I’ve probably used a blender twice a day for the past 7 years. At this point, I can’t imagine my life without one.
Okay, that’s a stretch. But it certainly makes life a LOT easier, especially for people who need eat a lot of calories on a daily basis (like me). This blog will mostly benefit skinny nerds I guess, but I would still recommend blender drinks to people of all shapes and sizes. Yup, even you Grimace, you purple, pear-shaped S.O.B! (Sorry Grimace, I didn’t mean that. You’re still cool in my book).
Let me tell you why I love blenders so much, and why you should run out and get one today:
- Make a cheap, healthy breakfast in 2 minutes. I’m no morning person, and the last thing I have time for is cooking a big healthy breakfast. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, right up there with your immediate post-workout meal. Rather than cram your face with a carb-loaded bagel or donut, why not toss some frozen fruit, whey protein, and oatmeal into a blender? It’s loaded with nutrients, only takes a few minutes to make, tastes great (trust me), and you can drink it on your way to work. I have been “drinking” my breakfast for years now.
- Post-workout shake: I would argue that the most important meal of the day is the one you eat 30 minutes after a really intense strength-building workout. Now, if you really pushed yourself you should be exhausted, sweaty, and worn out. The last thing your stomach wants is lots of solid food, but you need to get a lot of food into you to get the muscle rebuilding process started immediately. This tip is directed more towards you skinny guys looking to bulk up: my current post-workout shake looks like this: 12 oz of orange juice, 2 handfuls of frozen strawberries, some frozen blueberries, two scoops of whey protein, one cup of dry oatmeal, and a handful of frozen spinach. Sounds gross right? TRY IT. You can only taste the OJ and the strawberries, and it’s freaking delicious. If you’re trying to lose weight, I’d probably leave out the oatmeal (it’s in there for extra carbs and calories). Get most your carbs from fresh/frozen fruits and veggies when you can.
- Great for those in-between or late night meals: If you’re trying to bulk up, protein is a hot commodity. Late at night, when you’re watching TV you probably don’t feel like firing up the grill and cooking chicken or steak. However, a scoop of chocolate whey protein blended with a cup of water tastes great, takes 3 seconds to make, and gets you an extra 30 grams of protein immediately. If you’re trying to pack on the pounds, this is a great option for those in-between meals; six meals of solid nutritional food every day can get expensive.
Now, go experiment! Throw all kinds of fruits and vegetables into that blender and see what kind of awesome combination you can come up with. Try different things out, you might end up creating the best drink ever. Buy a blender, set it up on your counter, and start drinking your breakfast. It doesn’t have to be a $600 Blendtec blender either; the $20 dollar one from Walmart will get the job done.
Do we have any blender fanatics here? What kind of shake do you normally make? I can compile all the best recipes into a future blog post.
-Steve
E-book update: The response I got on yesterday’s post about my E-book launch was awesome! I hit a new record for visitors …which means I actually have to finish this thing now. I sent out 2nd draft copies to a number of readers and friends for constructive feedback, then I’ll be putting the finishing touches on it by the end of the week! Only 8 DAYS until the Nerd Fitness “Newbie’s Guide to Fitness” launches.
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