Welcome to my mind. Stay a while and let me share some delicious and nutritious (for the most part) smoothie recipes as well as some of my favorite exercise routines and fitness tips. I don't subscribe to the “summer is almost here” mindset. It’s always summer somewhere, so take care of yourself all year round.
World’s collided when my day job working with innovative food startups at Food-X took me to the Daily Harvest offices, where I got to experience the magic that is their flash frozen smoothies…3 times. A carrot cake-tasting smoothie that rivaled my very own was just one of three smoothies I indulged in all before 9 AM. Gluttony at it’s finest, but this was also field research as far as I’m concerned (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
Daily Harvest was cool enough to give me a bunch of smoothies to try out. I’ll be sharing the experience on the blog, so stayed tuned. Peace.
Don’t call it a comeback! What’s up peeps. I know it’s been ages since I shared some smoothie goodness with you, but I’m back and promise not to neglect you anymore 🙂
Today’s smoothie comes with my awesome daughter’s seal of approval. Not only does it taste out of this world, but t was a quick and easy way to get her veggies for the day. I’ve been coming back to this smoothie repeatedly to make sure my baby girl gets her greens.
I’ve also included another great at-home boxing routine I found. You can do this anywhere, and it’s a great, fun alternative to doing cardio at the gym or outside, which isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Enjoy, and I will see you again soon.
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 Banana
2 tablespoons organic steel cut oats
2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter
1 cup vanilla almond milk
FOOD KEY
Spinach: vitamins A, B1,2,3 &6, C, E & K, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, fiber, phosphorous, zinc, protein and selenium (SUPER STACKED!!)
Celery: potassium, folic acid and vitamins C & B6
Bananas: vitamin B6 and potassium
Oats: fiber and protein
Peanut Butter: protein, potassium, fiber, vitamins E & B6, and magnesium
Hello smoothie lovers. I know I have been M.I.A. for a while now. That whole life and being a father thing has kept me pretty busy. I could not, however, let the year end without dropping one more gem on you. With the help of my trusted Smoothie Operator Assistant, I whipped up this delicious smoothie that is delicious, healthy, and delicious (yeah, I said it twice). I also included a great boxing workout you can do from the comfort of your home. Enjoy the smoothie, and do the workout now or save it for your New Year’s Resolution to get back in shape or get in better shape.. Remember, it’s always summer somewhere. See you in the One Six.
1 Handful Lacinato Kale
1 Frozen Banana, sliced
1/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries
2 Tablespoons Steel Cut Oats
2 Tablespoons Powdered Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon Raw Cacao Powder
1 Cup Almond Milk
FOOD KEY
Kale: vitamins, A, B6 &C, potassium, copper, folic acid, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and zinc (MEGA-STACKED!!)
Bananas: vitamin B6 and potassium
Blueberries: vitamins K & C, manganese, fiber and copper
Oats: fiber and protein
Peanut Butter: protein, potassium, fiber, vitamins E & B6, and magnesium
Cacao: protein, copper, potassium, vitamin B12, fiber and iron (STACKED)
So I was shopping for smoothie greens the other day when I came across a local brand of Baby Asian Blend greens. I just happened to be shopping with my Asian baby, so I took it as a sign that I should take a break from Kale or Spinach. I mixed these greens with some pineapple, banana and almond milk, with a little chia seed love for good measure. My baby and I loved it. Try it out for yourself.
1 Cup Baby Asian Blend (bok choy, mizuna, tatsoi and mustard greens)
1 Cup diced pineapple
1 sliced banana
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
1 Cup Organic Almond Milk
FOOD KEY
– Bok Choy: vitamins A,B(1,2,3, & 6),C and K, potassium, folate, calcium, iron, fiber, magnesium, protein and zinc (STACKED!!!)
– Mizuna: vitamin C, folate, iron and antioxidants
– Tatsoi: vitamins A & C, calcium and antioxidants
I put this together the other day. I wanted a quick routine that worked the core without having to do the usual jackknifes, bicycle crunches, etc. There’s only so many of those you can do :).
-30 Seconds Mountain Climbers
-10 Bird Dogs (each side)
-30 Seconds Cross Body Mountain Climbers (knees to opposite elbows)
-30 Seconds Swimming (Pilates, not in actual pool)
-30 Seconds Mountain Climbers
-10 Bird Dogs (each side)
-30 Seconds Cross Body Mountain Climbers (knees to opposite elbows)
-30 Seconds Leg Scissors
-30 Seconds Mountain Climbers
-10 Bird Dogs (each side)
-30 Seconds Cross Body Mountain Climbers (knees to opposite elbows)
-30 Seconds Plank Pushups
DONE
Drink the smoothie, do the workout…Hunter is watching you.
The term “Superfood” gets thrown around a lot, but the acai berry is truly deserving of the label. It has numerous health benefits that will be listed in the Food Key below, but there are a lot of products out there looking to capitalize on the hype surrounding acai berries. Don’t get conned into thinking that acai is some kind of weight loss miracle. Acai berries are good for your overall health, but if you want to burn fat, just keep coming back to The Smoothie Operator, and get your fitness on with any of the various workouts I share. Now on to more important things…here’s the recipe!
1 Acai Berry Superfruit Pack (Available at Whole Foods and other dope grocers)
1 Banana
1/2 Cup Blueberries
1 Tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon Raw Sunflower Seeds
1 Cup Almond Milk
FOOD KEY
– Acai Berries: vitamins A, B(1,2,3), C & E, calcium, magnesium, zinc copper, fiber, amino acids and is LOADED with Antioxidants!
– Bananas: vitamin B6 and potassium
– Blueberries: vitamins K & C, manganese, fiber and copper
– Peanut Butter: protein, potassium, fiber, vitamins E & B6, and magnesium
– Sunflower Seeds: vitamins B(1,3,6) and E, copper, selenium, phosphorus, folate and magnesium
Hello peeps! Long time no see. I hope all of your summers have been amazing. Personally, I think the summer weather is gonna last through October (wishful thinking). I know it’s been a while since I dropped some smoothie goodness on you, but today I come correct with an Apple Watermelon Jolly Rancher Smoothie inspired by one of my favorite childhood treats. I wasn’t exactly sure how the watermelon and almond milk would mesh, but the results were outstanding. I even got the thumbs up from my little Smoothie Operator Assistant. This recipe is simple and delicious. Enjoy!
1 Sliced Organic Apple
1/2 Cup Diced Watermelon
1 Cup Baby Spinach – Locally Grown if possible 🙂
1 Cup Organic Almond Milk
FOOD KEY
– Apples: potassium, vitamin C and pectin (helps control cholesterol and blood sugar)
– Spinach: vitamins A, B1,2,3 &6, C, E & K, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, fiber, phosphorous, zinc, protein and selenium (SUPER STACKED!!)
Core Burning Yoga Flow
Here is a great, challenging yoga routine from Tyler McCoy. I had admittedly gotten a little lazy with my yoga, but this routine had a great combination of moderately advanced poses and speed that really challenged me. Hope you like it. Namaste.
– Kale: vitamins, A, B6 &C, potassium, copper, folic acid, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and zinc (MEGA-STACKED!!)
– Oats: fiber and protein
– Sunflower Seeds: vitamins B(1,3,6) and E, copper, selenium, phosphorus, folate and magnesium
– Powdered Peanut Butter: protein, fiber and potassium
– Coconut milk: vitamins B(1,3,5,6), C & E, iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and is lactose free
ALL EVERYTHING BODY WEIGHT WORKOUT
I put this workout together last week and I’m not gonna lie…it’s awesome. It hits the entire body, with extra attention to the abs (because summer), and only takes 15 minutes. Do each exercise listed below for 1 minute straight, resting 15 seconds between each exercise. Do each exercise at the highest intensity you can muster for maximum cardio.
1. Jumping Jacks
2. Dragon Flags (click here for demo). These are brutal, so I did them early to get them out of the way.
A few of these exercises are kinda nuts, so if you can’t do one, substitute a similar exercise you can do for a minute straight. The goal is to get a great, quick workout, not kill yourself.
Carrot Apple Ginger is a popular juice recipe, so I figured I give it a try as a smoothie. I used Flax milk for the first time as a liquid base, added some raw sunflower seeds for extra texture, cinnamon powder for a hint of sweetness and some kale for you know, health. I enjoyed it, hope you will too.
(Makes 2 Smoothies)
1 Sliced Organic Apple
3 Chopped Organic Carrots
1 Inch Piece of Ginger
2 Tablespoons Raw Sunflower Seeds
2 Cups Organic Kale
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon Powder
2 Cups Flax Milk
FOOD KEY
– Apples: potassium, vitamin C and pectin (helps control cholesterol and blood sugar)
– Carrots: vitamins A & B6, folic acid and magnesium
– Ginger: stimulates digestion, combats flatulence (NICE!) and is effective against colds
– Sunflower Seeds: vitamins B(1,3,6) and E, copper, selenium, phosphorus, folate and magnesium
– Kale: vitamins A, B6 &C, potassium, copper, folic acid, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and zinc (MEGA-STACKED!!)
– Cinnamon: fiber, calcium, good for digestion
– Flax Milk: vitamins A, B12 & D, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and is lactose and cholesterol free
Jeet Kune Do Workout
Today’s workout is a classic body weight only routine I found on the @JeetKuneDoAcademy Instagram page. Jeet Kune Do was the martial art invented and taught originally by Bruce Lee. If you’ve ever seen a picture of Bruce Lee, you know he was in pretty decent shape. Now I’m not saying that drinking this smoothie and doing this workout will get you in Bruce Lee shape, but I am not saying it won’t :). I went for 5 sets the first time I tried this workout. Go for 10.
Hey peeps. I just got back from a family vacation in glorious Maui, Hawaii. I found out the hard way that going on vacation with an infant is NOT the most relaxing way to travel. Fortunately, Hawaii is still Hawaii, and it was as awesome as ever. Our villa came equipped with a blender, so I was able to get my smoothie operations on in Maui. Since I was on vacation, I decided to make this an adult smoothie and add some locally made organic vodka. It’s organic, so that means it’s good for you, right? I added some organic fruit from the local health food store for some tropic flavor and used good old almond milk as my liquid base. Check it out.
1 Cup Frozen Strawberries
1 Banana
1/2 a Papaya
2.5 ml Ocean Organic Vodka (1/2 an airplane size bottle – use a whole bottle if you’re really feeling it)
1 Handful Ice Cubes
1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk
FOOD KEY
– Strawberries: vitamins C & B5, potassium, folic acid and magnesium
– Bananas: vitamin B6 and potassium
– Papayas: vitamins C & A, folate, fiber, magnesium, potassium & copper
Today I decided to add watermelon to my smoothie arsenal of ingredients. Watermelon is super refreshing and perfect for these warm, humid days that are upon us. I mixed the melon some frozen bananas and strawberries plus some baby kale for some green lovin’. I suggest having this smoothie before your morning workout as it will help reduce muscle soreness the next day. Enjoy.
– Strawberries: vitamins C & B5, potassium, folic acid and magnesium
– Kale: vitamins, A, B6 &C, potassium, copper, folic acid, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and zinc (MEGA-STACKED!!)
– Coconut Water: improves digestion and metabolism, supports immune system
Deep House Yoga Review
New York City’s sickest nightclub is Verboten in Williamsburg, BK. A few times a month, Verboten is also the dopest yoga studio you’ve ever seen. Willkommen Deep House Yoga lets you bring your ohm to the dance floor. I finally got the chance to take a class this week and it was as awesome as you’d expect. Making the experience that much better was that one friend of mine was the instructor, while another actually provided the beats for the class. The class was equal parts relaxing and challenging (WHOA), and the music was perfect for the setting. The class is about an hour and is conveniently scheduled after work (7PM and 8:30 PM). I highly recommend checking it out.
Sincerely Yours, The Smoothie Operator 
