Why You Should Consider Smoothies
by Olivia Parker, author of 'Sensational Smoothies: Drink Your Way To Health Deliciously'
You may have heard about smoothies, especially from raw foodists. But why should you consider them as part of your diet, especially in your efforts to lose weight?
Here are some reasons:
- Green smoothies (one made with leafy greens like romaine lettuce, parsley, celery, spinach, etc. mixed with the fruit) can fill a nutritional void. If you hopelessly pick at your green salad or rarely touch the vegetables on your plate, then you may want to “drink” your vegetables instead. Doing so is convenient and easy. Plus, if you’ve tried green smoothie, you cannot distinguish the delicate taste of leafy greens because the tang of fruit overpowers it.
- Smoothies have gotten a bad rep because of their sugar content. A sugary smoothie is avoidable. You can control the sugar content. That is, if you make your own smoothies and stay away from processed, conveniently packed smoothie mixes and artificial sweeteners (which can be worse than regular table sugar). Whole fruit, either fresh or frozen, produces the healthiest smoothies. If you want to lose weight, then nix the sweetened fruit juices that you can easily pour in order to sweeten your smoothie. Instead, try adding coconut water instead of fruit juice because coconut water is electrolyte-rich and is flavorful.
- In a smoothie, you can have protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber – in one big gulp. In fact, you can lose weight by filling up with the right smoothie recipes. The peanut butter and banana smoothie, for instance. This protein-fiber combination fills you up, is easy to make and consume (no dishes and utensils required), and provides you with energy to start your day. If you get tired of bananas as your smoothie staple ingredient, then switch to avocados. Avocados are creamy, which make them excellent for blended drinks, and they are high in monounsaturated fats – the good fats that target belly fat. Other protein ingredients to substitute for peanut butter in your smoothie include silken tofu or nuts.
Olivia Parker is the author of “Sensational Smoothies: Drink Your Way to Health Deliciously,” an ebook about healthy and delicious smoothies. It contains over 180 kitchen-tested smoothie recipes and informative content. To read on about smoothies, visit http://healthyhomemadesmoothies.com To check out Olivia Parker’s book, please go to http://www.sensationalsmoothies.com
This book looks great. I also lost a lot of weight, over 56 pounds by drinking mainly green smoothies. They are amazing for your health and I've recovered from most of my health problems too. I totally agree about the banana and peanut butter smoothie. It's one of my all time favourites and my most popular recipe on my website.
ReplyDeleteI add oats to my smoothies to make them filling and creamy.
Wow! thanks for sharing - 56 pounds is quite impressive!! I'm allergic to peanut butter, but I LOVE almond butter and banana smoothies. Such a treat.
Deletei've recently fallen in love with smoothies! what a great post. i love the cover of the book!
ReplyDeleteThanks Caralyn. Me too. I have one everyday and I try and have one green smoothie too (not just fruit).
DeleteI put most of my supplements in my smoothie--I dump amino acid powder and vitamin capsules right into the blender. I call it my "gut healing smoothie." I am going to do a post on it, soon! I agree that smoothies are a great way to take in a lot of nutrients.
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren,
DeleteI agree this is a great way to get our nutrients. I also do this. I feel like the nutrients are absorbed better. I mainly do vit C, B, and a multi. :-) Looking forward to your post.