Sperrit's N.A.G.

[Sperrit]

Hey Everyone! Sperrit here. With my newfound passion for health and fitness and armed with somewhat extensive, spending-massive-amounts-of-free-time knowledge, I have decided to open up Sperrit's N.A.G. (Nutritional Analysis Guide, though I might talk your ear off as well) I am ready and willing to answer any and all questions regarding weight-loss, muscle gain, and overall body health, along with nutritional tips and problems. I want YOU to feel at your best every day.
So, let us begin:

Smoothies.
Good stuff? VERY! But beware! Many smoothie stores that you can go to will often have smoothies with ingredients like Frozen Yogurt or Orange Sherbert. Be not tempted! The smoothies that you want are the ones that have real fruit and juices and veggies. Now, I'm not a big fan of the veggie smoothies, but I have a lot of recipes for good-for-you and good-tasting treats. And just so you know, one of my favorite ingredients is Soymilk, and I will tell you why. Soymilk is a great source of non-dairy protein, low in fat, high in fiber. If smoothies are your passion, I also recomend buying some protein powder for yourself, and don't just grab the first one off the shelf, either. You want something that isn't full of hormones like testosterone and extraneous stuff like that. You want the real deal, pure protein. Since I work at a smoothie store I get all the protein I want, so I'm not sure what the best stuff out there is, but the thing that I tell everyone is: Know what you Want. Also, don't go too crazy with the protein. Attkins was a fool. Consuming more thatn 140 grams of protein per day can make your bones secrete calcium, which you need! Besides the fact that you don't need that much! I am a 180lb male and my max for protein is 74grams. That's all!
As far as recipes are concerned all I can say is, make it to taste! What do you like? Give me a list of the top 3 Fruits you like and choose one of these flavor descriptors: Sweet, Tangy or Creamy and I can come up with a smoothie for you. Bring it on!

So, let's hear your Work-Out questions, your nutritional woes and lets get going to a place of physical zen.

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[Terin]

Hehe, thread 3 on fitness! This is getting fun! ^_^ Hmm, ok smoothie master, lemme try.... A Creamy Blueberry/cranberry smoothie!
-T

[ScrumYummy]

Awesomeness! Great topic.

Banana strawberry smoothies are my favorite! And banana-strawberry-chocolate. Mmmmm. Another combination I really like is pear and blueberry.

For extra protein boosts, I'll add in a bit of hemp powder =D

[Ming]

I've always read that when getting protein, whey protein is the way to go. Your thoughts?

As far as fruits...I'd say peach and pineapple (but not together). Probably tangy because each of those is already sweet enough on their own.

[Sperrit]

*cracks knuckles*
Okay, here we go.

Terin: Depending on how you feel about bananas, I'd recomend this:

10oz Soymilk
4oz Cranberry juice (cause it's easier to get than the actual berries)
6oz Frozen Blueberries
6oz Bananas
*note: 6oz is 3/4 cup

That's a basic idea. Then I'd throw in protien powder or whatever if you want a little extra kick of nutrients.

Ming: Whey is often considered ideal for weight-lifters because it has some testosterone and it doesn't have the trace amounts of estrogen that soy does. However, I believe that soy is better for you overall. Whey is a more-single focus use protein. Now, for your recipe, I'll need a couple more pieces of information. What would you like to go with your pineapple and what would you like to go with your peach, fruit-wise?

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[Ming]

I just like them plain. I'm a purist.

[Sperrit]

Hmm... tough for smoothies. Do you like yogurt? Or Bananas? Or Strawberries? Strawberries are great for smoothies because they are very good for you (fiber, vitamin C) but they are very subtle in taste and usually subvert to other flavors really easily.

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[Nacht]

first i must say:
i love when Sperrit posts!!!
i'm with scrummy- strawberry, banana, chocolate, and maybe some peanutbutter. i always get them to make that for me at the smoothie store ^_^

[Ming]

Yeah, I like yogurt. I'm just not a fan of mixing the fruits. I made a really good peach smoothie once using only peaches. I peeled, chopped, and froze them first. Then when they were solid, I took them out and let them thaw for a little while, then blended them and it was AWESOME.

[Sperrit]

Hey Nacht!

That one shouldn't be too hard....

8oz Vanilla Soymilk
4oz Vanilla Yogurt
2oz Strawberries
4oz Bananas
1oz Peanut Butter
Chocolate to taste.

A smoothie like this can seem really extravagent, but it can be really good for you, if done right. Peanut butter is very good for you in small amounts and real cocoa-based chocolate is a wonderful source of flavonoids. I like to use baking chocolate melted down in a double boiler, that's usually the best.

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