Are you looking for a delicious, healthful, calorie dense smoothie? I found it. It’s called the “10-Day Detox Diet Whole Protein Shake” and it comes right out of my favorite functional medicine expert’s latest book, The 10-Day Detox Diet.
This shake is loaded with healthful fats, complex carbohydrates and protein. If you are trying to maintain weight during or after cancer treatment, I recommend supplementing your daily diet with this excellent source of healthful calories.
Ingredients: (1 serving)
- 1 cup frozen mixed blueberries
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- ¼ avocado
- ½ tbsp extra-virgin coconut butter
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 2 walnuts
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup water
The pumpkin, chia and hemp seeds provide fiber, numerous micronutrients and anti-inflammatory, polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3), while the almond and coconut butters are heavy in saturated fat.
Saturated fat has been demonized for the years but is now no longer felt to be a ‘bad’ fat. If you are losing weight during or after your cancer treatment you will need both saturated and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats in your diet.
Dr. Lawenda’s Recipe Modifications:
To simplify the recipe:
Instead of using the pumpkin, chia and hemp seeds you could replace the seeds with a high-quality omega-3 fatty acid supplement. One of my favorite liquid omega-3 supplements is Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. Adding one teaspoon of Ultimate Omega to the ingredients will provide you with almost 3,000 mg of omega-3 fat.
To supercharge your smoothie:
If you want to really supercharge your smoothie and turn it into a “green drink,” add one small scoop (the scoop is included in the container) of Green Vibrance to the ingredients. Green drink powders, like Green Vibrance, are full of cancer fighting phytonutrients, billions of units of probiotics and supportive micronutrients.
Can you put this in your gastric tube (G-tube)?
Yes. Just make sure to flush the gastric tube after instilling the smoothie drink to keep the tube clean and to prevent clogging.