Northampton Neighbor Article: Red Beast Smoothie and Nutrition

This appeared in the November 2018 Northampton Neighbor:

Smoothies are a great way to get a meal on the run—they can be highly nutritious and satisfying, and are easily handled while driving.  There’s a new option for smoothies in the neighborhood that will satisfy a quick craving or give you options to take your fitness to the next level. 

If you stop in to Red Beast Smoothie and Nutrition you will most likely be served by the owners, Eric LaBarge and Robin Schilling.  Both are military veterans with a long-time interest in fitness and nutrition.  This is their first food-related venture, and their first business together.

Eric started this journey with a severe injury while on duty.  He documented his rehabilitation process with videos on YouTube and was soon receiving a tremendous level of support.  His path eventually led to Texas state powerlifting championships.  Many people were inspired by his determination, and he began to look for a way to support others on their paths to fitness.

Robin was also looking at smoothies as a way to share fitness knowledge and began working in a smoothie shop to see if it would be a good fit.  Eric and Robin found they would be good business partners.  They live and train in the area, and after looking at other opportunities that would involve relocating decided that they would stay here.

The shop has a wide variety of delicious smoothies, and you’ll get personalized advice on what would best fit your nutritional needs.  I’ve tried the Mighty Beast (banana-chocolate-peanut butter flavors) and the Blueberry Beast (blueberry, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors—very complex) and they were both tasty and satisfying.

The store serves products for various health and fitness related diets, including diabetes-friendly items and vegan smoothies.  A specialty is “keto” smoothies, for people on diets meant to keep them in ketosis.  High in fat and protein, with minimal or no carbohydrates.  Winter means a reduction in demand for traditional smoothies, so they are branching out into healthy meals.  They also carry a variety of supplements and can advise you on which ones are right for your training program.

If you are looking for nutrition to take your training to the next level, this would be a place to visit.  If you just want a good smoothie and want to support a local, veteran-owned business it’s also an excellent choice.