Blueberry-Avocado Protein Smoothie

This smoothie uses avocado as the thickener for those that don't care for starch-based thickeners, like wheat starch, guar gum, or other thickeners like psyllium.

The recipe is ass-kissingly simple, and the taste is that of "whatever you add to the avocado" since avocados add non-taste-corrupting texture, nutrients and good veggie fats, and nothing more:

• 1/2 ripe organic avocado, cut up
• Handful of organic blueberries, can be fresh or frozen
• Enough quality water to fill your blender to approximately 475 ml (16 oz)

Blend on high, using the pulse button, until the blueberries and avocado are evenly distributed. Mixture will thicken, you'll hear the blender's reaction as this happens.

Then add in:

• 35 g rice protein or other protein powder

Pulse slightly so protein is blended in, or pour your blueberry-avocado mixture into a glass, then stir in the protein. This is especially good when using whey protein, as the whey protein can be degraded by blending it too strenuously.

Optional - add a little of your fave sweetener (like agave, rice syrup, xylitol, etc.) depending on your taste, if desired.

Sinless Graviola Smoothie (aka Soursop, Guanabana, Custard Apple, others)

During my cancer experience, I researched the Internet and found many others using a tropical fruit called graviola in their regimens, before I started using it in my own. The therapeutic parts of the graviola fruit are many, with leaves and stems being great for those dealing with all different types of cancers, and the fruit known to be good for knocking down parasitic infections and more.

I've come across several graviola (also known as soursop, guanabana and several other names) formulas using it and other herbs for medicinal purposes, and also discovered that people from tropical places like Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Brazil consume graviola regularly as a matter of course, since it literally grows in their back yards.

In the United States, the powers-that-we've-allowed-to-govern-us without much of a to-do at all make much adoo about this plant. But even so, I've ordered soursop smoothies at Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in Los Angeles as well as in other cities, some in the form of tapioca smoothies and other incarnations.

Most Asian eateries that serve these add sugar to their recipes, due to graviola's--soursop's--being what its name implies: sour. I tend to keep sugar at a minimum in my diet after the whole cancer experience, so here I've compiled a recipe for a graviola smoothie that uses other sweeteners:

• 500 ml ice cubes - use artesian water for these where possible
• 250 ml graviola or soursop pulp - remove any seeds
• 200 ml mineral or seltzer water
• 50 ml rice milk - get the 365 unsweetened variety from Whole Foods
• *10 grams inulin

For graviola/soursop, scout out Asian markets that have exotic fruits, or ask your fave Chinese restaurateur if he or she can point you in the right direction.

*If you can't find inulin, start with a small amount of stevia powder (1/8th teaspoon, add more to taste), or add in one tablespoon of agave nectar. Or, use more of the unsweetened rice milk from Whole Foods, which has inulin in it. Experiment with what works best for you and your taste buds.

Blend all ingredients well in a blender. Decorate with cocktail umbrella and/or fruit on a stick to add panache. Serve immediately, preferably in the sun, near a beach looking out over the ocean.

Easy Bitchin' Inulin-Sweetened Chewy Granola Balls

Welcome to my Fit and Bitchin' Kitchen! This is the first recipe on this blog, and it's a sweet--but not sugary--healthy and nutritious snack that's easy to make.

This recipe, like some of the others on this blog, is something I came up with during my recovery from cancer, which continues to this day, and where refined white sugar is an absolute fucking no-no for me and anyone with cancer, as it only serves to feed cancer cells, providing them the acidic environment they need to thrive in.

[Recommended reading: Sugar Blues, by William Dufty. Read it and cry, because intellectually, you'll never want to eat white sugar again, even though Big Food has bastardized your tastebuds to be addicted to it.]

This recipe uses inulin, a pre-biotic, which is a sweet powder derived from Chicory Root that feeds the good bacteria in your gut while providing a good dose of fiber (farting is encouraged!). Its sweetness is mild as compared with sugar and will not impact your blood sugar levels like sugar does. Inulin can be found in most health food stores and Trader Joe's carries a reasonably-priced large bottle in their vitamins section (update: Trader Joe's has informed me they no longer carry their inulin, so I now order it in multiples from AllStarHealth.com).

This recipe is simple and can be made anytime in just minutes.

In medium bowl, mix together 1 c. of Stuff*:

• 1/3 c. raw organic sesame seeds
• 1/3 c. raw organic buckwheat groats
• 1/3 c. uncooked organic rolled oats

*Stuff can be any mixture of things you have around--raisins, other seeds, etc. Just be sure it totals around 1 cup.

Next add inulin and sea salt to the Stuff:

• 4 tb. inulin
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

In large bowl, cream together:

• 2 tb. organic agave or maple syrup (adjust for sweetness--use vegetable glycerin and/or your fave no-calorie or low-glycemic sweetener instead if you need to limit sugars)
• 2 tb. organic cashew butter
• 1 tb. sweet organic butter, unsalted (use organic Earth Balance if you don't do butter)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Add your dry Stuff to the creamed wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly mixed and everything is sticky. Roll mixture into balls, then refrigerate. These lil' fuckers are good.

• Option 1--add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to recipe
• Option 2--add 1/4 c. grain-sweetened or similar chocolate chips
• Option 3--roll balls in dried coconut
• Option 4--roll balls in ground flax meal

Enjoy!