Smoothies are perfect for pre-op and post-op, pre-colonoscopy and post-colonoscopy (DRINKING THE COLONOSCOPY OR OPERATION PREP blog coming soon). Smoothies are especially good on days that end with the letter "y".
After having a semi-colon removed last summer, I had no choice but to drink smoothies, and after a couple of weeks, I became a smoothieholic, drinking them daily.
I bought a Ninja blender/food processor, and I like it a lot. It's not quiet like you would expect something called Ninja to be, but it chops things up fast like you expect a ninja to, and while using it, I make sounds like Bruce Lee does in his movies. There are a lot of choices out there: blenders, juicers, food processors...mine has two separate chambers, one for chopping food only, the other for blending food and liquid.
I recommend taking a nap and eating a light meal (better yet, a smoothie) before shopping for a blender/juicer/processor/paper shredder (kidding about the paper shredder) because there are many options. I also recommend paying a little more to get better quality and something that handles ice and tough vegetables and fruit.
Pre-mixed smoothies I found have ingredients I avoid (corn syrup, aspartame, etc.), so I created my own recipes. There are eleventy-million smoothie recipes out there in cyberspace, so I'm going to save you the trouble of checking the interweb for ideas. Below are some ideas to get you started. I don't use exact measurements, I just get creative and make it happen. Ninja-style.
SWEET TATER SMOOTHIE (my all-time favorite)
Boil some sweet potatoes (I have used as few as six, as many as 17) until you can easily poke a fork into them. Rinse potatoes with cool water before skinning---they will be hot! Pull the skin from the eye, and the entire skin should come off easily. Save the skin, it's loaded with vitamins and minerals if organic ("organic food" is what people called "food" 100 years ago...don't get me started). I put the skins in a plastic container in the refrigerator to use in wraps, salads, smoothies, etc. Mash the 'taters. Mash some more. Mix with vanilla-flavored almond milk, maybe even a little vanilla flavoring. You might like it thick like yogurt or thin like milk. Just do it.
BANANA SMOOTHIE
Three bananas, three tablespoons coconut oil, three tablespoons peanut butter (wow, actual measurements he uses on this one), chocolate soy milk. Wow. Make it a double.
PURPLE SMOOTHIE
Radishes, apple juice; chunky but good for you.
GREEN SMOOTHIE
Kale. More kale. Water and protein powder. Looks like something you shouldn't drink, so you won't have to worry about somebody drinking it while you're away from the fridge. Kale is awesome. Kale chips are good, too (olive oil on kale leaves, sprinkle sea salt, cook at 350 for 15 minutes but watch closely so they don't burn. And now back to smoothying.)
You get the idea. Any number of vegetables and fruits (2 veg to 1 fruit is my favorite ratio) combined with either milk, juice, or water will work. You can't go wrong. I can't imagine any combination not working. Just don't add liver, unless you like liver. I don't like liver. Vegetables and fruit are the healthiest things to eat on the planet, right? Pretty much. You can also add things like coconut oil, chia seeds, turmeric, ginger, apple cider vinegar, etc. to enhance a smoothie's taste and/or its healthiness.
Please add your own recipes, blender/juicer/processor critiques, etc.
Happy smoothying!
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