The Five-Day Challenge

I took the challenge.  No, it wasn't a bucket of ice water over my head for MLS or a cleansing of my organs or any kind of iron-woman challenge.  It was the Skoop 5-day challenge.

My daughter-in-law asked me, "Would you like to try a powdered product I believe in?"

I knew she was a former spinning instructor and into all things healthy, including juicing.  "What is it?" I said.

"It's a plant-based super-food, really healthy.  I don't juice any more, because this one product contains so many of the natural foods I put into the juicer, and more."

I remembered her kitchen, littered with rinds and seeds after one juicing session.  I wasn't about to make that kind of a mess in my kitchen and besides, I was retired with no time to waste - there were more important things to explore!

"Like what?"

"Like antioxidants, veggies, probiotics, omegas, fruits, and greens in the form of grasses.  They're all super-foods from plants."

"Sounds like fodder for cows to me!"  I could still taste the juicing concoctions she'd put together that tasted like cucumber and not much else.

"Skoop 'B Strong' is a protein boost, without cholesterol or sugar.  You could try the Skoop 'A Game' for energy. There are different flavors, if you want to do the five-day challenge. The first day there's a packet with chocolate flavor, the next one has the flavor of greens, then the chocolate, and so forth for five days."

"How do I make it so I can actually swallow it?"

"You add frozen fruit or a non-fat soy or almond milk."

"Can I still eat my meals?"

"Well, I take mine first thing in the morning for a real energy boost.  On those days I usually skip breakfast because I mix the Skoop A and B together for a complete meal. But you can put it in food, not just drink it.  You can mix it with yogurt or oatmeal or bake with it."

"So I won't need my Kashi twigs and blueberries on the day I use my potion?"

"Nope.  The super-foods grow tissue, fight sickness and infection, heal wounds and inflammation, and give you energy.  Oh, and the Skoop owners started something called MISSION NUTRITION. They pledged a child's serving of fruits and vegetables placed in school lunch salad bars across the country for each serving of Skoop sold."

"You're a good rep for the product!  I'd try the five-day challenge with some 'A Game' samples."  Which she promptly produced.

I have to admit, I cheated.  Chocolate tops the list of my primary food groups, but the first day's chocolate powder, frothing in the blender with a cup of water, tasted nothing like the Hershey bar I was imagining.  And the only fruits I had in the house were blueberries and apples.  So I added some cherries from a can of pie filling, including a couple of tablespoons of the thick, sweet syrup.  I sipped mouthfuls of the concoction, no problem.

The next day I dumped the green-grass powder into my blender for breakfast.  I figured mixing it with water wouldn't hide the flavor of still-ripe hay.  So I poured a cup of vanilla-flavored soy milk in. Downright tasty!  Much better than the chocolate, actually.

The next day's packet was chocolate again.  By then I'd bought a package of frozen pineapple/strawberries and fresh bananas.  I dumped some of each into the whirl.  Tasted just like a milkshake - really.

We had to go away for two days to attend a memorial service. I welcomed my Kashi twigs with blueberries, but didn't tell my daughter-in-law that. I'd promised to finish the challenge, and I would.

After my liquid energy boosts, I ran around the tennis court like a gazelle.  Maybe my daughter-in-law was onto something for us over-60's?  If only Skoop would help my golf game!
Visit trish.healthyskoop.com for information about the company's three products.