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.
