Prep tools:
Blender
Paring knife
Peeler is handy but not necessary; you can use paring knife
Cutting board or a couple of stacked paper plates to cut on
Sample shopping list (see footnotes*):
1 bag of frozen strawberries
1 zucchini
1 bag of prepackaged slaw blend*
mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil OR Barleans flax oil*
non-carb sweetener of choice*
green* banana OR green plantain
regular or decaf green tea, loose or bags*
non-denatured whey protein powder, approx 20 gm protein 5 gm carb
Make tea the night before so you can cool it overnight in fridge:
For EACH SERVING of your energy drink boil 2/3 c. water* or run through coffee maker, remove from heat for one minute, add 1 tsp loose tea or 1 teabag, brew 10-15 minute at room temp, and refrigerate several hours or overnight. You will probably want to make a pint or more of this tea concentrate at a time.
Recipe:
2/3 to 1 c. RAW frozen strawberries*
2/3 to 1 c. RAW frozen or fresh mild-tasting veg (we're using peeled sliced zucchini)
1/2 to 2/3 c. RAW cruciferous* veg (we're using prepackaged slaw blend; taste before using to make sure it isn't bitter or strong-tasting)
1/4 to 1/3 (depending on size) RAW green banana or plantain, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp flax oil or mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil
1 serving non-denatured whey protein powder, approx 20 gm protein 5 gm carb
Non-caloric sweetener to taste
Directions for 1 serving strawberry energy drink:
Starting with about 2/3 c. cold tea concentrate, remove tea bag or leaves and squeeze excess liquid into blender, discard bag/leaves, pour remaining tea into blender, add Tbsp flax OR olive oil
Add 2/3 to 1 c. peeled sliced zucchini, cover and blend on low speed
Stop blender, add remaining non-frozen produce, cover and blend on high
Return to low speed, remove top and with blender running, add protein powder
Stop blender, add frozen produce, cover and blend on high until smooth
Taste, and add non-caloric sweetener to your taste
It may seem counterintuitive to combine these ingredients in one drink, but it is AWESOME and incredibly energizing.
Variations for strawberry energy drink:
- Use chocolate whey protein powder OR add 1 tsp raw cacao powder or more to taste
- Use a combination of cherries and strawberries for fruit portion
*Footnotes:
Oil: Any oil you add to your blended Energy Drink should be extra virgin or cold pressed. The least expensive oil you should consider using is extra virgin olive oil; I buy Pompeiian extra virgin when it is BOGO (buy one get one free)
Sweetener: Based on research and use, I prefer stevia and/or saccharin; aspartame, blue pkg, is implicated in depressive conditions, and sucralose, yellow pkg, can make you sucraLOOSE.
Raw GREEN plantain/banana: Including a small amount of this "resistant starch" gives you better stamina plus other long-term health benefits. If you have more than one energy drink in a day, leave out this ingredient in second and subsequent drinks, or divide this quantity among energy drinks.
Fresh v. frozen: If you prefer a thick, frosty drink, start with COLD tea, and AT LEAST HALF of the produce prepared as for a salad, and frozen ahead OR purchased frozen ready to use. If you don't use frozen produce, adding crushed ice makes drink frosty.
Ready-to-use frozen or fresh raw packaged produce: If you didn't pare and / or freeze it yourself, rinsing in cold water is a good idea
Why tea bags / loose tea? Best practice is to make it yourself; purchased liquid tea is usually overprocessed, pasteurized, etc.
Raw cruciferous veg: You can substitute a second mild tasting veg for cruciferous, but the health benefits are less stellar.
Raw dark green leafy veg, collards, turnip greens, etc are a POWERHOUSE OF HEALTH BENEFITS. You can substitute dark green leafy veg for the lighter-colored cabbage, napa cabbage, romaine rib, bok choy rib, etc. Substitute frozen or fresh greens for slaw and use blueberries instead of strawberries in above recipe, combine other ingredients as directed; blend, blend, blend, and the color comes out blue, not green!
Disclaimer (please read): Drinking one or more energy drinks every day may reduce your need for some kinds of medication, including but not limited to medication that controls blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol. If you are diabetic or hypertensive, monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar responsibly and talk to your doctor about reducing medication if need be.
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