Saturday, March 15, 2014

Super Food Saturday- Kitchen Sink Smoothie


I am going away on business this week and one of the things I always do is clean out the refrigerator. So today’s breakfast all came from items I had on hand. I started making smoothies to get rid of ripe bananas. Bananas are the foundation of a good smoothie. They make it thick and creamy. Kind of like a nice ice cream shake.  This is not real sweet, so if you like it sweeter add a bit of honey to taste. You can also use any fresh, frozen or canned fruit you have on hand. If using canned fruit drain off the juice. You can use the juice, just sub it in for some of the almond milk. You cann also use coconut milk or milk in place of the almond milk.

This was my breakfast before my on hour ride, 45 minutes of weight training and 3 hour run.

It has three superfoods; ground flax seeds, chia seeds and Greek yogurt. I’ve written about the benefits of flaxseeds and Greek yogurt in other recipes.

Chia Seeds contain essential fatty acids that contain high levels of alpha linoleic acid.  They promote heart health, fuel metabolic functions, joint health and cognitive function.  The body does not produce these so they must be obtained from food.

Kitchen Sink Smoothie

2 very ripe bananas
1 cup sliced strawberries
½ cup Greek Yogurt* plain and unsweetened
1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon protein powder

Add almond milk to blender,  then the rest of the ingredients.  Blend until smooth.
This makes one really large smoothie or two medium ones.


*Regular yogurt works as well.  Greek yogurt is higher in protein. It is made by one extra filtering when it is processed. You can turn regular yogurt into Greek yogurt by doing the following:  Place coffee filter inside a fine mesh strainer. I put it over a bowl or very large Pyrex glass measuring cup. Place yogurt inside and allow to sit over night in refrigerator. The yogurt will now be thick. Use the liquid for smoothes to boil pasta or any recipe that needs liquid.


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Author at 2013 Paratriathlon National Championship


Chris Wodke
Founder & Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the Boston Marathon.  She was the 2012 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a CMT affected athlete.
Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 143 members in 28 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland and Iran. If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org


CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS).  It is a disease of the nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual dexterity.

Structural foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold hands and feet.

Additional symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing loss.

Additional Link
Follow CMT affected Paratriathlete Timmy Dixon
http://cmtamputee.wordpress.com/

CMT and running, CMT and triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA and Team CMT.


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