Is Your Favorite Conviction Killing You? Shaking up the milkshake The milkshake. What could be more American, right? As near as I can discover, the modern malt-and-ice cream variety of "milkshake" was the invention of a soda-fountain clerk at the famous Walgreen's Drug in Chicago in the early 1920s. Demand was apparently so strong that folks would line up outside the store for blocks just to get their hands on one. Since then, the milkshake has been a staple on the menu of every fast-food chain, burger joint, BBQ stand, and diner in the country. Milkshakes have even been immortalized repeatedly in the artwork of that quintessential American painter, Norman Rockwell. It's fitting that this classic confection should be on the short list — along with baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie — of what makes us American. Why? Because in the modern age, "American" has become synonymous with "Fat." And there are few foods in the whole landscape of American cuisine that have contributed more to this "expansion" of our national definition than the good ol' milkshake. Not that the milkshake even pretends to have much more than a splash of healthy milk in it. Nowadays, it's nothing but ice cream (and maybe a pinch or two of malt) blended down to be just thin enough to be consumable through a heavy-duty straw. What's so wrong with this, you're asking? Just to put it in perspective for you, even a relatively small milkshake — a two-scooper from Baskin-Robbins, let's say — has upwards of 700 calories in it. But there are other "mega-shakes" out there made from as many as four or even five scoops of ice cream. These are typically served nearly overflowing from the quart-sized metal cups they're blended in. How many calories in these behemoths? As many as 1500, I'd wager. And almost NONE of these calories are from proteins, animal fats, or other healthy lipids at all. Milkshakes are nothing but a solid injection of refined, simple sugars our bodies convert directly into unhealthy fats — which many of us will then pay to have suctioned off later. And this is not to
mention the insulin strain our cells endure from the sugar overload milkshakes tax our systems with. No wonder diabetes is so rampant, huh? Does this mean you have to forego the "shakes" you may have grown up to love? Not at all – keep reading... Want to keep enjoying shakes without ending up diabetic or obese — or on a slab? It couldn't be easier. All you need to do is change the way you think about this confection (like realizing that the ice cream isn't really necessary at all), experiment a little with the following ingredients, and you'll soon be slurping yourself to trim, insulin-friendly good health. Here's what
you do: Gather up a few of your favorite fruits (fresh, of course). I've found that strawberries, peaches, and bananas work best — but pears and even apples can work, too, if you're willing to experiment a little. Peaches and strawberries are my favorites — especially since they're surprisingly low in natural sugar, even though they taste quite sweet! Blend one or more of these together with a cup or so of good, whole milk (or even better, some heavy cream), and four or five ice cubes and you've got a great tasty treat that's typically around 150 calories — about 1/10th of what's in that "mega-shake" down at the corner soda fountain. If you need a little extra body in your shake, add a tablespoon or so of ground flaxseed to the mix. That way, you'll get a healthy shot of fiber and Omega-3 fats along with your snack. For real power, throw in a raw egg. Now, it'll take some experimenting to get it exactly right, but that's half the fun, isn't it? But I'm telling you — these shakes taste just as good without the ice cream. Try it and you'll see…
Always shaking up the establishment,
William Campbell Douglass II, MD | 
