometimes two or three times daily.

 

 

If you’re looking to simplify your supplementation procedure, some supplements work perfectly integrated into smoothies.

 

This can be a great way to ensure you never miss out on a powered supplement that you could be benefiting from.

 

Because, let’s face it, some just aren’t likely to mix each individual powder and consume long-term.

 

And then there’s the extra washing up to deal with.

 

A home-made customised smoothie premix (covered later in article) can work wonders for those looking for a solution to an excessive amount of powdered supplements.  

 

Some ingredients simply don’t lend themselves to the smoothie format, such as garlic or some herbal extracts that taste pretty much like soil.

 

However, with a little know-how and experimentation, you can be blending your way to a nutritious daily smoothie that packs plenty of vitality punch.

 

And that knockout blow arrives in the form of quality nutrition, flavour and convenience.

 

A Breakfast Cure

There has been some serious pushback of late against the old saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”.

 

This is likely due to the fact that, for many, the breakfast meal is in conflict with their fasting practice or daily nutrition program.

 

Certainly, healthcare practitioners who have a “protein centric” (and even “muscle centric”) view on health do tend to promote the importance of a breakfast containing an appreciable amount of protein.

 

Breakfast is an important and fundamental aspect of maximising your daily protein synthesis triggers and counteracting the catabolic results of overnight fasting.

 

 

Breakfast actually means to “break the fast”.

 

While we’re sleeping we are in fact fasting. I.e., not eating.

 

Fasting is a catabolic metabolic state by its very nature.

 

Though this doesn’t necessarily mean that it is not without merit or benefit in some situations.

 

To break the fast with a breakfast containing quality protein sources is certainly ideal if you’re looking to maintain or build lean muscle mass.

 

And you don’t have to be a bodybuilder to focus on the importance of muscle for health.

 

Muscle is an extremely metabolically active tissue that provides far too many benefits to mention in this article.

 

From preventing falls in old age, to soaking up excess glucose from our blood, to supplying nine essential nutrients for health when they’re not ingested- muscle keeps us strong, healthy, youthful and feeling younger than we actually are.

 

These are just some of the reasons many healthcare practitioners around the globe take a muscle-centric approach to optimal health and wellness.

 

That is, let’s build lean muscle mass as a major marker of health, which in turn increases bone mineral density.

 

Smoothies also offer the means to tackle problematic digestion without having to eat a meal.

 

You know those people who want to, though can’t eat until around ten or eleven in the morning?

 

Blended meals can makes things a little simpler in terms of digestive resources, easing the load on your gut while you nourish yourself.

 

For further information on the quality and quantity of protein required to active mTOR and muscle protein synthesis, check out this article.

 

Ingredient Possibilities

Apart from a few rare exceptions, most supplements can be incorporated into a smoothie, as long as you can find them in powder form.

 

Common supplements that work well are greens blends, magnesium and of course protein powder.

 

The main trick is aligning your flavours to make the finished product work (more on this later).

 

And then there are some ingredients, like beetroot powder, turmeric root powder, raw cacao powder, sunflower lecithin powder and maca root powder that certainly lend themselves to a daily smoothie.

 

 

These types of ingredients can be added in fairly significant quantities to your daily smoothie, without adversely impacting flavour (too much turmeric can be an issue though).

 

Though you will need a primary flavour booster for your smoothie, such as a naturally flavoured and sweetened protein powder, greens powder or even magnesium powder.

 

One of the most powerful ingredients for health is good-old lecithin, which has gained a bit of a bad reputation over the years.

 

But lecithin is just misunderstood.

 

Not like the thief who says it’s a misunderstanding as he drops a bag of cash to the ground with a thud.

 

No, no - this is a legitimate mixup.

 

Around 20 years ago, lecithin was a popular supplement that had the consistency of little yellow balls that you never wanted to spill as they were impossible to sweep up.

 

 

They stuck to the broom strands and kind of just spread out all over the floor.

 

The lecithin granules were typically German sourced and made from Soybeans. The mere mention of this legume can be enough for some people’s pupils to go nuclear.

 

Today, lecithin can be seen as one of those “numbers” ingredients that pop up from time to time in processed foods.

 

However, there is high quality GMO-free sunflower lecithin available, which is a quality natural source of phospholipids.

 

Phospholipids are special fats with quite complex names, like phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol.

 

These fats are structural components of every single cell in the human body and help to ensure the functionality of each cell by supporting membrane fluidity and receptor movement.

 

For instance, phosphatidylcholine is essential to liver health and powerfully liver regenerative. In fact, a scientific article published by the Alternative Medicine Review way back in 2002 covers this topic quite nicely.

 

Anyway, enough on lecithin already?

 

Once you have a list of supplements that don’t taste incredibly bad, you can have a think about the best blender/mixer and how to get the best flavour.

 

Balancing Flavours

Let’s start with something simple.

 

You’ve got a delicious chocolate flavoured plant protein and you want to hide some maca powder, turmeric, black pepper, raw cacao and magnesium.

 

Where to from here?

 

Obviously, if you’ve got a solid chocolate protein powder, adding your maca and cacao won’t be much of an issue in terms of flavour.

 

Too much turmeric though could be an issue. Stick to a 100:1 ratio of turmeric to black pepper for the best benefits, as the latter assists with absorption of the curcumin the former.

 

For instance, 3 grams of turmeric and 0.03 grams of black pepper powder should be fine. You will need scales that measure down to 0.01 grams (10mg).

 

Then you can experiment with different flavoured magnesium powders, unless you can find a plain one.  

 

A mixed berry should work, however raspberry or citrus might be problematic to the overall flavour of a chocolate smoothie.

 

But hey, this is where your own individual taste buds will guide you much better than any blog article ever will.

 

Powerful Portable Blenders

Blenders used to consist of a massive glass jug that screws onto a base with large crude blades. The entire jug then sits neatly into the base unit with an electric powered motor.

 

This is the modern day equivalent of a horse-and-cart.

 

Why not go for a motorized car?

 

And why not a Mercedes instead of a Toyota?

 

Here enters the Vita Diet Portable Blender and the Blendjet 2 Portable Blender.

 

These cordless USB re-chargeable blenders hold enough “juice” to power through 15 smoothies without needing a charge.

 

Blend for 20-30 seconds and enjoy a perfectly smooth drink every time.

 

And don’t fret about the mess with easy-cleaning technology.

 

These blenders are designed to be portable, in that they’re easy to use, transport and don’t need to plugged into a wall socket, yet still with enough capacity to fit your mix.

 

These products take the fuss out of blending and do so in style.

 

This way, they’re less likely to get demoted to some dark corner of your kitchen cupboard.

 

 

How to Make a Smoothie

There are some foundational smoothie ingredients that just seem to make the smoothie process work.

 

You can skip them, but then you will need to engage in a lot more experimentation!

 

Frozen Fruit Base: chopped banana, blueberries, strawberry, mango etc. These give the smoothie a nice body and add some chill. Around ¾ Cup of pieces

Natural Flavour Booster: This can be any naturally sweetened and flavoured powder, such as a protein powder, magnesium powder or greens blend.

Coconut Water (or plant based milk): All smoothies need liquid! You can add water if you like, or go for coconut water, regular cow’s milk or a plant based milk, such as nut or rice. Around 1 Cup.

Powdered Supplements: This is where your beetroot powder, maca root powder, turmeric, creatine, taurine, tyrosine, glucosamine and so much more can fit into your smoothie.

Yoghurt or Kefir: These may be added to turn your smoothie in a live food, filled with beneficial cultures!

Optional Nut Butter: 1-2 tsp (or more) of your favourite nut butter or even peanut butter.

Optional Oats: Soaked overnight works best here to insure the grains are nice and soft for easy blending and digestion.

 

Then it’s as simple as blending and enjoying!

 

Creating Your Own Customised Smoothie Premix

If you have a group of powdered ingredients that you will be taking for the foreseeable future, then this is your ultimate cheat chapter.

 

You could call it a “hack” if you felt so inclined!

 

Let’s say you’re taking creatine, glucosamine, greens blend, protein powder and taurine daily.

 

Wouldn’t it be easier placing your mixer on some scales, hitting the “tare” button, then weighing out say 50 grams, rather than dealing with each powder individually?

 

And the more powdered supplements you need to take daily, the more beneficial a customised smoothie premix will be for you.

 

That’s if you appreciate time and convenience!

 

The process is actually a lot simpler than you probably imagine.

 

But let’s dig into a recipe here and see what the process entails.

 

 

As a generic example, let’s work with the following supplements and dosages:

• Plant Protein Chocolate Flavour 30g
• Greens Powder Mixed Berry Flavour 5g
• Micronised Creatine Monohydrate 5g
• Glucosamine Sulphate 1.5g
• Taurine 2g
• TOTAL = 43.5g

 

Once you have tasted this within the context of a smoothie, I.e., with all the other smoothie ingredients, and are happy it is time to do a bulk blend.

 

 You will need a large food grade plastic bag or container for mixing and some decent arm stamina.

 

Let’s say you want to mix 100 serves, which equates to 4.35kg.

 

Simply multiply each ingredient by 100, which would be 3,000g (3kg) of protein, 500g Greens Powder, 500g Creatine, 150g Glucosamine and 200g Taurine.

 

Then add these to the mixing container, seal and shake and mix for 5 minutes or until you are satisfied that the powders are thoroughly mixed.

 

Be sure to inspect the powder closely. If there are any streaks of colour or white in the powder, you will need to keep mixing until the colour is nice and uniform.  

 

You may want to rest your arms and get back to it in an hour or two, or even tomorrow, as it can be quite a workout.

 

But hey, that’s what the creatine’s for, right?

 

You might be thinking, but how do I know that each 43.5g serve will contain the correct proportions?

 

As long as the powder is mixed thoroughly, each serving will have the correct amount of each ingredient.

 

The bulk density will be different (powder density). However, you don’t need to worry about this because you are measuring a serve on the scales and not via volume (scoop, cup, tablespoon etc).

 

Conclusion

Try to work on making your smoothies tastes better over time and work on some different recipes to create variety.

 

You’re going to need to put some time into creating flavours and textures that you can enjoy.

 

This is the key to long-term smoothie success.

 

 

Keep clear of too many strong flavoured ingredients so to ensure the flavour is on point.

 

Whether you’re looking to cure breakfast fatigue, reduce your pill swallowing or simply boost your nutrition, there is sure to be a way for a smoothie to enter your daily routine.

 

What nutritious powdered supplements are you missing out on?

 

What’s the Author hooked on?

Okay, this recipe isn’t packed with active ingredients. Think of it as more of a protein shake alternative to be enjoyed in addition to a nourishing daily smoothie.

 

1 Cup Frozen Banana

2 Tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter

Whole Milk

Vanilla Flavoured Whey Protein

 

This tastes simple amazing and is incredibly refreshing, especially after a hard workout. It’s Vanilla Peanut Banana! The sweetener in the vanilla protein makes the natural flavour in the peanut butter and banana come alive. And with the smooth vanilla in there, this is simply something to savour and enjoy.

 

For plant based, you could try this with any delicious vanilla plant protein and plant-based milk.

 

Enjoy the process and the health benefits of a daily smoothie!