Talk about smoothies, peanut butter toast, and the importance of protein in the morning.
Now I do love peanut butter on toast...with butter...and probably 3 pieces. It was such an addiction. Then I would find that by 10am I was 'nibbly' again and just kept thinking about that damn peanut butter toast goodness. What many don't realise is that gluten can become very addictive. Not only that but it activates zonulin in the tight junctions of your small intestine. Zonulin is the club bouncer per se. It lets through what it thinks should pass through and keeps it small and manageable. When gluten comes to the party it is like having 150 people trying to bust in through the doors, the doors come off their hinges and another 100 people come flooding in. The junctions are widened, allowing far more and far bigger molecules through the intestinal wall that it should have. This leads to a panicked state from the immune system and inflammatory markers being pinged off left, right, and centre. This is where we see sensitivities start to arise as what once was ok, has been mistakingly marked by inflammatory markers and now you find you are reacting to many more foods than before, you feel bloated, gassy or lethargic when you have food that once previously, had no effect on you.
Never fear though, there are beautiful things in this world (think of the club owner who happens to be this most captivating and beautiful lady full of vibrancy). Her name is Polyphenols. Polyphenols are what most people know as antioxidants. Antioxidants are easily distinguished by their bright and vibrant colours, or deep dark blacks and purples. Think of blueberries, raspberries, dark leafy greens, red bell peppers, all the rainbow coloured foods occurring naturally in nature. The polyphenols act as an anti-inflammatory, they have beneficial effects on the tight junctions and gut epithelial and can help regulate a haywire inflammatory responses in your body.
So instead of that three pieces of delicious peanut butter toast, I started adding protein smoothie bowls to my daily routine.
Smoothie Bowl Base Recipe
With smoothie bowls, you want to make sure you have the basic principals in place so you get a) enough protein b) enough texture and c) polyphenols galore. Protein is important as you want to stabilise your blood sugar levels and have sustainable glucose levels until lunchtime. It is also the part that keeps you full for longer, unlike my friend...peanut butter toast.
So my recipe base is as follows:
1 Cup of frozen or fresh mixed berries (I like to have various colours in there for maximum polyphenol content)
2 tablespoons of Raw Amazonia Fermented Paleo Protein ( I love the Vanilla and Lacuma one)
1 Cup of milk of choice ( I like using tinned coconut milk for it's fat content and thickness)
1 Frozen banana (Optional) (this is a textural thing for me...I love thick smoothie bowls)
Method: Add to a blender, nutribullet or other blitzing device and pour into a bowl.
Toppings: now this is the fun bit...I always add LSA on top as it is filling and full of protein.
Other options include:
Fresh berries
Blackcurrant Powder
Hemp hearts Coconut
Activated nuts (chopped)
Homemade Granola
Have a play with it all.
Expert Tip: now I know it is so much easier to stick it in the glass with a straw and sip it up, but if you stick it in a bowl and eat it with a spoon, your mind changes it from a drink to food. Psychologically this will keep you full for longer too, the mind huh? sometimes it is just so smart!. Plus it is much more mindful and that is another aim of the game.
xx H