chapter 9 – Health Project 99+ (in good shape)

9. FOUR DRINKS: (d) THE DAILY COLLAGEN/CREATINE/PROTEIN SHAKE (health project99+)

This lion of Babylon is in the Louvre museum

Dear reader,

Four different drinks daily form the larger part of my diet. The rest is more solid, of course. It consists of nuts and fish, but fish much less than before. Fish can easily lead to the intake of too many harmful substances like heavy metals and antibiotics. I also eat some organic chicken, whole-grain bread and pasta, eggs, goat cheese, and a few pieces of dark chocolate. Plus, of course, the occasional other foods.

A. My four drinks

Homemade vegetables soup (every evening)
Lemons and/or lime juice (morning + during day drink)
Fruit/vegetables smoothie with seeds and supplements (late morning and luncheon)
Collagen/creatine/protein shake (morning)

(note, below I put the links of my earlier blogs I made on the first three drinks).

B. The fourth one? Every morning, half a liter of water mixed with lemon juice. Add 2 x 5 grams of collagen and creatine. Include 25 grams of a “complete” protein (=a protein providing all 21 amino acids).

All three ingredients of my fourth drink are proteins. Yet, collagen and creatine have specific purposes. It differs from the “complete” protein powders due to a different, less complete amino acid composition.

A good collagen powder is rich in certain amino acids. These include glycine, praline, and hydroxyproline. They are important for the body’s synthesis (=production) of collagen and other structural tissues. Nevertheless, collagen is relatively low in “essential” amino acids, particularly tryptophan.

So in short, collagen nor creatine have all the amino acids our body needs. For my protein needs I take, in addition to food (pay attention to protein rich food!) a complete (a full spectrum) protein powder that contains all the existing 21 amino acids, including the 9 so called “essential” amino acids. “Essential” in the sense that the body does not produce them and nutrition is needed to get them. As we know, these amino acids form 1000’s of different proteins. These proteins are better known as the building blocks of life.

C. “Might work, but no harm”-principle

I realize that not all claims about collagen are proven. For me, taking collagen falls in the category: “it does not hurt (except your wallet).” It might actually do some good. Life is short and there are many developments on going. However, one does not have the time to await the result of all research. For that reason I do no mind taking supplements that are promising, but not scientifically proven. It is important though that they should not do harm. Precisely because of potential harm I have decided not to take Omega-3 supplements anymore. https://shakethehealthtree.com/index.php/2025/03/21/21-omega-3-supplements-often-no-need-to-take-them-health-project99/

Ok, one by one. Why collagen? Why creatine? Why a wide range/complete protein?

D. Protein

To start with the last one. From my extensive internet and Youtube based research on protein, I drew main 3 conclusions: 1) most people have a too low intake of protein, especially in the light of the latest insights that go for 1.2 – 1.5 grams of protein per kg body weight. In my case I raised protein intake from 70 grams to 120 grams. 2) Your body can effectively only process about 25 grams per time slot of a few hours. This means that you have to spread your protein intake during the day. That is why I put protein in my smoothie. I also added it to this fourth early morning drink. 3. Make sure that you have a protein of good quality that has all the 21 amino acids. And do not worry if you take a bit too much. It will do no harm, except to your waistline.

I already did an extensive blog on protein https://shakethehealthtree.com/index.php/2025/02/25/5-power-to-the-proteins-and-also-enough-is-not-always-enough/#comment-13

E. Why creatine?

Certain claims about creatine have withstood scientific scrutiny. This unlike collagen where studies are still ongoing with only positive indications that collagen might have some positive effect.

Creatine is not a protein. It is a compound related to amino acids. These amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Specifically, creatine is synthesized (produced) from three amino acids: arginine, glycine, and methionine.

Creatine is stored in the muscles. It is used to replenish “adenosine triphosphate” (ATP), the primary energy carrier in cells. This occurs during short bursts of high-intensity physical activities, such as weightlifting or sprinting. This ability to rapidly regenerate ATP makes creatine a popular supplement among athletes. Bodybuilders also favor it to improve performance and increase muscle mass. Also non-athletes profit as creatine contributes to stronger muscles and improves endurance.

F. Best creatine is creatine monohydrate

There are different kind of creatine. The one most recommended is creatine monohydrate. While there are other forms of creatine available on the market—such as creatine ethyl ester, creatine hydrochloride, and buffered creatine—none have shown to provide the same benefits as creatine monohydrate. It is also this creatine that I take.

G. Collagen

Collagen is a protein found in abundance throughout the body. Often considered the glue that holds the body together, collagen offers many benefits. It supports the skin’s texture and elasticity. It also keeps your joints moving smoothly and much more.

As you get older, however, collagen production starts to diminish, which as we know has very visible results. Our wrinkles were not there at our 20’s nor was our dry skin. This lack of collagen is becoming especially notable in your 50’s and later. Many other factors can also interfere with collagen synthesis (=production). These factors include smoking, sun exposure, and a poor diet.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways that can help boost collagen levels, some proven, some not. This varies from food, LED masks to using a collagen supplement. In a later blog I will dive deeper into collagen. For now, it suffices to say that both LED masks and collagen supplements might show promising results. An increasing number of tests support this. Nevertheless, there is no established science yet that confirms that certain supplements lead to collagen production in the body. Research is still ongoing.

Emphasizing a nutrient-dense diet is proven to keep higher collagen levels. This diet includes lots of antioxidants and vitamin C. These nutrients can be found in fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices.

H. Attributed positive effects of collagen

Increasing your intake of collagen is said to offer several benefits. You can do this with foods, collagen supplements or a combination of both. It supports a healthy gut and impacts gut lining integrity. It supports the health of your joints, tendons, and connective tissue, impacting comfort and mobility. It helps to promote healthy hair, nails, and skin, including skin elasticity. It assists in building muscle. Lastly, it supports the health of the heart and blood vessels.

I. Just to know: collagen supplements prompt collagen production

Collagen supplements do not deposit collagen on the desired places in your body. What it does is stimulating your body to intensify collagen production itself. It acts as a signaling molecule to prompt extra collagen production by the body.

J. Safety

Collagen (nor creatine) supplements are not regulated as strictly as pharmaceuticals. The quality and content of collagen products can vary widely. Also important to realize that there is no such thing as vegan collagen. Collagen powder is made from animal skin and bones. I initially took two collagen types, one based on cows products and one based on fish. I switched to collagen made from bovine products alone. Fish-based collagen carries a greater risk of contaminated produce. Most producers from fish based collagen are a bit sketchy on the origin of its material.

K. My experience

I focus on a collagen-friendly diet and take collagen supplements. Occasionally, I use an LED mask, and my wife insists that I apply certain moisturizing ointments. Given how my parents aged gracefully, I likely have good anti-wrinkle genes. However, since I began taking collagen powder, I’ve noticed a clear improvement in my skin—my neck is smoother and tighter, and my face appears more youthful. This change is likely due to the collagen powder, as my diet was already rich in collagen-friendly foods.

This was the description of the last of my four drinks. I hope it inspires you. As promised herewith the links to the other three drinks.

9. FOUR DRINKS: (A) MORNING & AFTERNOON SMOOTHIE (health project 99+)

9. FOUR DRINKS: (B) LEMONS AND LIMES (health project 99+)

9. FOUR DRINKS: (C) THE EVENING VEGETABLES SOUP (health project99+)

Enjoy!

Robert, your health friend

9. FOUR DRINKS: (C) THE EVENING VEGETABLES SOUP (health project99+)

Summary: thanks to changing habits, by turning solid vegetables into soup, I now easily meet my daily vegetables target. And my body is grateful for it.

1. I don’t like vegetables...

I’ve never been a fan of vegetables. I would tolerate only peas and maybe some carrots. They had to be covered in Dutch Apple Sauce (which is not healthy because of its high sugar content). Potatoes and especially French fries got a pass. They might count as veggies, but peeled and fried, they do not offer much health benefit.

I have known all these years, of course, that vegetables should play a starring role in any healthy diet. My mother said a thing or two about it, if I remember correctly. But, willpower is essential for any lifestyle change and about these green, red and white things the motivation was just lacking. I will write about the importance of will power (and the lack of it) in another blog.

2. But

About six years ago, my wife decided she’d had enough of my veggie aversion. She started making vegetable soup, using fresh or frozen vegetables only. A blend of persuasion and gentle insistence managed to get me to eat it daily. It was a brilliant move and since then, I haven’t looked back. Vegetables are now an integral part of my diet, and the numbers from my annual health tests show the benefits. *(For context, biomarkers are biological molecules that indicate normal or abnormal processes or conditions in the body.)

3. At home we have a diet that is 3/4 liquid

1. Lemon juice to start the day and as a drink in between (1 liter). https://shakethehealthtree.com/index.php/2025/02/25/5-lemons-and-limes-health-project-99/

2. A large smoothie for breakfast and lunch (up to one liter). I already wrote about this morning routine. https://shakethehealthtree.com/index.php/2025/03/10/9-four-drinks-a-morning-afternoon-smoothie-health-project-99/

3. A fresh soup for the evening, with some carbs and proteins like fish, 0.4 liters.

4. Two glasses of water/lemon juice with collagen and creatine (0.5 liters), one in the morning with added protein, and one in the evening without extra protein.

4. Carbs, meat, fish

We aren’t against carbs. They just need to come in the form of whole grains. We prefer these over white bread, white rice, or light pasta. We don’t eat much meat, and when we do, it’s mainly organic chicken. We consume fish more frequently, though less than before due to a variety of increasing concerns ranging from mercury to nano-plastics. And I already wrote about the big role nuts play in my diet.

5. More about vegetables

I enjoy incorporating a variety of vegetables into my meals. I include red beets, broccoli, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes. I like to spice things up with a bit of celery or leek—I would use onions, but I’m unfortunately allergic. Instead of combining all these vegetables at once, I prefer selecting a mix that suits my needs. Not always a culinary success, by the way, but that is part of the process. Healthy they always are!

Each vegetable brings its own unique benefits. For example, beets are touted for their potential health properties, including (unproven) anti-cancer claims. Broccoli and spinach offer around 3 grams of protein per 100 grams. Sweet potatoes are particularly impressive, containing 35% fewer carbs than regular potatoes and packed with vitamins and minerals.

All these vegetables are excellent sources of fiber which is crucial for health. Good to know as it can be challenging to consume fiber in sufficient quantities, just as it is with protein. Life is unfair because if we compare proteins and fiber with sugar, there the opposite is true. Sugar, our common dietary foe is found in many forms in our food and very easy to overeat.

One caveat. Some vegetables have a surprising amount of sugar as well, so be careful. For example, carrots contain 6 grams per 100 grams, beetroot has 8 grams, and pumpkin 5. In contrast, broccoli contains only about 0.4 grams.

6. Preparation

I mostly use frozen vegetables for their health benefits, cleanliness, practicality, and affordability. When I buy fresh, I cook and freeze them for later use.

I start by boiling approximately ½ kg of frozen vegetables. After boiling for a few minutes, I transfer everything into a blender. I then add salt, pepper, two teaspoons of olive oil, and a generous amount of herbs. Once blended, voilà—a delicious vegetable soup is ready, although not always perfect! Too much cauliflower for example is not to my taste :).

Enjoy a happy, tasty and healthy life,

Robert, your health friend

Cool guys in the DRC, when times were more peaceful

9. FOUR DRINKS: (A) MORNING & AFTERNOON SMOOTHIE (health project 99+)

Summary: smoothies, when well prepared, should be an important part of your daily diet; in mine it is. Be careful with the hidden sugars though, as the negative effect of natural sugar is not different from that of added sugar!

1. Take it easy

People who write about health might come across as too fanatic. Sometimes they may also seem too principled. To a certain extent I am, but not too much, I hope. At home, we do eat some carbs. I do not mind the occasional croissant (from Lidl — they weigh less than 10 grams, are very fluffy, with hardly any butter, and cost 0.45 euro cents 😊), a sandwich with an egg, some sweet potato French fries, or rice crackers with goat cheese. A few pieces of dark chocolate, normally in the morning, and nuts (sometimes too much) during the day.

2. Not anti, just careful

Solid food-wise, we do not eat meat. We also do not have daily plates with pasta or rice. Nor do we have six sandwiches with the famous Dutch cheese or peanut butter. As I stressed before, my wife and I are not anti-carbs. We are also not anti-meat, and definitely not anti-Dutch cheese. When offered a delicious piece of Pavlova, I will not refuse. However, the emphasis on liquid food serves us well. Without eating less, my weight went down from 96 kg to 82 – 84 kg in one year. We do practice a light form of intermittent fasting (not eating for 12 – 14 hours per day).

More about my eating habits in other blogs, but for now the focus on morning & afternoon smoothie.

3. A “Liquid” Diet with Four Components

However, the main staple of my diet is “liquid”:

1. A large smoothie for breakfast and lunch (up to one liter).

2. A fresh soup for the evening (most of the time combined with fish), 0.4 liters.

3. Lemon juice to start the day and as a drink in between (1 liter). https://shakethehealthtree.com/index.php/2025/02/25/5-lemons-and-limes-health-project-99/

4. Two glasses of water/lemon juice with collagen and creatine (0.5 liters), one in the morning with added protein, and one in the evening without extra protein.

These quantities are rough indications only.

4. Be careful: risk of sugar overload

Smoothies can be great. They taste delicious. When prepared well, they can offer a load of useful nutrients, proteins, and fiber. However, there’s one risk: too much sugar. Recommended highest quantities of added sugar vary, depending on the country, gender, activity level, etc., ranging from 20 to 50 grams daily. This is not much .

5. Yes, there are differences between added and natural sugar, but…..

You often hear there’s a big difference between added sugars and natural sugars. While it’s true to some extent, natural sugars are part of whole foods and come with all their benefits. However, added sugar is simply sugar. Your body doesn’t distinguish between natural and added sugars. In short, be careful. Do not think that you can eat and drink unlimited amounts of milk, for example, or natural juices. They have natural sugar but they have same negative and highly addictive effects as added sugar. In other blogs, I will focus a lot on sugar.

6. Sugar Examples of popular smoothie input

In my smoothies, bananas contribute the most sugar, up to 15 grams per banana. Berries add about 5 grams per 100 grams, making them a better choice. Avoid milk, as it contains lactose—a form of sugar—beyond its fat content; in stead of milk I use unsweetened soya milk. Mangoes and pineapples, both popular smoothie ingredients, also have high natural sugar content, between 10 – 15 grams per 100 grams.

7. My Experience

In my daily diet, I easily consume half of my allowed sugar intake through smoothies alone. If I’m not careful, I consume even more. Therefore, with natural sugars included, I have about 20 – 25 grams left for the rest of the day. For instance, carrots, which I use in soup, have 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams, and light French quark adds 3-4 grams.

I don’t want to overwhelm you with details. The point is clear: with smoothies and evening soup, it’s easy to reach or exceed the daily sugar limit. This leaves few options for those who have a sweet tooth, perhaps allowing just a cookie or a small piece of apple pie. That’s why my go-to snack are nuts!

Okay, the smoothie as I prepare it (more or less)

The liquid base consists of lemon juice (100 ml) and unsweetened soy milk (500 ml). It also includes some water. At times, it contains leftover soup from the evening before.

I use banana and berries, or berries and mango, or just berries.

I always add one avocado and some broccoli or spinach.

In addition to these ingredients, I have a combined protein/collagen drink in the morning and collagen only in the evening (0.5 liter).

For additional fiber, I include some fine oatmeal.

I add one spoon of chia seeds. Then, I add two spoons of ground flax seeds and some black pepper. This is to enhance the effect of curcumin. I also add a teaspoon of cinnamon.

8. The end result?

Something very healthy, delicious and tasting remarkably sweet.

Enjoy your smoothie, enjoy your life,

Robert, your health friend

Central Park, New York City

9. FOUR DRINKS: (B) LEMONS AND LIMES (health project 99+)

Dear reader,

I hope you are doing fine. Today some words on Lemons and Limes: longevity, prostate, intermittent fasting, vitamin C, tasty and cost effective.

Many women aged between 90 and 100 years old have one thing in common: they drink lemon water daily. It is usually slightly warm. Sometimes they drink it cold. This is better, by the way. Heating up lemon water will destroy some of its benefits.

There isn’t any definitive evidence linking their age and longevity specifically to lemon water consumption. Still, I’ve come across this statement often enough to inspire me. It led me to incorporate daily lemon juice into my own routine.

Furthermore, I’ve seen claims on the internet suggesting that lemon water may positively affect prostate function. While hard scientific evidence supporting this is lacking as well, anecdotal accounts are quite positive, including my own. My personal experience has been encouraging. After six months of drinking lemon water daily, I’ve noticed significant improvements in my bladder performance. There was also a major improvement in my PSA levels. Again, while this is merely anecdotal, it seems to have been beneficial for me.

Daily routine

As part of my daily routine, the first thing I do before breakfast is prepare a lemon drink. I also drink a glass with some added creatine and collagen. I also prepare another glass for my wife. She uses it to take her potent probiotic pill. Occasionally, I use limes instead, or a combination of both lemons and limes. We prepare approximately two liters, which my wife and I drink throughout the day (but not during meals). I use the whole lemon or lime. I add a piece of ginger, about 4 grams per person. Health experts recommend not to overdo it with ginger. I also include a bit of cayenne pepper, about half a teaspoon.

Nutritionally, there aren’t major differences between lemons and limes. Limes have a slightly more bitter taste. Lemons contain more vitamin C, offering 50 mg per 100 grams. In comparison, limes contain 30 mg per 100 grams. Beyond that, they are very similar. Both fruits offer vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin A, and also minerals like potassium. Lemons and limes also give dietary fiber (2.5 grams, roughly 10% of your daily needs), especially if you include the peel and the pith.

Positive claims on internet of top potential benefits of lemons and limes: they can help reduce kidney stones. They are high in vitamin C. They can help reduce the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency and scurvy. They have an antihistamine effect and anti-fungal properties. They can also help reduce uric acid and help increase iron absorption. My comments: these points come up often, but does not mean all of them are necessarily correct.

Two warnings. Do not drink this when you have an ulcer or gastritis. The acidity of lemon juice can damage the enamel of your teeth in the long run. Use a straw, preferably a wide one. Do not drink it right after brushing your teeth.

Intermittent fasting

They are very low in the three macro nutrients like (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats). So, individuals practicing intermittent fasting might consider a lemon drink as an interesting option. One lemon has only about 30 kcal, even when including the peel. Purists might avoid it. Still, I believe starting the day with a 5 kcal glass is acceptable. You can still call yourself an intermittent faster.

Saving money (and pesticides)

Lemons aren’t the priciest fruit, but there are ways to save money. When they are on sale, I buy 30 or 40 and freeze them whole to prevent spoilage. I use the entire fruit. Still, I remove the outermost layer of peel with a peeler due to pesticide concerns. While washing is a possibility, I prefer this precaution to work with a peeler. Removing a thin layer doesn’t significantly reduce the nutrients and fiber. It also ensures we’re not ingesting pesticides. Buying organic is another choice, but they can be more expensive and aren’t always available. Plus, I’m sometimes skeptical of organic claims.

Adding ginger and Cayenne pepper

I’ll cover ginger thoroughly in a separate blog, but it’s reputed to have many benefits, including promoting heart health. There are even indications of potential anti-cancer properties. I’ll also dedicate a separate blog to Cayenne Pepper. It is known for its wide range of health benefits due to its active compound, capsaicin. This includes benefits for heart health.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the lemon and/or lime juice. I also read some excellent pieces on cucumber juice. It does not appeal to me, but I will try. In the future :).

Live a happy and healthy life,

Your health friend, Robert

Selfie on the Kijkduin beach, standing in the cold water