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Breakfast smoothies are a hit with many longevity experts.
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A doctor from the Blue Zone has revealed one of the simplest recipes: a mixture of leftover fruit and nuts.
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His technique takes only a few minutes and does not require expensive powders or green drinks.
Dr. Joan Sabaté views breakfast as a daily opportunity to consume some of the key nutrient-dense food groups that support longevity. His strategy is also cost-effective.
Sabaté, a healthy eating expert who served on the advisory committee that helped develop the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for 2020-2025, said a healthy breakfast doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. He lives in Loma Linda, California, the only Longevity Blue Zone in the countrywhere local regulations restricted the sale of alcohol and slowed the increase in Fast food restaurants. Sabaté is also a practicing Seventh-day Adventist, a religion that emphasizes healthy eating habits and encourages its members to eat a plant-based diet.
Sabaté and his wife of 45 years have developed a trick to effortlessly make nutrient-rich breakfast smoothies. His “fruit shake,” as he calls it, consists of a few leftovers, proteins and healthy fats that keep him going for hours.
“What we have is basically a simple meal,” Sabaté, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health, told Business Insider. “It’s not refined – we don’t eat highly processed foods.”
A blender full of fruit and nuts is his recipe for longevity
Sabaté’s recipe for fruit shakes varies depending on the season and what’s available at local markets, but it always contains two main ingredients: leftover fruit (especially overripe fruit that soon goes bad) and two heaping handfuls of nuts.
He usually chooses walnuts, which are a favorite of many longevity experts because they’re rich in fatty acids that are good for the brain and heart. He also likes to add a little freshly squeezed orange juice to get the mix just right.
“It’s a quick way to eat a lot of fruit and maybe two servings of nuts,” he said. Throughout the day, he rounds out his diet with vegetables, whole grains and legumes like beans, another Blue Zone staple.
Sabaté knows the science supports his strategy. He has conducted decades of clinical research demonstrating how nuts can improve heart health and research into how nuts can also alleviate other chronic conditions, including inflammation and cognitive decline, that often accompany aging.
And he says fruits are sources of nutrients that can support healthy aging. Studies suggest that regular consumption of berries can even help combat cognitive decline. The benefits of these foods go beyond what’s written on the nutrition facts panel on the back of the package and don’t fit neatly into the three basic macronutrient categories of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
“We don’t eat macronutrients,” he said. “We eat foods, and those foods contain many other nutrients.”
Nuts contain a lot of healthy monounsaturated fat and also a good portion of protein.
“They also contain minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals,” he said.
Nuts are nature’s protein powder
To keep things interesting, Sabaté’s wife likes to garnish her smoothies with a pinch of crunchy cacao nibs for added texture and flavor.
He sometimes adds a dollop of yogurt to get more calcium, but he never adds protein powders, supplements or vitamin blends to his smoothies. He believes he can meet his needs by eating whole foods rich in protein, fiber and other health-promoting ingredients.
“We don’t use soy protein or other foods that are already in powder form,” he said. “Only nuts, as nature intended, and fruit.”
Read the original article on Business Insider
