Super Spectacular (& Simple) Smoothie!

Below is a smoothie/protein shake that is fueling and incredibly delicious…and I did I mention fast and EASY (Silver Lining!)?

Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Almond Milk
• 4 dried dates
• 1 scoop of Jarro Protein Powder
• 1 handful of ice

Instructions

• Mix in blender

There is a hotbed of controversy over soy, especially in patients with FBC.  To have soy or not have soy: that is the question.  Soy often triggers a knee-jerk reaction pronouncement that if someone has FBC, then she (or sometimes he!) can’t touch it. I’m not a big fan of knee-jerk reactions.

This morning, I met with Dr. Han of the Santa Barbara Herb Clinic (no, I didn’t have to wait outside on the curb before seeing him: SL!).

He suggested the Jarrow Formula Is0-Rich Soy protein powder for the smoothie. Though I didn’t have a knee-jerk reaction, I did question the use of “soy” in patients with FBC.  He said that there are different types of soy products, leading to a great deal of misconceptions and therefore incorrect assumptions about soy in its natural state.

He suggested this product for a number of reasons:

• It is organic.  I am a firm believer in an all-organic diet.
• It is a non-GMO (an organism whose genetic material has NOT been altered using genetic engineering techniques) version of soy.
• This version of protein powder is fermented and more bio-available,  allowing for easier digestion.
• This product is a fermented food (which creates the probiotics, the “good” bacteria on which our body is dependent to increase the quantity, availability, digestibility and assimilation of nutrients in our body).
• This product contains pre-biotics (compounds in them sets the stage for your body to make its own).
• This product it pre-digested (which means less work for my tenuous digestion) and has added digestive enzymes.
• This product is loaded with Isoflavens, a class of phytochemicals, which are compounds found only in plants (phyto means plant). Isoflavones show tremendous potential to fight disease on several fronts (including heart disease, prostate cancer, osteoporosis, and menopause). Additionally, Isoflavones may help reduce breast cancer (YIPPEEE!) by blocking the cancer-causing effects of human estrogen. Research suggests that eating natural sources of isoflavones, can protect and enhance overall health. Isoflavones work together with soy protein in fighting disease. The fermented soy (in this product) increases the availability of isoflavones.

Natural soy has a 10,000 year history in Asian cultures as a disease presenting buffer. Dr. Han told me (and my research supports) that the naturally occurring phytoestrogens (e.g., Isoflavens) in non-GMO soy foods are “anti-estrogens”.  Let me explain how this is helpful.

My FBC is estrogen positive, which means that it seeks estrogen receptor sites in my body to which it can attach and grow.  If those estrogen receptor sites are blocked (by phytoestrogens), then there is nothing to which the cancer can bind.  I think of it as blocking, tackling and winning (perhaps the Superbowl is still looming in my chemo brain).

A big issue here relates to GMO products vs. non-GMO products. There are pro and con arguments to GMO and non-GMO foods.  To each his/her own; however, GMO is not how I choose to roll.  I definitely prefer foods that are in their natural state and NOT non-geneticially modified.

When a supplement  is even necessary, as it is now with my inability to eat enough food to sustain healthy nutrition, my preference is to be able to identify everything on the label.

When supplements are not necessary, my food foundation consists mostly of seasonal, locally grown plants and fruits. This enables my body then to get optimal nutrients for the season, which is added protection.

Whether you are healthy or in a disease state, it is always important to consult with your health care team (physician, alternative health practitioner, nutritionist, etc.) to ascertain what products are best for you.  One Silver Lining to this FBC is a very high learning curve, which I appreciate and value immensely.

In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this delicious smoothie as much as I do!

Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables.  They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.

~Elizabeth Berry