The holidays may be over, but I still have a freezer full of cranberries. Loaded with phytochemicals and antioxidants, the low-glycemic cranberry is a fruit that shouldn’t be put away with the ornaments as soon as you’re sick of holiday carols…

As always with my shakes, the measurements are approximate and adjust to taste.

• 1/2 cup washed, frozen cranberries
• 1 serving of vanilla protein powder
• Almond flavoring: a splash of sugar-free almond syrup, sugar-free Almond Roca syrup or about 1 tsp almond extract
• Stevia extract if needed for additional sweetness
• Liquid: Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze, milk or non-dairy milk – just enough to blend if you want a thick shake
• 5-10 ice cubes
• Optional: 1/4 tsp guar gum plus 1/8 tsp xanthan gum to help thicken and emulsify the shake

Blend all ingredients and adjust ice cubes and liquid to desired thickness. Enjoy!

© Chris for The Blender Diaries: Dedicated to smoothies, juicing, Superfruits and healthy living., 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Allie, almond, antioxidant, blender, blendtec, crandberry, fitness, fruit, health, healthy, nutrition, Pimp My Protein Shake, protein, smoothie, supplements, whey, workout, Zola

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Here’s Team Zola gearing up….

The race is made up of teams of six, each person swims for about 30 minutes and again for 15 until the race is complete – relay style.  It was an amazing and somewhat chilly experience – even though it was a perfect 80 degree sunny day on the lake, the water was a very cool 60 degrees (no wetsuits allowed).  Brrr!

The big swim…

Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to blend up some pre-race fuel once I was out on the lake, I brought a cooler full of Zola Energy Smoothies to help our team get fueled up and ready for our big swim.  The Energy smoothie is perfect for endurance sports activities because it not only contains 80mg of natural caffeine per bottle to provide sustained energy but also blends exotic Caja Fruit and Açaí using a boost of Yerba Mate, Green Tea and natural Guaraná seed for great taste.

I definitely felt the boost as I was paddling my way across the lake.

Would love to hear from anyone else who participated in the Trans Tahoe Swim – what did you do to get ready for the race? Check out our race day video here: Trans Tahoe Swim 2009

Email me: drinkzola@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter: @drinkzola.

© Chris for The Blender Diaries: Dedicated to smoothies, juicing, Superfruits and healthy living., 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: athletics, Brazil, Brazilian, caffeinated, caffeine for sports, Chris Cuvelier, competition, endurance athletes, energy drinks, energy smoothie, energy snacks, fitness, fuel, green tea, health, race, Superfruit, surfing, swim masters, Tahoe, Team Zola, training, Trans Tahoe Swim, triathlon, workout, yerba mate, Zola Açaí

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This is a great morning or afternoon smoothie.  Give it a try!

Ingredients

• 2 large bananas
• 2 cups almond milk
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed (hempseed works as well)

Directions

• Blend together all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Divide among glasses; serve cold.
• Enjoy!

What’s in your blender today?

Email me at drinkzola@gmail.com or send me a Tweet @drinkzola.

© Chris for The Blender Diaries: Dedicated to smoothies, juicing, Superfruits and healthy living., 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: blender, Brazilian, Chris Cuvelier, fitness, flax, flaxseed, food, health, healthy, nutrients, probiotics, protein, recipe, smoothie, Smoothies, Superfruit, workout, yogurt, Zola Açaí

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If I’m making a breakfast smoothie, I might opt for a juice or milk base. If I’m recovering from a bike ride, I might stick with juice. And if I’m making a treat for the kids on a summer weekend, I might go for sorbet or even a little ice cream. 

To give you a better idea of how to determine your base, here are a few tips for flavor, nutrition and texture:

Juice: Juice tends to add good sweetness and balance and can be used for almost any type of smoothie – whether to drink before or after a workout, for breakfast or even as a treat! Some of the most common juice bases are apple, orange and pineapple:

• Apple – good base to let fruit flavors come through more. Mixes really well with berries, banana, and most other fruits with the exception of tropical fruits (think papaya, mango, pineapple)

• Orange –a tart base that tends to dominate the flavor. Orange goes well with almost all mainstream fruits

• Pineapple – if you like tropical drinks, start with pineapple

Milk or Soymilk (for non-dairy alternative): Milks tend to dull the flavor. It is usually best to add a natural sweetener (like honey) or even a nut butter to give it a little something extra.

Yogurt: Yogurts (fresh or frozen) are great bases because they add thickness and provide probiotic benefits –great support for your immune and digestive systems. When choosing yogurts, I generally stick to vanilla for berry and tropical smoothies.

Sherbets, Sorbets, or even Ice Cream:  I don’t recommend using sherbets, sorbets and/or ice cream for daily smoothies. While they add a lot of flavor and a yummy icy texture, they can also load your smoothie with calories and sugar. These bases are best when making smoothie treats for fun summertime snacks or even as desserts.

© Chris for The Blender Diaries: Dedicated to smoothies, juicing, Superfruits and healthy living., 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Açaí, breakfast, fitness, fruit, healthy, how to make smoothies, juice, juicing, meal replacements, nutrition, recipes, Smoothies, Superfruit, supplements, wellness, workout, workout recovery, Zola Açaí

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