The ingredients are flexible depending on what you have available, needless to say I have tried all the ingredients listed below at some point. After outlining the super awesome ingredients I will give a brief outline of what they are.
Basic Shake - suitable for just about everyone - Vegans & Raw Food People Included
300-400ml Almond Milk
1 x tablespoon ground up flaxseeds
1 x tablespoon tocotrienols
1 x tablespoon hemp protein
1 x teaspoon of Maca
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| In the kitchen - ready to blend |
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| Hemp Protein - good work Canada |
Add in some fruit if you like and blend. If you're into the whole only eat seasonal, local produce and want to reduce food miles, then pick a fruit that matches this goal. However, in England this can be tricky as Pears and Rhubarb don't blend that well. If you live in Hawaii blend in a pineapple. If you're not bothered about this blend in a banana or some frozen berries.
If you are a vegan you can leave it at that. (Though why you would want to be a vegan I don't know, remember Gillian McKeith looked terrible before she went into the jungle and according to Wikipedia she's only one year older than Linford Christie though she looks old enough to be his grandmother). However lets not forget that Scott Jurek, one of the greatest ultrarunners of all time is a vegan, as is kettlebell guy Mike Mahler, and see this clip of New Zealand fitness model Raechelle Chase who just became a raw food vegan convert (although her nutritionists contention that vegetables have more protein in than meat is a bit bizarre): in short maybe I was a tad unfair to vegans! However, I don't think its possible to get the full nutrient spectrum on a vegan diet, I think it can be done with a vegetarian one just about, and for the record I'm an omnivore.
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| Raechelle Chase - kiwi fitness model. Thankfully not all raw food vegans look like Gillian McKeith |
Optional extras you can add in to the shake: suitable for vegetarians
1 x Scoop of whey and/or micellar casein/ milk protein (currently i use the brand pictured, but use whatever brand you like/trust - I've used Reflex etc in the past)
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| Whey protein, micellar casein, boditronics, reflex etc |
1 x pot of natural Greek yoghurt, like Total
1x teaspoon of coconut oil - if you want extra calories, though I find this leaves a foam 'head' on the shake, so I don't personally do this now
1 x tablespoon of cacao nibs
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| Cacao nibs - not as tasty as a bar of dairy milk but good for you |
Options if you don't like almond milk, are not lactose intolerant and really want to bulk up and get some quality nutrients
300-400ml raw whole milk (if you can get it where you live)
200-300ml of raw kefir
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| Raw milk & kefir |
But for the love of all that is right with the world don't use soya milk.
The ingredients - quick explanation
Almond milk - gives the shake a nice taste, suitable for nearly everyone. Available in Holland & Barrett and Waitrose. Can be a bit expensive. If you're into the whole raw food thing then you can make your own (if however you can think of better things to be doing with your time - like hanging out in coffee shops drinking cappuccinos - then just go and buy some).
Flaxseeds - source of fibre, and the lignans in it may have other benefits. Essential fats as well (though still take you fish oil and eat oily fish). Can buy it pre-milled like the pack in the picture, or buy the whole seeds and mill yourself using a coffee grinder attachment to your blender (this takes about 10 seconds, this is the method I have used most)
Tocotrienols - much like Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, Tocotrienols are the secret sister of tocopherols. Nearly all vitamin E sold is in the form of tocopherols. In the words of Yoda 'There is another'. In recent years tocotrienols have got more exposure, and a quick search on pub med shows there is a lot of research going on at the moment studying their possible anti-cancer and immune enhancing properties. See this link here on immune enhancement effects.
Hemp Protein - protein for vegans, also contains essential fats, tocopherols & tocotrienols & help the Canadian economy.
Maca - I don't have any of this at the moment, but have used it in the past. Having read this study though, I think I'll get some more. It supposedly increased endurance performance and sexual desire, okay they may have only studied 8 people over only 14 days, but I'm sold - on the endurance effects only of course.
Cacao nibs/ raw chocolate - source of magnesium, sulphur and antioxidants , has a very high ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) score. I've found the cacao nibs don't blend that well, so you're probably better off getting some raw chocolate powder to make your shake more 'chocolatie'.
Nutrient Breakdown:
Calories: no idea
Carbs: no idea
Fat: no idea, essential fats from flaxseeds & hemp
Protein: about 20g in the basic shake, 50g with the whey protein, and probably 80g with raw milk & yoghurt
Fibre: Yes, from the flaxseeds
Supernutrient rating: Awesome, hell yeah, get some!
Feel free to add in any ingredients you like, if you're a Hank Hill style omnivore blend in a cow or whatever you want.
There you go, get blending.
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| Hank Hill - "Faux fu, for the tofu intolerant?!" - one of the greatest lines ever |
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