Tamie’s Energizing Smoothie
It contains FULL OF FIBER, GOOD FAT and the just right amount of PROTEIN to get going w/o having a blood sugar crash (means not having a strong desire to have a cup of coffee and chocolate), and be able to keep your immune system up and running.
I make a Ball Pint Mason Jar container full of smoothie. Notice there is zero simple-carbohydrate makes you gain weight! This is the Regular Mouth Jar Storage Caps goes with the pint-size Mason Jar.
Smoothie / Shake appeals to many of you during the warm to hot weather in New England – May to August. Not only drinking the smoothie in the morning is less time is required as the Go-To breakfast, but drinking smoothie in the morning is extremely EASY for your digestive system to work on after the 8 hours plus of fasting from the meal night before. If you are not crazy about protein powder, you can skip that but use the following ingredients and add beans, yogurt, Keifer (if you can tolerate dairy) for extra protein like a whole avocado.
The key point of having this kind of breakfast is to bring your blood sugar nice and smooth ride during the morning. Consuming Protein and Fat Rich Breakfast is the key to success. It will bring the stress hormone called “Cortisol” Level UP high in the morning when you wake up but not too high and eat simple and complex Carbohydrate contained meal at the dinner time will bring your Cortisol Level DOWN and the hormone called “Melatonin” UP so that you are able to relax and your “brain” is ready for the done for the day to sleep soundly at night. You see, Cortisol and Melatonin play see-saw. One is up and the other is down. You may not realize the fact many nutrients play see-saw as well. Zinc and Copper is one example. I am mentioning Zinc and Copper here because so many of my patients are not just Zinc deficiency but severely depleted in Zinc.
Going back to breakfast. As you see, breakfast on SAT (standard American diet) is very opposite. Eat a bagel, waffle, toasts or a bowl of cereals, french toast, or eating Dunkin Donuts (here in Boston is the worst!) are all “simple” carbohydrate means what you have just eaten turn to glucose (=Sugar) very quickly. You do not want breakfast like that! Of course, eating breakfast like this when you are on the cruise or having a Sunday brunch with your friends visiting you will be totally acceptable. We are all human!
We all live in the 24-hour rhythm called Circadian rhythm. Disrupted circadian rhythm is the #1 reason for the chronic health concerns I see in my clinic. The symptoms include “not feeling well, restless sleep, lack of concentration, less energy, start to gain weight around the belly, allergy, east to get sick, stomach pain, ADHD, feeling miserable, easily overwhelmed, irritable all day long, yelling to child more often than before, IBS etc… but manage to be able to go to work”. You are not feeling well but not sick enough to be hospitalized. Please remember that most of the chronic health issues do not appear on your annual blood test! Because those are my patients on the daily basis. Try to eat protein-rich foods in the morning! I recommend to have the shake as the breakfast for 3 days and take a one-day break by eating something else like eggs with avocado, and another 3 days of shake. If you prepare as I do at night (1. put flax and chia seeds into the coffee grinder, 2. put the frozen berries into the container), you are ready to mix and go in the morning.
Protein Powder – I have tested many products, and I have a few my favorite. Email me if you are interested in which one I recommend to my patients. I use Collagen-based and Non-Collagen-based protein powder in my clinic.
The recipe is just mix items listed below:
Liquid + Dry Items 1 + Dry Items 2
and add Berries
I like to chew the berries so that I mix all other items in the container and mixed first and I add the berries on the top. If you like mix all includes berries, you may use a blender to mix all! Either way, it is tasty “good to go” breakfast for you!
I store each dry items in a pint-size mason glass jar with white regular mouth plastic lids. These lids are worth buying. Put the dry items with liquid and mix into BPA Free container like this below.
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- LIQUID: 2 cups of water, coconuts water, non dairy milk, pomegranate juice (Hernest, Zico is my favorite), coconuts milk (I use BPH Free can of coconuts 365 brands at the whole foods, separate the milk from the cream part and use just milk and the fat portion of cream for curry or with tea or coffee to be added on), hemp (Tempt is my favorite)/coconuts milk/almond milk (Avoid Carrageenan) of your choice. I also add 1 oz of POM (Pomegranate Juice). Pomegranate is one of the super food. Good for many things. Why not adding to your smoothie in the morning? About non-daily milk -> Carrageenan is banned in European nations and Japan many years ago. It is one of the carcinogens. It is a good question of why this is still allowed to use in the U.S……. If you are able to tolerate to eat dairy, you may add yogurt or Keifer which make your smoothie much creamier.
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- DRY ITEMS #1 (Seeds – THESE TWO GO TO your COFFEE GRINDER a night before and grind 10 seconds the next morning. You can afford to have 10 seconds in the morning, right?):
- 1 tsp Chia Seeds (RAW)
- 1 tsp Flax Seeds (RAW) --> Check the benefits of taking Flax Seeds (particularly Flax Seeds goes rancid very quick) – you can grind 10 seconds using the coffee grinder just before you make a shake to avoid getting “rancid”. I recommend you to put both Chia and Flax seeds into the coffee grinder a night before which I do. However, if you prefer to use already ground flax seeds, use Omega Nutrition.
- DRY ITEMS #2 (Powder Ingredients): I put ALL items below in the shake!
- 1 scoops Protein Powder of your choice. If you are going to make 3 breakfast supplies as I do, add 2 scoops. I use Collagen Based Protein Powder (not for sale online) in my clinic because this protein powder (chocolate/vanilla) is well tolerated by almost everybody and beneficial to the tissues, muscles, bones, tendons and has the best taste among all protein powder I have tested (more than a dozen I have tested). Avoid synthetic soy protein powder. Again synthetic soy protein is one of the carcinogenic factor especially breast cancer according to Kristi Funk M.D. (her book “breast” is the must read if you are women!). If you have dairy and/or gluten sensitivity, adrenal fatigue, thyroid and autoimmune issues, avoid whey protein. For vegetarians, you may use organic chia seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries protein powder. I like Sunworrier or Joe Mercola’s protein powder for the vegetarian. Both are nice and clean ingredients and taste good. I forgot the brand but Costco sells a bag of protein powder includes chia, hemp, and goji berries. This one tastes good and ingredients are good w/o any chemicals. Dr. Mercola, Sun Warrier, and Seeking Health offer high-quality vegetable-based protein powder if you are not crazy about using collagen-based protein powder.
- 1 tsp Maca Root Powder – the game changer for balancing hormones
- 1 tsp Hemp Seeds – Manitoba Hemp Seeds
- 2 tsp Sunflower Lecithin (powder) – benefits I prefer to use sunflower over soy. This is the great fiber to be added to keep your digestible nice and healthy. Ann Louise Gittelman wrote about many articles about the benefits of sunflower lecithin. I have been taking 1 tbsp with my morning smoothie for a few years.
- 2 tsp Sun Fiber – This is one of the kinds my favorite “Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum” Soluble Fiber. No taste. Feeding this fiber in 10 trillions of good bacterias living in your intestines will be beneficial. But it also inhibits the growth of the bad bacterias.
- 1 tsp Organic Beet Root Powder (if you are a member of the local Costco, you may find the organic beet root powder).
- 1 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon Powder (Make sure you use Ceylon Cinnamon)*** Ceylon Cinnamon will LOWER your blood sugar from rising which is the critical factor in the morning to avoid blood sugar roller coaster UP and DOWN.
- 1 tsp MCT Oil Powder or MCT oil, hemp seed oil, flax seed oil). You need a healthy FAT intake on each meal. MCT oil powder is derived from coconuts. Your gut will be able to burn this fat very clean and it stabilizes your blood sugar). Start with 1/2 tsp and goes up to 1 tsp if you would like to keep your stomach full for longer hours. Widely used in Japan when they cook white rice. If you notice you get hungry in 2-3 hours, you may double MCT oil powder or oil. Fat will keep your stomach nice and full w/o gaining your weight.
- 1 tsp Magnesium Glycinate powder. We are all magnesium deficiency. I carry Glycinate powder from SeekingHealth (pharmaceutical grade) in my clinic.
- 2 tsp L-Glutamine powder – (I have a Lidtke brand powder in my clinic) to improve digestion. If you have any GI issue, you may consider adding to it. No taste – this is an OPTIONAL ITEM.
FRUITS OF YOUR CHOICE (I use there 2 combos):
- 1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries, organic dark cherries (or other frozen or fresh fruits): Maine’s small blueberry preferred – Frozen Wyman’s Blueberries from Maine – locally available at Shaw’s, Market Baskets, Costco and BJ’s) * berries are the lowest glycemic index fruits which do not raise insulin and glucose. If you are a member of Costco, buy Organic wild blueberries from Maine and Organic dark cherries. *** I like to chew the berries so that I mix all other items in the container and mixed first and I add the berries on the top. If you like mix all includes berries, you may use a blender to mix all! Either way, it is tasty “good to go” breakfast for you! ***
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VEGETABLE (Optional):
- 1/2 ripe avocado – for adding extra protein
- 1 stalk of diced celery for extra fiber – this is my go to.
- 2 leaves of Romaine Lettuce
- A bunch of Parsley
- 1/4 chopped granny smith apple
- A bunch of Coriander
- 1/3 cup of GREEN BANANA (Resistant Starch) (yellow=high in glucose) Purchase the greenest banana at the market and cut into pieces and put them into the freezer bag to store.
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Other (Optional):
- 1 tsp Gluten Free Oat Bran (Extra Fiber to your diet) or Rice Bran for extra fiber as well – you may use either Sun Fiber or GF Oat Bran as the fiber source. I recommend my patients to rotate the fiber (pre-biotic) choice. Without enough fiber, taking probiotic might be effective at 50%.
- Sabja (basil) Seeds – My patient introduced me to this special seeds! I did not know it was widely used in Japan for years just like MCT oil/powder for weight-loss, blood sugar, and blood pressure regulation. These tiny black seeds swell up more than chia seeds do. It tastes like tapioca and looks like a smaller tapioca. I happen to love the texture!!! You can easily find this item at the local Indian store. *** Contraindication – I do not recommend to take during the pregnancy.
- Stevia (10 drops) or 1/2 Tsp of manuka honey if you like your shake sweeter.
- Amla– 1/2 tsp of Amla (Indian Gooseberry) powder for Super High Dosage of vitamin C as your breakfast (if you take Amla 1 Tsp per day, you do NOT need to take vitamin C capsules!) *** Amla is very sour and bitter taste***
- Spirulina and Chlorella powder (it will change your shake into the dark brown color)
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How to make and store it?
You will NOT get hungry for at least 4 hours. I go 6 hours w/o getting hungry for the snack or a cup of coffee, and you will be surprised to see how your bowel movement will change to “regular” the next morning! You may add the extra MCT oi/ or MCT powder to the shake if you get hungry within 3 hours.
Porriage Version
A bowl of Tamie Breakfast – cold or warm porridge (more appetizing in the freezing cold winter morning here in Boston):
- Mason Jar 1 – Put all (SEEDS) items like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, varieties of nuts (cashews, slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia, brazil nuts, etc…) into the blender and blends only a few seconds and store in the mason jar. Nuts and seeds are the foods hard to digest but chopping up process will minimize the digestive enzymes to be consumed in your gut which is the very important factor to remember when it comes to eating “Breakfast.”
- Mason Jar 2 – Put all (Powder Items) into one mason jar, put the lid on and store
- Put 1-2 tbsp of flax seeds into the coffee grinder before going to bed or ground into the bowl or a pot.
- In the morning, assembly time! 1 scoop (1 heap tbsp) of items from Mason Jar 1 (Nuts and Seeds) and Mason Jar 2 (Powder Items) and ground flax seeds (only a few seconds), diced fruits and blueberries, and 1/2 cup of goat yogurt or 2-4 oz of hemp, coconuts, flax milk, or just water and mix them all.
- If you can tolerate dairy, you may use Greek yogurt instead. However, goat yogurt is much easier in your digestive system for sure if you prefer to add yogurt. For sweetness, add 1/4 tsp of manuka honey, 10 drops of stevia, local honey or maple syrup.
- You can substitute yogurt for non-dairy milk – Hemp, Coconuts, Almond, Flax. Avoid Soy!
- You can substitute yogurt for just water.
- You can substitute yogurt for mashed quinoa + water or milk
- You can substitute yogurt for buckwheat + water or milk
- You can put all in the bowl and eat as a cold or heated. So much better than eating a bowl of oatmeal itself. It is ALL sugar! This breakfast is high in fiber, plant-based or collagen-based protein and high in good fat which we all really need a power breakfast and the most important, it is very easy to get digested and give you an instant but sustainable energy for 4-5 hours. How good is that?????? Think about the typical American breakfast. Mostly all simple carbohydrate which is simple sugar which changes to glucose very fast. That is why you crave more sugar after an hour or two (sugar is crashing). With this breakfast, you will not only get hungry for a few hours but you get all the good nutrient as a breakfast. Breakfast = Break The Fasting! After the Fasting, your body is asking you to get “nutrients” not “dead food”! Do not forget to drink a plenty of water!!!
1tsp of Organic Sabja (basil) Seeds (this is the option. Basil seeds have many benefits includes regulating blood sugar and blood pressure. It swells up like chia seeds. It tastes like tapioca. Contraindication – I do not recommend to take during the pregnancy.
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3. Juicing:
Make juice for breakfast once a week or more if you would like. Liquid breakfast is the best way to digest foods in the morning without giving the hard-core work up for your digestive systems. You can juice whatever in the refrigerator in the morning. Carrots, beets, celery, green apple, bananas and berries, mangos, pineapples from the freezer. You may add powdered organic greens, moringa (to improve metabolism), maca (for balancing hormones), amla (boost your vitamin C) and mix with your juice. This is very energizing juice!
