Rediscovering Smoothies

As a teenager in 1976, (yes I’m old!) I remember getting my first glimpse into the world of smoothies, from a very primitive perspective. The first Rocky movie was in theatres and one scene depicts Sylvester Stallone gulping down five raw eggs as he prepares for an early morning workout. I did say primitive!

After entering my twenties in the early 1980’s, I discovered weight lifting, Muscle and Fitness magazine and the desire to put some muscle on my skinny frame. Regressing back to that Rocky movie, my roommate and I mimicked that raw egg drinking ritual - many times. Man it was disgusting! But hey, I wanted that muscle mass and I do believe it helped, to a degree. However, I’d never recommend it to anybody. Not only does it taste horrid, but you can get deathly ill from potential salmonella poisoning!

Without researching, I believe that first Rocky movie spawned the beginning of smoothie consumption, in one form or another. I continued to drink archaic forms of smoothies by mixing milk and egg protein powder in a glass. I was a poor college student and couldn’t afford a blender. Using a glass and a spoon to mix it was time consuming and frustrating because it never blended together thoroughly – lots of clumpy protein powder left in the bottom of the glass. The end of the drink was a little rough going down. It still tasted better than raw eggs however.

Skip a few years ahead and armed with a blender, I continued drinking smoothies by blending whey protein powder (milk based), milk, fruit, ice and sometimes juice. When I was in a hurry to get somewhere it served as a fast snack or meal. I would leave the blender in the sink, but later came home to a hardened coating of gunk to clean. Over time, I became tired of taking the time to break down the blender and clean all of the parts. My consumption of smoothies as I knew it, was soon history.

Spring forward to Christmas 2007. After complaining of limited choices and repetition in healthy snacks (yes, we trainers struggle with food choices too!), my lovely wife surprised me with a new fan-dangled blender called the Magic Bullet. Magic Bullet Express 17-Piece High-Speed Blender Mixing System I was enthusiastic about the prospect of drinking smoothies again, but I kept flashing back to that cleaning issue. As a result, it sat in its box, unopened for nearly two months. One day, I caught a demonstration of the Magic Bullet on TV and convinced myself to give it a try.

Pleasantly surprised, I discovered a vast improvement in the design and operation, in contrast to the blender I used in the early 1980’s. The Magic Bullet is light, fast, easy to operate, thorough, and most of all, extremely fast and easy to clean. I’ve used it nearly every day for at least one snack or meal ever since! My wife has even jumped on the smoothie band wagon! As a snack and meal alternative, I highly recommend the Magic Bullet as a great addition to your meal planning. Yes, I’m giving it a shameless plug, but I wouldn’t recommend a product I didn’t believe in.

Americans are drinking smoothies again in big numbers, as evidenced by the proliferation of smoothie franchising! (e.g.; Maui Wowi, Smoothie King, Planet Smoothie, etc.)

Since the early 80’s, my recipe has evolved into a complete and balanced mixture of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates. Below, I’ve listed my typical smoothie recipe including nutrient and calorie counts. Try it, you’ll like it!


Fitness Guy Smoothie Recipe

1 - c. 1% or non-fat Milk
1 - scoop *Designer Protein Powder
( *One of the best whey proteins on the market - see at right )
1 - 6 oz. Danon Light’n Fit or plain Yogurt
1 - small banana
¾ - 1 c. frozen or fresh mixed berries
1 - teaspoon olive or flaxseed oil
Ice: optional

Total Calories: *477
Total Fat: 14g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 55mg
Sodium: 270mg
Total Carbohydrate: 58g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Sugars: 26g
Total Protein: 38g

*For snack calories (approx 250), divide ingredients in half, except Designer Protein.

Drink up and enjoy!

Healthfully Yours,
The Fitness Guy