By Nichole Dupont Before you head down the smoothie hole, you need to set an intention. You can’t just toss a bunch of greens, ice cream, and a banana in a Breville and hit “smoothie.” Actually, you could do this, but what’s your motivation? Smoothies can have seriously amazing benefits. In fact, they are a nearly $9 billion industry according to Bill Schmick, investment advisor and “Smoothie King” at Berkshire Money Management. Depending on the ingredients, a smoothie can be a breakfast boost, it can boost your immune system, it can provide you with really essential vitamins and nutrients that your diet might be lacking. And you get be part of the smoothie club. Whatever your motive, it’s good to have a go-to smoothie. Every morning after I slam back a necessary cup of coffee (my herbalist is reading this and probably raging right now “you don’t need the coffee, Nichole”), I make my liquid breakfast, which I sip with a straw or scoop with a spoon depending on its thickness. It is a means to an end. I am a very active woman. I lift, I train, I box, I grapple, I don’t eat meat, I am lactose intolerant — you get the point. Needless to say, my smoothie, or ‘first breakfast’ as us weirdo gym people call it, is absolutely critical to my life. My recipe is pretty simple:
Nichole's First Breakfast Half bag of organic frozen berries (I love strawberries, but a mix is cool, just know that if blackberries or raspberries are present, you’re going to be pounding seeds.) One tablespoon of coconut oil (It can be hard in the winter, so the tiny chunks will be in the smoothie, don’t fight it.) About ¼ cup of water (breaks up the frozen fruit) One banana, cut into 1” slices One scoop of Green Vibrance powder 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (optional, but I get desperate protein pangs) Put everything in your blender and hit “smoothie” setting until smooth. It will be very dark green and a little bit textured. Now that I’ve given you my secret recipe, you’re probably wondering what Green Vibrance is. It is a concentrated super food — in powder form — that is packed with plant-based nutrients, probiotics, and antioxidants. Vibrant Health, the CT-based company that produces Green Vibrance, contains a whole line of powders and supplements. They also have great smoothie recipes for gut health, post-workout, and detoxing. Edwin Castro, my high-octane MMA/Muay Thai instructor for Eduardo Ferrugem BJJ and Self Defense, is a die-fan of Green Vibrance. Edwin has annoying amounts of energy, so that’s how I know the stuff is working for him. He starts his day with a Green Vibrance concoction that he qualifies by saying, “FYI, it doesn’t taste good.” For him, it is a means to an end. Edwin’s Green Concoction One cup of brewed green tea One tablespoon collagen powder A tablespoon of Green Vibrance Juice from half a lemon Two fruits of your choice (optional, but apples, pears, bananas, you get the point) If you’re using the fruit you will have to put the ingredients in a blender. If you prefer a warm tea "beverage" then just steep the tea and add the powders and lemon to the tea. And stir vigorously. And drink it with some…speed. It is not the kind of tea you languish over. Maybe you are more of a traditionalist, and want a good ol’ fashioned breakfast smoothie with no unfamiliar ingredients. There are plenty of reliable recipes to choose from. The Winter Warming Smoothie, courtesy of the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, is a basic bevvy with everything you have probably come to expect from a smoothie, including bananas, frozen blueberries, and a handful of greens. What makes this one a favorite for me is that it includes coconut milk and cinnamon. As a side note, you cannot go wrong adding cinnamon to most smoothie recipes. A more daring, but equally tasty combo comes from the Kripalu Center for Yoga Health (they have great recipes online and also, I have their cookbook and pretty much live by it). Their signature breakfast smoothie is high in fiber and Omega-3 and is a great start to the day. It includes apples, hemp protein, and almond butter.
I am almost as attracted to the color of a smoothie as I am to its benefits, especially if it isn’t some ungodly blackish green (which seems almost inevitable). Guido’s Fresh Marketplace has a great Black as Night smoothie that includes my favorite fruit; cherries. In addition to those (frozen and pitted, of course), the BaN also provides a conduit for probiotics by way of vanilla yogurt, and Omega-3 fatty acid-packed flaxseeds. If you’re feeling incredibly brave, and really, really like eggs, there is a raw "nog" recipe that my insanely fit and witty trainer suggests. Teddy Pryjma is a raw diet fellow (that includes meat and nearly everything else) and often our early morning TRX sessions begin with me apologizing for my coffee breath and the smoothie seeds in my teeth and him apologizing for smelling like raw fish. Teddy’s Raw Nog Recipe Six raw eggs A tablespoon of raw honey One cup of raw milk Pinch of salt Dash of cinnamon, dash of nutmeg (optional) Put all of the ingredients in the blender and pretend it’s Christmas.
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A rendering of a proposed sign by Norm Magnusson.
- Norm Magnusson
Pam Ellis performs at the Bercshire South Community Center.
Alicia Johnson and Catherine Zack preside over a Buried Treasure workshop at Village Yoga. (Photos Provided by Alicia Johnson)
