The Hooper Shake

Wondering what to have for breakfast if you can’t have grains?

Further to our story on Eating to Reduce Inflammation, many people find themselves a little bit stumped about what to have if they can’t eat wheat, particularly for breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day in terms of getting our metabolism working and dietary requirements up to scratch to face the day, therefore it is clear that you need to make the right choices about what to have for this first meal of the day.

Many have asked what I have for breakfast. Here is a tried and true recipe which I have devised over several years and developed to where it provides all of the important nutrients guarantee a great start to the day.

I have devised this shake as a way to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that I eat personally and in adding or subtracting certain substances to the mix it is possible to tailor the recipe to suit different medical or health conditions

The Recipe

  • 1 Apple
  • 1 Orange
  • 1 Banana
  • 1 Carrot (peeled)
  • Half a cup of peaches including the syrup for sweetness
  • Half a cup of yoghurt
  • 4 eggs
  • Half cup of milk
  • Half a cup of water
  • Two tablespoons Flaxseed Oil
  • Two heaped teaspoons Ultra Muscleze

Method

Place all ingredients into blender and mix to a “smoothie” type of consistency. It will make about 1 1/2 – 2 litres depending on the amount of fluid in the fruit. Add more water if the consistency is too thick.

This should provide two people with 2-3 tall glasses each which should be sufficient for most people as a breakfast alternative.

Important Points

  • The Hooper Shake provides a great source of fibre in the diet.
  • This is not a fruit drink so the use of a juicer is not recommended in this case. Juicers remove fibre from the fruit and this is not what we want – in any case they are a pain to clean!
  • Any cooked vegetables may be included. Use vegetables left over from last nights dinner – cooked broccoli, potatoes etc. The peaches will mask any ‘unpleasant” flavours.
  • The Shake is a great way to consume veggies that you don’t normally eat a lot of due to dislike or lack of time for preparation.
  • Keep any water left over from cooking the veggies and replace part of the water with it (keep in fridge over night). This will greatly increase the nutritional value of the shake. I recommend using no more than one 1/2 to 1 cup of “veggie water” otherwise it’s taste can be too strong.
  • Try different combinations of fruits, or use whatever you have available at the time. Try something exotic and see how it tastes! Experiment with combinations that you find tasty. Try fruits that are in season such as grapes, water-melon, apricots and strawberries.
  • Remember, variety in the diet is always good! Changing the fruit and yoghurt combinations will alter the flavour significantly and keep the Hooper Shake interesting.

Modify the recipe for your Individual needs

Athlete:

  • As per original recipe. The Hooper shake will provide good clean nutrition for your training.

Athlete + Weight gain:

  • Add 4 egg whites to the four whole eggs.
  • Add 3 large tablespoons Whey Protein Isolate

Weight Loss:

  • Reduce eggs from 4 to 2 full eggs and 4 egg whites.
  • Add two heaped teaspoons

Arthritis:

  • Add 2 large teaspoons Chondrocare containing Glucosamine and Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)
  • Add 1 teaspoon Beta A-C powder.
  • The absorption of Glucosamine and Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is enhanced by the presence of naturally sweetened fluid and the uptake of the Glucosamine is also enhanced by the increased Vitamin C.

Immume Booster:

  • Add one teaspoon Beta A-C high potency Vitamin C powder.

Non-Lactose:

  • Substitute soy milk in place of cow’s milk and soy yoghurt etc.

Hi-Cholesterol:

  • Reduce the amount of eggs to 2 full eggs with 4 egg whites.
  • Add Beta A-C powder
  • Add tomatoes for pectin.

Final Thoughts

It is important to have fun with the Hooper Shake – be creative! You may need to modify it slightly to your own tastes. It’s OK, even recommended, to try different ingredients because sometimes you may not have all the specified fruits and vegetables on hand all the time.

If you haven’t got all the ingredients listed, don’t let this deter you from using it- sometimes you may add an extra banana in place of the apple, for example. You may utilise different fruits and vegies that are not specifically mentioned in the recipe. Feel free to use up last night’s veggies or desert fruits.