Recovery Drink

The Recovery Drink is a bone broth based beverage I created that is made of easily digestible carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.   This is ideal sustenance for when you are fasting, post workout, or as a general tonic for ongoing gut repair.

These essential nutrients can sustain energy levels and promote healing while allowing the digestive track to rest.   You can drink up to one quart or more per day (4 – 8 ounce servings).  Happy Recovery!

8 oz bone broth

¼ – ½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp glutamine powder

1 tsp – 1 Tb MCT oil or ghee

1 tsp dextrose /  rice syrup / honey / maple syrup

OPTIONAL

¼ – ½ tsp gelatin

1 tsp Bulletproof Grass-Fed Collagen Powder

1 capsule tryptophan or 5-HTP

THE INGREDIENTS

BONE BROTH – Bone broth contains collagen protein.  Collagen is the primary connective tissue in the body and needed for all tissue repair.

GLUTAMINE– Glutamine plays several key roles in this formula: facilitates gut repair by providing food for the enterocytes (the cells of the intestinal lining), fuels neurons in the brain and peripheral nervous system, and aids in muscle recovery after workouts.

MCT OIL – Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil is a shorter chain fatty acid that is generally derived from coconut and / or palm kernel.  MCT’s are unique in the world of fats because they are utilized exclusively for fuel and are essentially predigested, i.e., they do not require the action of bile or other fat digesting secretions in order to be absorbed in the body.

Be careful not to take too much MCT at first or you will find yourself running to the bathroom to make an emergency deposit.  Start with 1 – 2 tsp at a time.

GHEE –  Ghee is another name for clarified butter.  After MCT oil, it is probably the most easily digested natural fat.  Ghee contains saturated fat and short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s).  The SCFA’s are an easy to burn fatty acid fuel for the body.  Some SCFA’s (called butyrates) complement the glutamine well, as they are also a primary fuel for the gut cells.

GREAT LAKES GELATIN – This high quality gelatin is available at most well stocked health food stores or can be ordered on the internet.  This like most other gelatins must be dissolved in cool liquid (see directions on the container).  Small amounts of can be added to provide extra protein, as well as thicken it, giving the drink “body.”  While it is fine to use larger amounts (more than a ½ tsp), this will cause the drink to turn into “Jell-O.”

BULLETPROOF COLLAGEN POWDER  – Unlike other gelatin / collagen powders, this product does not gel in water; therefore it may be added in greater quantities.  This is a great choice for anyone wishing to increase the protein content of the drink.

TRYPTOPHAN or 5-HTP – Collagen contains 7 out of the 8 essential amino acids needed to make it a “complete” protein.  This missing amino acid is tryptophan.  Tryptophan is well known because it is the precursor to neurotransmitter serotonin, which is associated with depression.

To offset this missing amino acid, I recommend either supplementing the drink with a capsule of tryptophan or 5-HTP, which is the chemical intermediate between tryptophan and serotonin.  Both are widely available at health food or supplement stores.  If one is getting adequate amounts of meat in their diet already, this additional ingredient would not be necessary.  However, if you are fasting on the recovery drink or not getting any dietary sources of tryptophan I would strongly recommend using supplemental tryptophan or 5 – HTP.

Alternately, one can use meaty bones or add meat to the broth; meat contains abundant amounts of this essential amino acid.

WHICH SWEETENER DO I USE?

DEXTROSE – Dextrose is that name for glucose that comes in a powdered form.  It is a completely predigested simple sugar, i.e., just single glucose molecules.  From this standpoint it is the most sensible sweetener to use; however, bear in mind that all dextrose available in this country is made from GMO corn.

RICE SYRUP – The closest natural alternative to dextrose is rice syrup.  Rice syrup contains glucose, maltose (2 glucose bound together), and maltriose (3 glucose bound together).  This is a fine sweetener for most.  The exception is for those with sensitivities to the aspergillis molds that are used to make this product.

HONEY – Honey contains equal amounts of glucose and fructose.  Most of this is on the form of a monosaccharide (single molecules sugar), rather than being bound together as sucrose (a disaccharide).  Because of its monosaccharide form it is easily absorbed into the body by most people; however, if some one has major gut damage they may not be able to absorb the fructose.  When fructose lingers in the digestive tract it will inevitably feed bacteria (generally not so friendly ones) causing bloating, gas, and intestinal damage.  This phenomena nearly always happens in individuals suffering from Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

MAPLE SYRUP – Maple syrup contains caramelized sucrose.  It’s delicious, fairly digestible, but not quite as digestible as honey.