Jason Manheim - Superfood Juices, Smoothies & Drinks: Recipes and Advice to Boost Your Emotional and Physical Health

INTRODUCTION

T o say superfood drinks have been a big part of my adult life would be a massive understatement. Smoothies in particular, and my trusty blenderthe instrument of my wholesome libationshave altered the way I eat, feel, manage time and ultimately approach life. A mighty claim, it may seem to the uninitiated, but a true one nonetheless. In the pages that follow, I will do my very best to equip you with the stepping stones necessary so that you may come to the same conclusion and enjoy the same feeling of ownership over at least one aspectand a very important one at thatof your diet: simple, quick nutrition.

I never set out to build a castle made of kale , but like many things one becomes an authority on, it is simply an extension of an essential facet of ones daily routineknowledge by necessity and familiarity, if you will; unavoidable.

My journey to superfood drinks started with a common modern-day gripe: there isnt enough time in the day . I spent the greater part of my young adult life juggling my ability to get things done with basic human functions like eating and sleeping. What a ridiculous notion it is to have to reconcile these mandatory aspects of life itself. A product of our fascination with working ourselves into the grave no doubt, but this is a book about drinksdiet and nutrition, to be precisenot meditation and balance, at least not directly.

Our motivation to eat healthier is sometimes a reaction to some sort of current malady, but also stems from our fears, or rather, our desires to avoid bad things that may happen in the future. These, I truly believe, are not good enough reasons. In the case of the former, it is either too late or simply damage control, and the latter is something illusory and therefore hard to hold fast. We must motivate ourselves with a more measurable reasoning. We must eat healthy because we want to feel healthy. Fantasies of avoiding illness and living longer should not precede the importance of living stronger . Everything else is a welcomed bonus.

Strength, energy, focusthese are measurable qualities that you can feel, and they should be the cornerstone of your motivation. The fact that superfood drinks provide these qualities along with a very large percentage of your daily vitamin and mineral requirements in a convenient package is what makes them so appealing.

With so many of us living fast-paced, business-oriented lives, we no longer give adequate time or thought to important activities such as food preparation and unitary sit-down meals. Instead, our meals are an afterthought, on-the-go, convenience-based choices rather than optimal selections. And because of this, our meals often lack the proper nutrition. So let me suggest the idea of replacing these quick, subpar meals with something just as quick, if not quicker, but far more healthful.

Throughout this book, you will find everything you need to make superfood drinks a foundational part of your diet. You will learn about the multitude of benefits these ingredients provide, along with a handy guide to those that are most powerful. Ill walk you through the basics of creating superfood drinks, along with templates, tools needed, how to store excess, and tips for saving money. We will explore the many diets superfood drinks lend themselves to, including detoxification, weight loss, meal replacement and supplementation. I will then introduce you to an array of delicious recipes that can be enjoyed as-is or built upon to create the perfect drink. Recipe categories include smoothies, juices, infused waters, coffees, teas and other drinks. To finish, I will answer some common questions and supply a list of resources and references so you may explore and expand to your hearts content.

As someone who values my time as equally as my health, my hope is that you will find the material within as helpful, manageable and life-changing as I have. Superfood drinks: the better fast food. Enjoy!

SUPERFOOD BENEFITS

M any of us have tunnel vision when it comes to seeking out health through dietary choices. We get caught up in whatever trend is sweeping the collective conversation or whatever ailment we are trying to cure, and we pursue singular benefits as if wholesome food is not a comprehensive nutritional package. Questions like, What does this smoothie do for me? are asked with the assumption, and hope, that the answer is a simple list of two or three destination-focused answers: This one will improve your eyesight or This one will get rid of that acne.

Sadly, this is how a great deal of people view dietary choices with regard to health; as a series of quick, solution picking and choosing with no thought given to what else we put in our bodies on a daily basis. Perhaps this one tooth-strengthening meal will remove the effects of a lifetime caramel addiction... not very likely.

This is not to say that if you have a condition that requires a great deal of a specific mineral, for example, that you shouldnt seek foods that contain a higher concentration of that mineral; to do so is common sense. It is simply to say that a diet with a nutrient-dense, whole foods-focused foundation will already put you ahead of the game. I have always believed, and reality seems to concur, that a strong foundation, in all aspects of life, is better equipped to handle outliers and dis-ease when and if it should arise. In other words, a diet built on proper nutrition can handle a weekend of hot dogs and beer far more easily than one built on impulse and reactionary healthy eating binges.