The Art of Blendanomics – Nutritional Benefits of Blender for Men
The mixer: a simple kitchen item or one of the best inventions of all time? I lean towards the second. What’s so spectacular about a blender? Folks, to really realize the awesomeness of it, we need to get past the “blender = protein shake” mentality. How many of you are still making the 30 Second Milk Protein Shakes? Who’s doing the two-ingredient two-step? Time to customize the meal, man! The blender can provide you with nutrition that goes far beyond the outdated idea of a blender as a tool for excess protein.
Most people in the US already get more than enough protein from their daily diets. Read the labels of the foods you eat every day and you will see that there is a lot of protein in everything! For example, if you ate three eggs, a can of tuna, and a whole chicken breast today, that’s about 115 grams of protein! Excessive protein consumption can lead to dehydration, loss of calcium through urine, and loss of muscle mass. So how much protein do we need? On average, you should consume about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you strength train, you need about 0.68 to 0.88 grams per pound of body weight, twice as much as the average American. At the same time, those 3 eggs, the can of tuna, and the whole chicken breast may be more than adequate for someone who trains with weights… excess protein through the shake becomes unnecessary.
So what do we do with our protein shake? We turned it into an action packed nutritional fist of fury! And this is where the blender becomes our trusted companion. A progression beyond the basic elements of macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) leads us to deeper levels of nutrition: micronutrients. These are the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need for optimal function. And while you may be getting them through your GNC Flintstones, natural foods will always be the best source of essential nutrients. What natural foods am I talking about? Fruits and vegetables, baby! These are the great beaches, the Tango and Cash of nutrition. And we’ve known it for years! It is extremely difficult to include a good amount of fruits and vegetables in our daily diet. This is where the art of blendanomics comes into play.
Blendanomics 101: Pack your smoothie with fruits and vegetables. Whoops, did I say milkshake? My bad, that’s what you buy your girl at the mall. I meant shake. How will a smoothie containing fruits and vegetables taste? Impressive, if you do it right. Combine strong-flavored sweet fruits with weaker-flavored vegetables. For example, combine banana or kiwi with kale or spinach. Add an apple or some strawberries. Get creative and make sure you like your smoothie. If it’s too sweet, compare it to the vegetables and vice versa. Also, don’t be afraid of the sugar in the fruit. The fiber in fruits and vegetables will regulate the flow of sugar as it is digested by the body, preventing sugar spikes and crashes.
Blendanomics 102 – Add a healthy source of fat to the shake. This is the next step in creating a truly healthy mixed meal. We need fat in our system to survive, so don’t be afraid of it. Good sources of fat are avocado, extra virgin olive oil, coconut milk and oil, and almond butter. Put one of these in the smoothie. Most of the time you won’t taste fat sources because they are relatively bland in flavor. Start with a tablespoon of fat of your choice and go from there.
Blendanomics 201: Add Spices! There are certain spices that are natural fat burners and I know there are a lot of men out there who definitely wouldn’t mind burning off a little bit of excess body fat. Don’t worry, you don’t have to raise your hand, I got you. Regardless, a few drops of cinnamon, cayenne, or cumin will provide some natural body fat burners in your system. For now, just choose cinnamon, as it’s the safest flavor. Once you’ve progressed in blendanomics, feel free to experiment with other spices, especially turmeric, which has numerous medicinal qualities.
Blendanomics 315: The Ultimate Action Hero Shake! Once you get past the first three levels of blendanomics, you’ll have the knowledge and skill to add more ingredients to your shake while maintaining the integrity and flavor. You can go the old school Rocky route and add a raw egg or two. You can create a serious food mix by adding oatmeal. You can even add a scoop of protein if your daily intake was below average. Once you have completed the highest level of blendanomics, I give you permission to name your personal blender creation after your favorite professional wrestler from the 1980s. Thus, you can take the “Koko B. Ware of My Shake” or the ” Superfly Snuka Shake”.
Creativity and bravery are the basic elements of blendanomics. So be creative and brave. And if his boys start calling him Orange Julius or Blender Boy, he doesn’t feel bad about it. They will be the ones to stick to concrete protein shakes while enjoying the unmatched nutritional benefits and fresh flavors of their super handcrafted shakes! So make friends with your blender and enjoy the benefits that this amazing invention can bring you.