Guest Blogger Hostess for Wellness

My daughter, Judy, sent me a great article that she wrote for a post. I am sharing it with you!

Guest Blogger

Hi everyone,

This Wellness Wednesday took me on quite an adventure. I wanted to do something fun and figured a wellness beverage could do the trick.  Little did I know the history of the smoothie in America is a complex story intertwined with scientific breakthroughs and counter-culture. (You got stuck with a history major for this Wellness Wednesday!)  The smoothie has been around in different cultures well before it made it to the US.  India has the lassi which combines mango, yogurt and spices for its treat. Additionally, with their plethora of tropical fruits, blended fruit drinks have been around in Latin America for a long time often referred to as “fruit slushes”  

The history of the “smoothie” is connected with the invention of the blender in the 1930s by  Stephen Poplawski. The blender was then perfected in 1935 by Fred Osius and called the Waring Blender. Osius claimed his machine would “revolutionize American drinks!”

The popularization of smoothies also relates to the start of  health food crazes and workouts popularized by Fred Lalanne. “Lalanne was the first person to open a combination health-food store and gym, the first to come up with a weight loss breakfast meal replacement drink and to advocate weight training and nutrition.”

But I know the most important question, and what brought along this research project in the first place is *drumroll* where did smoothies get their name!?

Steven Kuhnau opened his first Smoothie King in Louisiana in 1973. Kuhnau was lactose intolerant and felt a little jealous he couldn’t enjoy a milkshake like his friends. He decided to create a yummy beverage that was safe for his sensitive stomach. “Kuhnau didn’t invent the name. He just branded it, [he said] the first time he heard the word was in reference to fruit and fruit juice based drinks made by “hippies” in the late 60’s. Prior to Kuhnau’s “Smoothie King”, the name “smoothie was used to describe everything from women’s bras and girdles, to ball point pens, car paint and machinery. There was even a band named “The Smoothies”! It wasn’t until Kuhnau opened his health food store and called his drinks “smoothies”, to appeal to the already health conscious hippies who knew what the term meant, that the name took off.”  

So as the weather gets warm and we start looking for some healthy treats, the smoothie drinkers in the fund development team would like to share our favorite smoothie recipes with you! Cheers! Feel free to send photos of all of your concoctions  J

The Logan:

½ cup OJ

1 cup frozen berries

Handful of spinach

1 whole banana

The PJ Baytarian:

1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 banana, broken into chunks

14 frozen strawberries

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

The Judy (inspired by the Anna at Beyond Juice):

½ cup blueberries

½ cup of strawberries

½ banana

Coconut water

Squirt of lime juice

Scoop of peanut butter

A dash of Orange Juice

(honestly my measurements are guesstimates, use your best judgement!)

To read more on the fascinating topic, check out some of my resources J

https://www.healthysmoothiehq.com/smoothies-history-what-every-smoothie-maker-should-know

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/the-history-of-smoothies/

Stay safe and healthy and enjoy this beautiful weather today. J

Judy Lansky

Director of Corporate Initiatives

Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan

Musical Monday Moves Me

Musical Monday's theme is flowers, so I'm posting a classic. There is no flower song more beautiful than the Waltz of the Flowers by Pyotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky was one of the best composers of all times, so I'm sure you've heard this one, even if it was on an episode of The Munsters. LOL! I'm curious to see if anyone else chooses Waltz of the Flowers for this theme. I hope you enjoy this classic!