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The Case for a Healthy Smoothie Diet

a healthy smoothie dietWhat can a healthy smoothie diet do for you? What comes to mind first when you’re trying to lose weight is: eat less, go hungry, cut down on calories, exercise – none of which sounds particularly encouraging.

But what if instead you could eat delicious foods high in nutrients while low in calories, easy to digest while boosting your energy, super easy to prepare, yummy, comes in a smorgasbord of flavors and travels well to boot.

No wonder smoothies are so quickly gaining in popularity…

Fruit Smoothies for Weight Loss?

Most people are used to milk shakes and equate blending with fruit smoothies. A fruit smoothie diet is certainly a good way to embark on a healthier lifestyle or start a weight loss program. They are a smooth transition from milk shakes and take very little adapting to. Replace all of part of the milk with coconut water, juice or yogurt, and you have made the switch.

Lighter smoothies can be made with frozen berries and coconut water. For more filling drinks and a creamy texture, simply add yogurt, a frozen banana, cocoa powder or a little nut butter.

But if you want to venture further and if you are new to the world of blending, think of those smooth healthy drinks in terms of color.

Red smoothies are an easy way to transition into green smoothies. Push the boundaries into the unknown a little and start adding red foods such as beets and raw cocoa powder to your berry drink. You are slowly adding nutrients which help you detox.

Because they are high in carbohydrates and sugar, fruit smoothies are not the healthiest for you and will cause you to gain rather than lose weight. However, they are the perfect link to healthy green smoothies.

For a smooth transition to vegetable smoothies, gradually start adding light tasting greens like cucumber or lettuce to your smoothie. Finish with a touch of lime or lemon juice and enjoy the fresh taste.

Vegetable Smoothie Diet: A Better Option

When your smoothie consists mostly of green vegetables, you are getting the true benefits of a healthy diet and can start watching the weight drop. It’s just like eating a salad without having to chew.

Make it as sweet or savory as you like, but keep in mind that the darker the leaves, the better for you. Think kale, chard, spinach with a little lettuce thrown in… Again, a little ice and/or some frozen banana add great consistency.

Add a green smoothie to your daily food intake and not only will you experience more energy as you are getting amazing nutrition and fiber, but you will also feel lighter as the process of digestion is much easier on your stomach.

For a little variety, why not blend a savory smoothie – something that reminds you of salsa, or maybe gazpacho. A mix of tomato, cucumber, some leafy greens, onion and lime juice. Tomato juice, vegetable or even chicken or beef broth help dilute while adding flavor.

Protein Smoothies

Last but not least for an extra boost of energy, add a scoop of protein powder or natural protein from hemp, peanut butter or whole milk yogurt. These will help you feel fuller longer and recover from your workouts more swiftly.

Healthy Smoothies for Weight Loss

It’s easy to see why smoothies make the perfect meal: not only do they help you eat or more to the point drink healthy, but they can also help you lose weight.

1. Few Calories, Full Stomach

Fiber from spinach, kale and chard plays a major role in blending healthy drinks that help you feel full. Together with cucumbers, tomatoes or peppers, they can make for tasty drinks that contain very little sugar and will keep you going for hours without feeling hungry. For a little variation, add some blueberries or other berries for antioxidants.

2. Nutrient Rich

Smoothies offer an easy way to pack in a good balance of nutrients. Start with a base of dark leafy greens, add some fresh or frozen berries or other fruit, and dilute with coconut water for the minerals and electrolytes.

3. Versatile

Since almost anything can be added to smoothies, they present the perfect opportunity to balance your daily nutritional intake. A day low in protein? Simply add a scoop of protein powder to your drink. Not enough healthy fats? Reach for an avocado or maybe flax seeds.

Also, since you can use either fresh or frozen produce, smoothies make a great year-round healthy diet choice.

4. Quick and Easy

Nothing better than a smoothie for a fast healthy breakfast: minimal chopping if needed at all, just blend your choice of ingredients and within two minutes, you have a portable breakfast or lunch option.

Some personal blenders conveniently let you use the same container for blending and drinking, or you can use a blender bottle to take with you. A little dish soap with water, a little pulsing, and you are done!

5. Infinite Yummy Possibilities

The beauty of smoothies – apart from their being healthy – is that flavor is only limited by your imagination. Mistakes are easily corrected by adding a touch of this or a sprinkle of that. Experiment and you will quickly develop favorite healthy blender drinks.

The good news is that there truly is a blend diet out there for anyone and everyone. Start wherever you need to start in order to make smoothies a part of your daily life: red, blue, green, protein, yogurt, fruit, veggie, combo – just get started!

Add variety for a balanced diet and ensure your nutritional needs are met. Experiment and develop your own healthy smoothie recipes for weight loss, share your concoctions and have fun. Just remember one thing: green is better! 😉

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