E2G EAT TO GROW
Peaches And Scream
By Amanda Burrill, MS
Sweet fruit and hot spices make for a beautifully balanced protein shake.
T
he peaches make me feel like I’m in
Georgia, but everything else with this
smoothie brings me to a spicy region of
the Indian subcontinent. Turmeric. Gin-
ger. Cayenne. It’s a world party in your mouth.
While the kick from ginger and cayenne is
delightful, this month’s superfood highlight is
turmeric. Try to find it fresh. It’s a rhizome, like
ginger, but smaller, with a brownish skin and a
bright (very bright) interior that will stain the
bejesus out of your fingertips. I like to buy a
bunch of the finger-sized chunks, and—with
gloves on—I peel and slice them. Then I pop
them into the freezer so I can toss them into
my smoothies on demand. By the way, this is
also my ginger tactic.
The fresh stuff isn’t always easy to find, but
the dried and ground powder can be found
at any grocery store. For a flavor so subtle
and earthy, it adds a huge amount of color.
Seriously, if you are a hippie tree-hugger type,
use turmeric to color Easter eggs next year or
dye your baby’s cloth nappies to camouflage
the stains.
This smoothie recipe is a great way to
pack even more beneficial ingredients into
your already protein-laden recovery shake.
We’ve got an assortment of superfoods—key
players outlined below—a good amount of
post-workout protein, and our taste buds are
happy.
Oh, last thing. I find that if making this
smoothie with kefir or Greek yogurt, it freezes
into an amazeballs popsicle!
INGREDIENTS
½ cup peaches
1-inch chunk of ginger
½-inch chunk of turmeric
1 teaspoon rice bran
Pinch of cayenne pepper
6 oz. kefir (or favorite milk, such as
unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 scoop favorite vanilla protein powder
Handful of ice
DIRECTIONS: Combine all ingredients in a
blender, beginning with the liquid to avoid
sticky clumps. Blend until smooth.
TOTAL (PER SERVING): 214 calories, 19 g
carbs, 31 g protein, 6 g fat, 3 g fiber
Superfood 101
GINGER: I’ve used this panacea ingredient a
lot, but I’ve never told you this: Ginger helps
reduce muscle pain! Studies have shown that
those who consume as little as two grams
of ginger per day for 11 days experience 25
percent less muscle pain after workouts.
Okay, ginger is abundantly known for reduc-
ing inflammation, and I’m guessing these
two benefits are connected. But in the grand
scheme of all the muscle flexing inflaming us
gym rats do, it’s good to know that ginger is
here to help us.
TURMERIC: Do you imbibe? Turmeric and
its active component, curcumin, is known as
a natural liver detoxifier, protecting against al-
cohol-induced liver damage as well as havoc
28 JUNE 2017 | ironmanmagazine.com
caused by a high-fat diet. Turmeric also helps
alleviate joint inflammation and digestive
problems—issues we steel-crushers often
face from lifting heavy and bulking on fiber.
CAYENNE PEPPER: Ay caramba! Capsaicin,
what makes peppers hot, is also what brings
the medicinal heat. A shake of cayenne
subtly subdues appetite, making a great
addition for those who have a heavy snack
hand. Cayenne boosts the stomach’s defense
against infections, stimulates digestive fluid
production, and helps deliver enzymes to the
stomach, all leading to a better overall diges-
tion experience. IM