The blender: a simple kitchen item or one of the greatest inventions of all time? I'm leaning towards the latter. What is so spectacular about a blender? Fellas, to truly realize its amazingness, we need to get past the "blender = protein shake" mentality. How many of you out there are still making the 30-second milk and protein spackle shakes? Who's doing the two-ingredient two-step? It's time to food accessorize, man! The blender can provide you with nutrition that goes way beyond the out-dated thinking of a blender as an instrument of protein excessiveness.
Most people in the U.S. already get more than enough protein from their daily diets. Read the labels on the foods you consume each day and you will see that there is plenty of protein in everything!!! For example, if you had three eggs, one can of tuna, and one whole chicken breast today, that's approximately 115 grams of protein! Excess protein intake can lead to dehydration, calcium loss through urine, and loss of muscle mass. So how much protein do we need? On average, you should consume about.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you strength train, you need about.68 to.88 grams per pound of body weight, twice as much as the average American. At the same time, those 3 eggs, can of tuna, and whole chicken breast may be more than adequate for someone who weight trains.....the excess protein via shake becomes unnecessary.
So what do we do with our protein shake? We turn it into an action-packed nutritional fist of fury! And this is where the blender becomes our trusty sidekick. A progression past the basics of macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrate) leads us to the deeper levels of nutrition: micronutrients. These are the essential vitamins and minerals which our body needs for optimal functioning. And although you might be getting these through your GNC big boy Flintstones, natural foods will always be the best source of essential nutrients. Which natural foods do I speak of? Fruits and vegetables, baby! These are the big playas, the Tango and Cash of nutrition. And we've known this for years! It's just extremely hard to get a good amount of fruits and veggies into our daily diet. This is where the art of blendanomics comes in.
Blendanomics 101: Pack your smoothie with fruits and vegetables. Oops, did I say smoothie? My bad, that's what you buy your girl at the mall. I meant shake. How will a shake containing both fruits and vegetables taste? Awesome, if you do it right. Pair up strong-tasting sweet fruits with weaker-tasting vegetables. For example, pair up banana or kiwi with kale or spinach. Throw in an apple or some strawberries. Be creative and make sure that you like your shake. If it's too sweet, balance it out with the veggies and vice versa. Also, do not be scared of the sugar in the fruit. The fiber from the fruits and veggies will regulate the flow of sugar as the body digests it, negating sugar spikes and crashes.
Blendanomics 102: Add a healthy source of fat to the shake. This is the next step in creating a truly healthy blend-a-meal. We need fat in our system for survival so don't be scared of it. Good sources of fat are avocado, extra virgin olive oil, coconut milk and oil, and almond butter. Put one of these in the shake. Most of the time you will not taste the fat sources because they are relatively bland in flavor. Start with one tablespoon of a fat of your choice and go from there.
Blendanomics 201: Add spices! There are certain spices out there that are natural fat-burners and I know there are many men out there who would definitely not mind burning some excess body fat. Don't worry, you don't have to raise your hand, I got you. Anyway, a few drops of cinnamon, cayenne or cumin will provide some natural body fat-burners in your system. For now, just go with cinnamon since it's the safest flavor wise. Once you become advanced in blendanomics, feel free to experiment with other spices, especially turmeric which possesses numerous medicinal qualities.
Blendanomics 315: The Last Action Hero Shake! Once you get through the first three levels of blendanomics, you will possess the knowledge and prowess to add further ingredients into your shake, while still maintaining integrity and tastiness. You can go the old school Rocky route and throw in a raw egg or two. You can create a serious blend-a-meal by adding oatmeal. You can even drop in a scoop of protein if your intake for the day was sub par. Once you have completed the highest level of blendanomics, I give you permission to name your personal blender creation after your favorite 1980s pro wrestler. Thus, you can have the "Koko B. Ware of My Shake" or the "Superfly Snuka Shake."
Creativity and fearlessness are the staples of blendanomics. So be creative and fearless. And if your boys start calling you Orange Julius or Blender Boy, don't feel any type of way about it. They will be the ones stuck on concrete protein shakes while you will enjoy the unmatched nutritional benefits and fresh flavors of your hand-made super shakes! So befriend your blender and enjoy the benefits that this amazing invention can provide.