The Kelsey Report

Was Popeye Right?

When threatened, he would gulp down a can of spinach and in a matter of seconds, his arms would bulge and Popeye would transform into one strong, tough dude.

But, I really hated spinach. And for the most part, still do.

So, as a kid watching the show, I thought, “I’ll never be as strong as Popeye. I hate spinach.”

Of course, as I got older and wiser, I knew that eating spinach, while generally good for you, couldn’t do much for your strength.

Turns out I might have been wrong.

A recent study showed that organic nitrate, the equivalent of what you would find in a plate of spinach, greatly improved the efficiency of the mitochondria – the powerhouse of your body’s cells. (( Larsen, F. J., T. A. Schiffer, et al. “Dietary inorganic nitrate improves mitochondrial efficiency in humans.” Cell Metab 13(2): 149-59.))

Mitochondria are responsible for producing the energy you need to do all the things you do in a day and according to the study, so anything that makes them more efficient is a good thing.

It turns out that the nitrates combine with bacteria in our mouth to form nitric oxide which has been known for many years to be beneficial to lowering blood pressure among other things. The researchers had this to say about how their findings might effect you.  “Among the more consistent findings from nutritional research are the beneficial effects of a high intake of fruit and vegetables in protection against major disorders such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

But at this point, I still don’t like spinach all that much.

So here’s how I take advantage of this info and actually have been for a while although I wasn’t aware of the research until just recently.

It’s a smoothie. I call it a Power Smoothie. Watch the video for the ingredients and how I make it. The password is fusiontribe.

Enjoy!

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What’s On Your Plate? - FusionPerformanceTraining - Get Your Body Armor On. says

[…] For breakfast, try the Power Smoothie. […]

The Ultimate Power Meal in Less Than 20 Minutes - FusionPerformanceTraining - Get Your Body Armor On. says

[…] some of you might have guessed a Power Smoothie. True. But I was thinking of something you have to chew (which just happens too be really good for […]

How Much Protein is Enough? – Part II - FUSION - Get Your Body Armor On. says

[…] But I did share with you one easy alternative – the Power Smoothie. […]

What’s in Your Breakfast? - FUSION - Feel Better, Look Better, and Do More in Your Life. » FUSION - Feel Better, Look Better, and Do More in Your Life. says

[…] you need a meal that blends protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates. You could try the Fusion Power Smoothie which is what I have several days a week. It’s relatively quick and it’s portable so if […]

JimTigerPT says

Wow, first time I added spinach to my smoothie. It really does add a nice texture to the smoothie. Strawberries, bananas, and peaches are good together as well as the occasional tart fruit like raspberries and cranberries.

violamarie says

What I’m using is called “Naturade 100% Whey Protein Booster”. It’s not really a body builder thing, more of a basic mix I guess. I found it at HEB. 2 scoops (20g)= 80 calories, 1g carb, 16g protein. I got the vanilla, and I like the taste a lot. I weigh 125 lbs– not sure how much body fat since I don’t have calipers yet– so I’m guessing I don’t need as much protein as you do 🙂

    DD Kelsey says

    Thanks…I’ll look into it.

violamarie says

Do you know of a good protein powder with fewer calories? The Syntha 6 stuff has 200 per scoop! I’m currently using a powder that has only 80 calories and 1 gram of sugar, but it only has 16 grams protein so…

    DD Kelsey says

    Well, sounds like you have a pretty good deal with what you have in terms of calories. You might check the serving size. The Syntha6 is 44 grams so 50% of that is protein. What’s the brand you’re using?

jimtigerpt says

So watching you make the power smoothie, with all of the ingredients you have, what constitutes 1 serving? I assume the protein content is what you are mainly getting at. Calories seem high but at a low glycemic index?

    DD Kelsey says

    Jimmy –

    Well, the total calorie load is between 500 and 600 calories for what I made in the video. The calories can go up or down based on how much protein powder, milk, and nut butter you use. My blender holds five cups. So, I guess you could consider a serving size one cup. In that case, one serving is around 120+ calories.

jimtigerpt says

What kind of chocolate whey protein powder is preferred? Like anything, lots of info out there it seems.

jcat says

Yes, I tried the password. Vimeo asks for an email and password. I put in my email and the password in the article, and vimeo doesn’t recognize me. I get a message, “forgot your password?” j

    DD Kelsey says

    There was a setting on the video that was incorrect. I fixed it. You should be able to watch it now. Give it a try and let me know.
    Sorry for the hassle and confusion…

jcat says

Do I have to join vimeo and pay them money to see the video? I thought that joining and paying for fusion would give me access to the material. j

    DD Kelsey says

    You should have access…you do have to type in the password, which is in the article, in order to see the video.
    Did you do that?
    If not, try it and if you still have trouble, please let me know.

Comments are closed