smoothie

Not all that smooth, and my path to happiness and health.

I've been making some form of smoothie for about 15 years. It started around the time I became a runner and needed to add an extra meal to a day when I had been doing a lot.

In the early days, things were simple, some sort of liquid, usually a frozen banana, cocoa, and peanut butter. It's a classic recipe, replicated the world over, chocolate, peanut butter banana. What's not to like. I had heard of people doing more involved things, but it wasn't for me.

Green juice? No thanks.

In the proceeding 15 years, I tried a number of things, of the original triumvirate, chocolate, and the banana remain, and the peanut butter plays a supporting role, outside of the drink itself.

My current formula may shock some, even disturb others. Nevertheless it's a concoction that I relish, that I look forward to every morning with real excitement. And in no small way, that I attribute my good health to. Objective measures of true health are hard to come by, two that are readily available is a BMI of 20 and according to some algorithm from a well known fitness company, a "fitness age" some eight years lower than my calendar age. I also tend to avoid getting the multitude of illnesses my small children and wife get. Its either dumb luck, or I am doing something right.

Each of the 13/14 ingredients has been carefully experimented with over the years, although at the same time, it's a flexible feast and with most of them, if I am out I can just skip it entirely or up the amount of something else to make it work.

the mix

• 350ml kombucha

• 3 Tbsp oats

• 1 Tbsp hemp hearts

• 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds

• 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds

• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed

• 1 Tbsp chia seed

• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 Tbsp evoo (extra virgin olive oil)

• 1 Tsp cocoa nibs

-

• 1 Frozen banana

• 100g Frozen blueberries

• 100g Frozen raspberries

Proceeded by a tablespoon (Tbsp) of peanut butter.

the logic

I tend to mix the liquids and seeds together before blending, between the night before and minutes before, if I've forgotten but at least an hour, is preferable and the night before the best. Then the frozen fruit is added just before blending. I use a medium powered stick blender and blend it right in the container that I drink from as it saves washing up. I used to use a high powered blender but this was more effort to clean, lost more smoothie in the blender and according to recent research on our gut and microbiome, you don't want to blend your food too hard. As it means the multitude or organisms inside your gut, don't get as much whole fibers to survive on as most of the contents is so pre digested by the blending that it is consumed earlier in your digestive system.

Originally the liquid was soya milk, then oat for some time and for a while, once I realised that oat milk was just oats and water, I just used water. More recently I started making my own kombucha and really enjoy the zesty kick it adds so replaced that water with that. If you don't have a ready supply, plain water will do fine.

The seeds should speak for themselves, all great sources of things your body needs, including tons of minerals, proteins, fats, and fiber. The flax and chia also make for a creamier thicker drink.

The nutritional yeast is a necessary source of B12 but otherwise doesn't affect taste or texture.

I used to try and not consume too much oil, and that's still generally true but there seems to be mounting evidence of the health of healthy fats and evoo, tops the charts for healthy fats. It also makes the whole experience a bit richer and more of a meal.

Cocoa nibs, lightly blended aren't for everyone as they make for a chewy drink, I personally enjoy this. This helps to slow down the drink and reminds me to chew while I eat/drink which helps release digestive enzymes in your mouth and in general is something we should be doing more of.

The fruit is delicious, cold, and as per every other ingredient, super good for you.

I took the peanut butter out of the drink itself as it muddied the bright fruity flavours, but I still love the stuff so have a spoon before my smoothie.

If I am travelling etc. and can't get all 14 ingredients, I'll aim for at least the water, banana, flax, cocoa and, oats, frozen blueberries are also usually pretty available, I'd probably put the peanut butter in this version too.

So that's what I drink, every morning, seven days a week. I've had this particular version for a few months, the last change was the kombucha and nibs vs. regular cocoa powder. That previous version was stable for about six years. The rest of what I eat and drink in a week, varies from day to day, week to week but I know that as long as I get my smoothie in, I have a pretty good foundation.

Apart from the chia which is somewhat exotic, this is a "super" smoothie with more or less regular ingredients.

🏷 #others #food #smoothie #recipe