Oatmeal Almond Protein Smoothie
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 918Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 1018mgCarbohydrates: 101gFiber: 42gSugar: 21gProtein: 77g
While it seems everyone can give you their take on high protein low carbohydrate diets, the confusion over just how much is best for the today’s average woman verses man, still seems to be a mystery for many folks. Just last week while I was doing some fact checking, I came across an article, written by a reputable expert/MD in which he delivered what I considered to be pretty reasonable guidelines and practical solutions that I mostly agreed with. I am leaving his name out since this poor Dr. was having his head served to him by his readers. After seeing the comments and how some were so brutal, others ridiculous and still more tooting their on horns (people please…) whilst bashing away on this Doc., I hesitate to given my “opinion”. I can only tell you what works for me and what I have experienced with my clients.
I want to address a specific request from a private client of mine. Her question today is this “I’ve been told a few different things on how much protein I should be getting in. My friend, who is a dietician had me off of all protein powders, drinks and bars about a year ago, and only had me getting my protein though my three meals. I did lose 5 pounds on her plan but… I really need to lose at least 10 pounds, which I did a year ago but gained it back. How much protein do you tell people?” Client- San Fernando Valley
To answer- While I do not necessarily agree with all of the previous recommendations given to this client, I do understand from the prospective of an RD what she was trying to accomplish- She was trying to steer this client toward eating whole foods and skip the packaged, and the protein powders, which be a whole other issue (more on protein powders later).
The Institute of Medicine recommends that adult women get “an average” of 46 grams of protein a day, while men should aim for 56 grams. That said, there is also a “range” that is dependent on various things including, activity level and general health. Another way to look at it about 15.0% of total daily caloric intake for women, verses 16% for men in the same age range. I included a chart below that will help you find your approximate range. Rice University suggests that if you weigh more and are more active, you may consume higher amounts and stay healthy. Aim for up to 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound per day if you are a growing athlete or an adult building muscle mass.
For weight loss, protein should stay at the minimum and perhaps more depending on your lifestyle. The key in weight loss, maintenance or gain is the same. If you are trying to lose weight head to the higher end of the range offered on the chart below, and Do not let yourself get so hungry you would eat a shoe! I do not believe it skipping meals to lose weight, disappointment always follows when your body goes into defense mode to protect itself from starvation and you will gain every ounce and more back-just a fact!
It’s all about the quality. I mean All about it. Think close the earth, close to natural as possible every time you eat. If you eat beef, eat grass-fed, humanely raised, antibiotic free meat. Same goes for poultry. If you eat fish, do yourself and the sustainability of our oceans a huge favor and follow the seafoodwatch. They have an app that you can download for free and take it with you to the market. I cannot stress enough how dangerous eating fish ladened with mercury and other toxins is for your health.
For those eating a vegetarian and vegan diet, you can absolutely get your protein from greens, legumes, beans and a host of other non-animal products. The key is you have to be flexible and open to eating a good variety of non-animal proteins to stay in good health (see below).
In closing, I never recommend dieting; rather I prefer to focus on lifestyle upgrades. Treat your body as you would treat your very best friend in the world, with tender loving care, kindness and respect.
Read on for suggestions on good quality protein, links to reputable sources, recipes and a few charts for the visual folks out there like me.
Facts to note: 
1-Protein helps you feel fuller, simple as that. It takes longer to digest, making you feel satiated longer.
2-Eating protein within 30 minutes after a strength training or endurance workout, helps your muscles recover, repair and regenerate.
3-Your muscles don’t care if the protein comes from a hard-boiled egg, or a tuna burger.-Just keep it clean and lean baby!
4-A calorie is a calorie is a calorie! Too much is too much. Just because protein can help you lose weight does not mean eating more than recommended is a good idea. You will pack on unwanted weight if you eat too much.
5- While Protein Shakes Can be a wonderful way to get your daily protein, be careful with which ones you choose. Many are not all that healthy with lots of chemical additives meant to “mimic” protein rich foods. Further, if you are making protein smoothies and adding fruit,although tasty and they do have benefits, they also carry tons of added sugar. Lastly, I find my clients do not always feel satisfied and still eat on top of the already calorie dense shake, thereby packing on unwanted pounds.
6- An excess amount of protein puts a strain on your kidneys and liver and are among the most common of the other health risks.
7-Everybody needs to poop, and regularly. Too much protein combined with not enough fiber i.e. green fresh veggies, beans, legumes will cause constipation. Further, chronic constipation can lead to a higher probability of colon cancer!
8-Pay attention to how your body reacts when you add more protein and also to what kind of protein. Some people do not handle animal proteins as well as others, myself included. I can’t eat the stuff. I thrive on a pescetarian diet (fish, eggs, but no meat, pork, poultry). While others thrive on it. Get to know your body better!
9- According to an article published in 2006 in the “International Journal of Sports Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism,” very high-protein diets, which can be defined as diets that advocate eating more than 200 grams of protein daily, raise the risk of certain conditions. These include hyperaminoacidemia, which is an excess of amino acids;, hyperammonemia, which results in an excess of ammonia; hyperinsulinemia nausea from an excess of insulin; and even early death. Some negative effects, including beginning hyperaminoacidemia and hyperammonemia, are observable after just one meal of 40 grams of protein or more, but those effects only become chronic and severe over time.
Choosing the Best Protein Sources
Foods for thought
Senior Nutrition Balance
Here is a short-list of protein sources (count is in grams):
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese: 14
3 ounces tofu, firm: 13
1/2 cup cooked lentils: 9
2 tablespoons almond butter: 8
1 hard boiled egg: 6.29
1 cup sweet potato 2.9
½ cup green beans 2.1
One ounce of pumpkin seeds contains 9.35
Eight spears of this delectable veggie has 3.08
One cup cooked cauliflower = 2.28
Approx.. 28 peanuts dry roasted without salt = 6.71
One cooked cup oatmeal has a whopping 6.08
one ounce raw unsalted almonds (approximately 24 nuts) containing 6.03
One cup cooked spinach = 5.35
One cup of chopped broccoli = 5.7
Quinoa: All of the plants on my list that have preceded this one fall short in comparison to quinoa’s potential.* On its own it is a perfect protein and the king of all grains. It has the highest percentage of protein content at 16 percent per volume! This means that a measly ¼ cup (dry) quinoa has 6 grams** of protein. If you paired this grain with a couple of spears of asparagus and a beautiful cauliflower, broccoli and sprouted mung bean stir–fry, you would have an easy meal with 30 grams of protein or more!
How to figure it out:
Take your weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2 to figure out your weight in kilograms. Then multiply that number by 0.8 (not very active), 1.3 (active or pregnant), or 1.8 (extremely active), depending on how much exercise you get.
Take a look at the chart below the range of protein you should be eating each day. Note, the importance of determining your activity level. Basically, the CDC says if you don’t see your weight, just use the formula above to calculate your daily protein.
Click to open protein chart
Based on the numbers above, do you already get enough protein per day?
Resources and products- clean protein from companies I LOVE!
Vegetarian/Vegan http://www.sweetearthfoods.com/
http://www.organicpastures.com/landing/
Great snack! – http://www.mysagegourmet.com/recipes/snacks/black-bean-tomato-avocado-salsa/
Year-round Salad– http://www.mysagegourmet.com/recipes/vegetables/stove-top-sweet-potato-salad/
Energy/Protein Smoothie: http://www.mysagegourmet.com/strawberry-chia-energyprotein-smoothie/
Fish/seafood: http://www.mysagegourmet.com/recipes/fish-and-seafood/
High protein/low carb black bean patties: http://www.mysagegourmet.com/recipes/quinoa-cakes-recipe/
Great Reads
Seafood choices-Balancing the benefits and the risks- http://iom.nationalacademies.org/reports/2006/seafood-choices-balancing-benefits-and-risks.aspx
http://iom.nationalacademies.org/
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0134
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein//
Disclaimer: All health content on MySageGourmet.com and by Carol Takakura, is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider.
America, it’s Time to Fall Back in Love with Canned Tuna
Last fall I read a distressing article, entitled “How America fell Out of love with canned tuna”. The article had a lot of not so great things to say about the canned tuna. At the time I thought it was another reason to not “have to” eat canned tuna again. I am happy to report, that it is officially Time to Fall Back in Love with Canned Tuna!
Thanks to a company called Safe Catch, we can once again delve into the canned tuna arena knowing we will find tasty,safe,healthy goodness in every bite.
I grew up eating tuna fish sandwiches. My mom managed our family kitchen within a budget that had to stretch over 5 kids, all of which were athletes. I am still in awe of that, quite an accomplishment indeed. Tuna sandwiches were one of our three weekly sandwich choices. Mom also used canned tuna for a lot of dishes from tuna noodle casserole to tuna burgers. I truly Love my Mama, but let’s just say she killed my appetite for tuna when the casserole and burger came into the picture-absolutely terrible (sorry Mom). In fact, to this day I rarely eat tuna.
By the time I get through putting gobs of mayo and sweet relish into the Tuna to cover the taste, there remains little health benefit to it. I might as well be eating a bag of potato chips and a hunk of a hostess ding dong. For me,that all changed when I covered the NPEW show this year. As I walked through the exhibit halls, I was bombarded with an array of tasty samples every which way I went. It is a yummy culinary overload like you can not imagine. So, when I was offered a sample of canned tuna on a cracker, I was happy to say no thank you, I don’t do tuna- (again, sorry Mom, no offense meant). What came next was a very pleasant surprise. My event companion slash amazing photographer slash hubby, tasted Safe Catch Tuna and said “you really should try this”. Reluctantly I did and well, Hot Dang!- Safe Catch delighted me with its delectable deliciousness!
Recently I received a complimentary box of Safe Catch Wild Albacore Tuna for me to play around with in my test kitchen. I opened my first can and was greeted with beautifully chunky, pristine albacore tuna. I took a tiny taste on the end of my fork and it tasted incredible-all by itself-this was going to be fun! Since then I have been making all sorts of recipe that I think you will truly enjoy and I’ve shared them below; however I highly encourage you to try this tuna by itself first. You would be missing out on an absolutely yummy experience if you didn’t!
A little About Safe Catch:
Safe Catch is the only brand that tests every single tuna individually for mercury levels.
There are no fillers or additives, just pure delicious responsibly, wild caught tuna in every can.
You can learn more and order yours at Safe Catch Tuna. Just click here
Recipe Links
Why Eat Tuna:
Research suggests that consuming canned tuna may provide a wide range of health benefits, from improving blood vessel function to boosting weight loss. Besides containing high-quality protein, selenium and potassium, canned tuna also possesses omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. Learn more here
Disclaimer– I received free samples to review and provide you with my honest opinion on the products. I am not paid to do so. These are my opinions based on my experience with the products themselves and my interactions with the staff of the company. The opinions in my posts are my own, authentic views. Your experiences and sentiments may vary from my own. Thank you for taking the time to read my post/s. Kind regards, Carol Takakura
Photographs courtesy of Jttphotography
Sweet Earth Natural Foods
I Love to eat! I mean I Love to eat! My favorite meal of the day is breakfast, hands down. When I take the time to sit down and fully enjoy a good breakfast, I know I have started my day off well-nourished in both body and mind. A healthy breakfast kicks my brain into high gear, propelling me through the ever-changing landscape that is my day. The problem I seem to have with breakfast on a day when I am super busy, is resisting the urge to plow through one more project before I stop to eat-Not good! When I do that, I can expect the same result each and every time- I am starving by the time I eat and I am grabbing at anything within reach-not exactly the best plan for my productivity or my well-being.
Thank goodness I have found a deliciously do-able solution in Sweet Earth Natural Foods. Not only are their Functional Breakfast Burritos a scrumptious solution for my demanding schedule, but they help me keep my promise to myself to eat well and nurture my body. I met the crew from Sweet Earth at the Natural Products Expo this year. Lucky me, they recently sent me a package of four of their off the charts delicious “Functional Breakfast Burritos”. Those of you who know me, know that I am all about eating as close to the earth as possible whenever possible. If you come to my house looking for frozen foods, good luck, not much to choose from. That being said, from here on out you would find a tasty selection of Sweet Earth’s functional breakfast burritos, if you can beat me to them that is. The flavor combinations in all four flavors I tried, including, Protein Lovers, Get Cultured!, Get Focused! And Lighten Up!, Functional Breakfast Burritos were unlike anything I have ever tried. Each one is completely unique, powerfully healthy and equally enjoyable. It will be tough to choose one, my suggestion just buy a bunch at a time. My very top favorites are the Protein Lover and the Power Burritos. In fact, I am eating a protein lovers right now :>).
Everything about Sweet Earth Natural Foods calls to my beliefs including eating a bounty of greens, plentiful plant based proteins, grains and of course healthy fresh herbs and spices. For those of you who thrive on a plant based diet or wish to incorporate more deliciousness into your lifestyle, you will find a most supportive partner in this company. As they say at Sweet Earth Natural Foods, “We use enlightened food traditions and farm friendly ingredients to hand craft delicious and nutritious foods” I could not agree more! Whole Foods is carrying a few types now and more are on the way. Use the store locator on Sweet Earth’s site to find a store near you. 
Keep an eye out on my FB page for a Giveaway very soon! You could win a Sweet Earth Swag Bag with samples of Functional Breakfast Burritos!
To your health and wellness, Carol Takakura
Visit me at My Sage Gourmet, where Wellness is Always in Season!
Carol Takakura
CHHC, E-RYT, AADP
Food and Fitness Blogger
Check out my latest blog post for Yummy recipes, great food tips and more
818.312.3125
About Carol
Everything about My Sage Gourmet is intended to nurture and support you to thrive in every sense of the word. From the Kitchen Coaching, and my artisan kitchen blends to Nutrition Consulting, and the Tone and Sculpt Yoga and weight loss programs, My Sage Gourmet is here to support you!
I am a Certified Nutrition Coach, Food and Fitness Blogger, Well Kitchen Coach, Cooking Instructor & Yoga Instructor. I partner with clients in reaching their wellness goals both in and out of the kitchen. I have developed a kitchen line of Herbed Salts that is from my garden to your table. Each of my five varieties is grown, picked, hand blended and made to order in small batches to guarantee the freshest, best tasting blends! You will taste the quality in every beautifully organic bite!
I provide wellness lectures, cooking demos and hands on cooking classes. I test products, create recipes around product lines I believe you will enjoy both in print and via u-tube video.
I am known for my Kitchen Coaching, where I provide in-home classes to clean up and re- stock pantries to create do-able, quick and healthy options for everyday use and special occasions.
I say Why Not Chia?
Chia seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, which makes them one of the richest plant-based sources of these fatty acids. The omega-3s in chia seeds can help reduce inflammation, enhance cognitive performance and reduce high cholesterol.
Chia seeds have oodles of fiber (10 grasm in 2 tbsp.) and are associated with reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol and regulating bowel function.
Chia seeds are chocked full of antioxidants that help protect the body from free radicals, aging and cancer. They last almost close to two years in a closed container with no refrigeration needed.
Minerals- Just Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 18 percent of the daily recommended dose of calcium, 35 percent for phosphorus, 24 percent for magnesium and about 50 percent for manganese. They also help with weight loss as they help you feel satiated. Give Chia a chance folks, you won’t be sorry.
I have a recently gotten hooked on “HiMaiAnia Dark Chocolate Chia Seeds.- right up front I will admit that they are deliciously decadent and certainly chia is amazing without the added yumminess but if you want to get your chia nutritional fix And your dark chocolate fix- this is the ticket baby! I enjoy a little sprinkle over FAGE plain 2% yogurt with a few walnuts and a half banana. It is a great post workout meal with plenty of protein, essential recovery nutrients. You can find these little yummies on the website as well as lots of other goodness to enjoy.
here are a few recipes to add to your kitchen essentials
Strawberry Chia Protein Smoothie
