PHIL KELLY TRAINING: Smoothies (From the Article Archives)

One of my favourite meals is a smoothie made from fresh fruit or veg with all the trimmings.

Smoothies are what I call a 'POWER' meal - with a single glass containing vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals all of which tastes great and covers a healthy, fulfilling meal option. Many of us with the current diet, food quality and lifestyle trends can be deficient somewhere in the body from our food and fluid choices.

Higher levels processed foods, sugars, fats, alcohol, caffeine and lower levels of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, grass-fed/free-range meats and water can have a profound effect on our bodies both mentally and physically. Mood swings, energy fluctuations, digestive stress are all problems we have or can face with these dietary choices.

So WHAT!!!

Well the benefits of a smoothie is you can replace and improve dietary deficiencies and score a very healthy meal option whether you're looking to gain weight, lose weight, re-balance or maintain your health. I myself have been utilising smoothies as meals, snacks, and supplements for years and have found it to be a useful tool in my dietary and health arsenal. Here is a typical smoothie i might have as a snack/meal:

PK's Red Bandit:

1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
2 Frozen Banana's
1 Cup of Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon LSA (Linseed-Sunflower-Almond)
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Coconut Milk

Blend until a nice liquid consistency, smash it down. That's it.

Some other great recipes I have indulged in over the years are the Gracie Family Smoothies. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a now very famous self-defense practice with the family developing (from the original system created by Carlos and Helio Gracie) a time and truly tested nutritional system called the Gracie Diet.

They have studied and fine-tuned a set of guidelines for food options and combinations which they feel is best suited for our digestive systems and everything that inter-relates to it (i.e. immune responses, hormonal responses etc).

I'll admit not all of these are for everyone, but persevere and modify these recipes to suit your palate, preparation utensils, food availability and budget. Enjoy the vids and please feel free to send me your own recipes or share them below in the comments section. (Beware these guys poke a lot of fun at themselves so don't take them too seriously)

Apple-Banana Smoothie