Berry Orchard Protein Smoothie

Back in November, my boyfriend and I were wandering through Walmart when we came upon a clearance aisle.  It was the first time we had ever seen a clearance aisle at this particular store, so naturally we were inclined to check it out.  In it we found what we considered a treasure - a clearanced Ninja Master Prep.  It clearly wasn't a full fledged Ninja blender, but we were surprised nonetheless to not only find a Ninja product at Walmart (especially at this Walmart) but at a clearance price to boot.  Money was tight and although it was around $30 and we probably could afford it, it might have meant cutting back somewhere else later in the week.  So, I decided on a plan B that may or may not get me the Ninja at a later date.

The box looked slightly worn, so after my boyfriend and I took a peek inside (to make sure everything looked unopened), I took a picture of the blender and hid it behind a stack of clearanced Super Mario stuffies.  I then took a picture of where it was hidden and sent both images to my mother in a text trying to explain what I had found and where I had hidden it so that maybe, just maybe, she could come back to the store and purchase it for me for Christmas.  She wasn't sure if she could get to the store within the next couple of days, so prospects did not look too well, but at least I had tried; now I just had to hope for the best a try to forget about it so that I could avoid regret at not buying it when I found it.

Time passed by and I did indeed forget about it, but mostly because I re-injured my freshly operated upon shoulder and then my IC decided to flare up so I had other things to occupy my mind.  Besides, I really thought that the chances of the Ninja still being hidden once my mother was finally able to get to the store were slim to none.  To me, I think it had just become a silly pipe dream and I figured I could just as easily get by without the Ninja Master Prep.  Well, imagine my surprise when I opened that blender on Christmas Day!  It must have been destined to be mine, for against all odds my mom had found a way to get the blender! (Although I guess I shouldn't have been surprised; my mom is just awesome like that - she always finds a way to make things work!)

One of the first things we did the day after Christmas was to open this bad boy up and make sure it all worked.  I mentioned earlier that the box looked a little worn and we were afraid that it could have been a return due to a defect.  Luckily everything worked, and I couldn't wait to try it!  I took a trip to the farmer's market for some fresh fruit and came up with this recipe.  Andrew doesn't like it, but really only because he doesn't like my protein powder!  I originally used more ginger, but lessened the amount at his suggestion.

Ginger is another one of those food items that I like to use due to its anti-inflammatory properties.  Ginger is actually part of the Zingiberaceae family, alongside turmeric, and has been used for centuries not only to flavor food, but for its medicinal properties as well (some old traditions refer to it as Billings Root).  Here is a sample list of things that ginger has been used for over the centuries:

• Soothe digestive disturbances
• Alleviate nausea (great in early pregnancy)
• Reduce fever
• Calm coughing and respiratory troubles
• Stimulate the circulatory system
• Relieve muscle aches and pain
• Get rid of dandruff
• Emerging evidence shows it helps lower cholesterol
• Japanese research has found Ginger is effective in lowering blood pressure and cancer risk.

And of course the aforementioned anti-inflammatory properties.  Such a powerful little root!  Some of this isn't just folk remedies either, if you notice here is also some science behind it.  Again, I'm not sure that I use enough ginger to be of much effect nor do I take it regularly, but I still like to think that any little bit counts!  

Also included in this shake are Flax seeds.  Flax seeds are an excellent non-fish source of omega 3s and one of many effects that omega 3s have on the body is as anti-inflammatory as well.  I also use honey in this recipe.  Not only is honey a good natural sweetener, it has also been shown to have many positive effects on the body.  One holistic use of honey is to fight allergies.  As one component of Interstitial Cystitis is an over-activation of mast cells, I feel that honey is most likely good for IC as well.  

I wrote this recipe using Hemp Protein Powder.  I used Hemp Pro 50 by Manitoba Harvest, but feel free to use your favorite protein powder.  The Manitoba Harvest is unflavored, but it may be fun to playwith  some other tastes.  If you have IC, just make sure that you use an IC-friendly protein powder that works for you.   The IC Diet lists safe protein powders as whey or egg whites and I obviously do well with the hemp.  Just be sure to read labels to avoid any potentially problematic ingredients (100%of the protein ingredient would be ideal)

-List of uses of ginger was found at  Wellness Mama (http://wellnessmama.com/7958/ginger-root-herb-profile/)

Ingredients:

*Green = Bladder Friendly foods; *Orange = Foods to try wih Caution; *Red = Foods 

*1 - 1 1/2 cups of Ice

*1/2 cup Blueberries  

*1 Pear, sliced into small chunks with the core removed

*1 tsp Flax Seeds

*2 tsp Ginger

*1 tbsp Honey

*4 tbsp Hemp Protein Powder 

*1/2 cup Blueberry Juice

Method:
Place ice in blender and blend, using short pulses, until the ice is just beginning to become snow.   Add the blueberries, pear chunks, flax seeds, ginger, honey, hemp protein powder, and blueberry juice into the blender.  Blend, using short pulses, until all ingredients are broken down and you are left with a smooth, creamy drink.

Note: you may end up with larger bits of flax seed.  This doesn't bother me but if you want to avoid those bits you can use pre-ground flax seeds or grind the seeds yourself in a coffee grinder before adding them to the blender.

**Nutrition information is brought to you by the MyFitness Pal app.  Nutrition information based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet.  Due to the fact that I hand input the ingredients, some human error may have occurred.**