The Power of Smoothies Making a smoothie is easy for everyone and has major health benefits! Not only are they incredibly healthy and can be the boost in your healthy diet, but they are mouth-watering good. When making a smoothie, you put in the full fruit or vegetable. This means that you are receiving all the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytonutrients and fiber that each food has to offer. The name says it all, a ‘smoothie’ means that the concoction is smooth and can be digested really easily by your body. Because the body can digest the food so well it means your nutritional absorption and the health of the digestive system is improved. I know that for me personally I use to struggle with fitting in the recommended amount of fruit and vegies each day. Ages 12-18 should be getting 3-4 serves of fruit and 4-9 serves of vegetables every day. Men and women should be getting 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables each day. However when I brought smoothies into my life I found it so easy to achieve the right amount of each food group. By starting off my day with a smoothie, it would give me a major energy boost and keep me full. Drinking a smoothie for breakfast, after a work out or for afternoon tea would power me through the rest of the day.
A warning about smoothies: Not everything with the label of a ‘smoothie’ is healthy. When you make a smoothie at home, you know everything that goes into it, and you know the nutritional value of what you are about to drink. However there are many ingredients that should not go into your smoothie! Many ingredients like ice cream, sugar, sweetened fruit juice and other sugary products will make the smoothie high in fat and calories. The good news is these food items can be substituted for ingredients that not only aid in weight loss but also have many health benefits. The Bad Ingredient Ice Cream
Why it’s bad
Milk
Milk is high in fat, can lead to weight increase and leads to bad digestion.
Sweeteners like sugar and agave
They are not beneficial to your body at all, but instead are harmful: leading to diseases, destroying your teeth and liver, and help you put on weight fast. Most peanut butters that you buy in a
Peanut butter
It is high in calories, bad fats, sugar
The Good Substitute Ice cubes to thicken up the smoothie, Greek yogurt or frozen bananas
Why it’s good
Instead use natural peanut butter, it only has
It helps you lose weight because of the protein
These are great substitutes as they each have their own health benefits and are all part of a balanced diet Almond milk Almond milk is (natural) full of nutrients and us with protein, fibre, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and more! Add extra fruit: While fruit is bananas, dates sweet it contains and berries all many vitamins give a sweet taste and minerals they to your are essential to a smoothies. healthy balanced diet.
supermarket have one ingredient: sugar as a second peanuts ingredient! Chocolate
Chocolate is packed with sugar, fat and will make you put on weight
Cacao powder
and fiber that fills you up, it is full of nutrition and is a good type of fat Has a delicious dark chocolate taste and yet is full of nutrients and minerals!
My Favourite Smoothie Recipes (each one makes enough for 2 people)
Detox Green Aim: To detoxify your body and give you energy Ingredients: 1 cup of green tea, 1 cup of spinach or kale, kiwifruit, ½ a cup of strawberries, 1 green apple and ½ of a lemon juice Post-work Chocolate and Peanut butter Aim: To refuel your body after a work out and supply protein for your muscles to repair. Ingredients: 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder, 1 banana, ½ a cup of almond milk, 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
Energising Breakfast Aim: To fill you up and give you a 100%healthy boost Ingredients: 1 cup of almond milk, 4 frozen bananas, ½ a cup of oats, a teaspoon of honey, ¼ cup of almonds, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon Tropical Paradise Aim: To provide 2 serves of fruit for your day Ingredients: Pineapple, mango, passion fruit, a frozen banana, desiccated coconut and coconut water Vegie patch Aim: To provide 2 serves of vegies for your day Ingredients: Pineapple, celery, carrot and ginger