Power Drinks

To start your day in a healthy, invigorating way, drink this power drink in the morning. It provides your body its daily requirement of essential fatty acids and protein building blocks. This protein drink combination sustains your blood sugar at an optimal level, preventing the high to low blood sugar swings that occur after a high carbohydrate meal such as cereal, fruit or doughnuts, etc.

If you add a complex carbohydrate to the mixture, you will also create the balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat in your meal that promotes the optimal insulin-glucagon response for weight control. And discover more great recipes on pages 80-81 of Dr. Jo’s Natural Healing Cookbook.

1. Grind 1 tablespoon of fresh raw flaxseeds, pumpkinseeds or walnuts in a blender or spice (coffee) mill.

These seeds contain omega-3 oils, which have to be eaten. The body cannot make them from other food. They are super important to cell membrane function. Most Americans are very deficient in these essential oils. Be sure you eat 1-2 tablespoons of them daily.

2. Grind 1 tablespoon of one of the nuts containing omega-6 oils such as fresh raw almond, pecans, sunflower or sesame seeds also.

Eat both omega-3 and omega-6 nuts/seeds daily. Alternate the nut/seed you choose from each category from one day to the next. That way you get a good variety of oils and will digest them better.

3. Blend these omega-3 and omega-6 oils with about 1/2 cup of water, or more depending on the consistency you want.

A little tip. If you add the water before grinding the nuts, you may find water splattered all over your kitchen.

4. Let stand at room temperature overnight (6-10 hours).

This allows the nut to start sprouting, which inactivates the enzyme inhibitors that protect the nut’s freshness but make them difficult to digest because they also inhibit your digestive enzymes.

5. Blend protein into the nut/seed mixture in the morning.

• 1 egg (I use a raw egg after soaking the egg in the shell in a hydrogen peroxide solution for 20 minutes to eliminate the bacteria on the outside of the shell. Eating raw eggs is controversial. Decide for yourself.) OR
• Chicken OR
• Fish OR
• 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese or yogurt (If you tolerate dairy products) OR
• Your choice of protein
• OR Rice protein powder (for those intolerant of dairy, soy or egg protein powders. Whole food protein is better, but sometimes a protein powder is handy and easy.)

6. Add spice to taste (cinnamon, vanilla extract, frozen fruit, broth, etc.)

7. Add any supplements that suit your fancy. Like wheat germ, high in vitamin E. Or lecithin. Or nutritional yeast (if you are not sensitive to yeast), high in B vitamins.

8. You may substitute 1 T of flax oil for the flaxseeds.

9. If you wake up in the morning and realize you have not soaked any nuts or seeds, then take extra digestive enzymes with your power drink to counteract the effect of the enzyme inhibitors in the nuts and seeds.

Some of My Favorite Power Drink Combinations

• 1 T (tablespoon) flaxseed, 1 T almonds soaked in 1/2 cup water. Blend in 1/3-cup crock-pot slow-cooked chicken and 1/2 to 1 cup warm chicken broth.
• 1 T flaxseed, 1 T pecans soaked in 1/2 cup water. Blend in 1 egg, 1/2 frozen sliced banana, and 6-8 frozen strawberries.
• 1 T flaxseed, 1 T almonds soaked in 1/2 cup water, blend in 1 egg and 1 frozen peach
• 1 T pumpkinseeds, 1 T almonds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in 1/3-cup turkey, 1/3 cup cooked pumpkin, and a pinch each of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
• 1 T flaxseeds, 1 T sesame seeds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in 1 egg and 1/3 to 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries.
• 1 T flaxseeds, 1 T almonds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in ½ frozen banana, 2 teaspoons carob powder, ¼ cup Rice Milk, 1 heaping T raw rice protein powder.
• 1 T flaxseeds, 1 T pecans soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in ½ frozen banana, pinch of white stevia powder, 1 teaspoon carob powder, 1 egg.
• 1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 T pecans soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in 1/3 cup cooked winter squash (Kabocha is my favorite), 1 teaspoon flax seed oil, ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder, pinch of white stevia powder, 1 egg.
• 1 ½ T flaxseeds, 1 ½ T almonds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in 1 heaping T chocolate raw rice protein powder (I use Nutribiotic brand), ¼ banana, 1/8 teaspoon vanilla and Rice Milk to the consistency that you prefer
• 1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 T almonds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in 1 T frozen apple juice concentrate, ½ teaspoon cacao powder, 1 scoop Vital Whey protein powder
• 1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 T raw cashews, 1 T coconut shreds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in frozen pineapple chunks to taste and 1 T Vital Whey protein powder.

Nut Milks

• Make nut milks by first grinding ¼ cup of any nut or seed in a blender or spice mill.
• Add one cup of water.
• To allow for easer digestion of the nut milk, leave it at room temperature for 6-10 hours before refrigerating it.
• Nut milks can be used the same way cow’s mild is used. If you want smoother milk, strain the mixture after blending it. For a thicker, creamy consistency, increase the amount of the nut or seed per 1 cup of water.
• For a sweeter nut milk taste, add a few drops of the herb Stevia, a small amount of a fruit, or vanilla, cinnamon or other spice.

• 1 T flaxseeds, 1 T almonds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in ½ frozen banana, 2 teaspoons carob powder, ¼ cup Rice Milk, 1 heaping T raw rice protein powder.
• 1 T flaxseeds, 1 T pecans soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in ½ frozen banana, pinch of white stevia powder, 1 teaspoon carob powder, 1 egg.
• 1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 T pecans soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in 1/3 cup cooked winter squash (Kabocha is my favorite), 1 teaspoon flax seed oil, ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder, pinch of white stevia powder, 1 egg.
• 1 ½ T flaxseeds, 1 ½ T almonds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in 1 heaping T chocolate raw rice protein powder (I use Nutribiotic brand), ¼ banana, 1/8 teaspoon vanilla and Rice Milk to the consistency that you prefer
• 1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 T almonds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in 1 T frozen apple juice concentrate, ½ teaspoon cacao powder, 1 scoop Vital Whey protein powder
• 1 T pumpkin seeds, 1 T raw cashews, 1 T coconut shreds soaked in 1/2-cup water. Blend in frozen pineapple chunks to taste and 1 T Vital Whey protein powder.