One great way to get healthy is to make friends with the big bad blender and smooth up your fruits and veggies. There are lots of benefits to smoothie drinking, from the hydration, fiber, and nutrient density, to the simplicity of the quick and easy recipes. Make your life easier and blend up something smart and satisfying.
1. Easy Weight Loss and Maintenance: Smoothies are a fantastic meal replacement. You can imagine it would be easy to lose weight switching from bacon and eggs for breakfast to a fruity green smoothie. Providing fiber with high water content and nutrients to keep you fuller for longer, and to help listen to hunger cues. Also, sweet nutrient dense smoothies help to curb cravings by satisfying your sweet tooth while providing you with the nutrients you need.2. Energy:
Since blenders break down fiber and large pieces of food for us, the contents are more easily digested. The smooth consistency of a smoothie takes a little bit of burden off of the body, allowing quicker and easier transit and increased energy.
3. No Waste:Are those bananas getting a little too brown? Maybe the grapes are have gotten wrinkly and the spinach has seen better days. Don’t toss them just yet — peel and freeze those bananas for a fabulous smoothie! Toss the wrinkly grapes in the blender too; you won’t notice the different once they’re all blended up. The flavor should still be there, same with older oranges and apples too. However, if there is a mold issue or the flavor or smell is off, definitely toss it.4. Quick and Easy:
Rinse. Blend. Pour. Rinse. It’s that easy. Rinse off your fresh fruits and veggies, blend them up, pour the smoothie into a cup, rinse the blender, and you’re done. Simple as that — could take less than 30 seconds once you get the hang of it. Or get one of those travel blenders that you literally just blend and you’re off! No need for too many ingredients either, just simple and naturally sweet.5. Get Your Fruit and Veggies In:
Americans seem to be having trouble eating enough fruits and vegetables. Since smoothies are mostly fruit, they are a great source of nutrition! Throw a handful of spinach or kale in and you've got a mineral powerhouse. Even add a spoonful of hemp seeds and you’ve got yourself a quite a nutrition bounty.6. Hydrate:
Water is a nutrient, people! It is essential to get in enough water. Recommendations are 8-10 cups a day and more for active individuals. Smoothies are a refreshing addition to the diet that will help to keep you hydrated. Make sure your urine is more on the clear lemonade looking side than the dark apple juice looking side.
7. Strengthen Immune Defenses:The antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables help to keep your immune system working at its best. Antioxidants decrease the damage done by free radicals, so they have the potential to slow the aging process and prevent cancer and many other diseases.8. Versatile:
A variety of fruits and vegetables can make a delicious smoothie. The experimentation never ends. From chocolaty decadence, to a sour wake-me-up; smoothies can be full of all kinds of your favorite ingredients.
5 Steps: Create the Perfect Smoothie!
This is just a guide, I am sure you can find more options than what I have provided. This is just your kickstart to help simplify the process of making a delicious smoothie.
1. Pick A Liquid Base: (about 1 cup)· Water · Coconut Water · Juice · Brewed tea · Milk of Choice (Hemp Milk, Almond Milk, Soy Milk, Dairy Milk, Coconut Milk) 2. Pick One Fat: (1-2 Tablespoons) ·
Seeds: (flax, chia, hemp, sunflower, sesame) · Nuts: (walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans) · Avocado · Peanut Butter 3. Pick One, Two, or Three Fresh or Frozen Fruits: (about 1 cup, or 2 small handfuls, varies)
Bananas · Strawberries · Blackberries · Blueberries · Raspberries · Oranges · Pineapples · Acai · Goji Berries · Cherries · Lemon/Lime · Mango · Peaches/nectarines · Apples · Plums · Kiwis 4. Pick One, Two, Or Three Vegetables (try 1 large handful, start with less at first and add more to taste)Spinach · Kale · Swiss Chard · Collards · Beet Greens · Turnip Greens · Dandelion Greens · Endive · Sprouts · Romaine Lettuce · Basil · Mint · Cilantro · Parsley
5. Optional Superfoods, Supplements, and Spices
Bee Pollen (1-2 Tbsp) · Maca Powder (1-2 tsp) · Spirulina (1-2 tsp) · Cacao or Carob Powder (1-2 Tbsp) · Cinnamon (1-2 tsp) · Vanilla (1-2 tsp) · Cardamom (1 tsp) · Ginger (1 tsp) · Plant Based Protein Powders (1 scoop) · Oatmeal (1-2 Tbsp) · Sprouted grains (1-2 Tbsp)
