You may have noticed that society is moving away from pre-made protein shakes, like Muscle Milk and Special K, because they’re packed with more sugar and preservatives than they are protein, and ultimately do more harm than good. Making your own smoothie can seem confusing at first, but there’s no need to be discouraged if you haven’t seen results from drinking a daily smoothie. Here are a few easy, yet significant tweaks that will make your smoothies more nourishing and help you feel your best.
Sneak In Your Greens! Most of us could stand to eat more greens. Make them the base of every smoothie you make as a way to ensure you consume them daily. While they may turn your smoothie an ugly color, it's important to include them so to balance out the sugary fruits you add in later. Start with heaping handfuls of a dark, leafy green. It can be spinach, kale, arugula, dandelion, anything! Just be sure to rotate your greens - don’t buy the same kind every time you do groceries - because all plants contain small amounts of toxins to ensure their longevity. These toxins aren’t harmful in small amounts, but over time, if you use the same green over and over and constantly expose yourself to the same toxin, they could eventually cause problems.
Add Some Healthy Fats. If you like your smoothies to be creamy toss in half of an avocado [half a frozen banana is also great for creating a creamy texture]. Just doing this will thicken it up for you - no need to use yogurt or milk. Another benefit of using avocado in your smoothie is they are a healthy fat, which is great to have in your smoothie because it acts as a binder that will bring the rest of the ingredients together. It also helps your digestive system better absorb the vitamins that are in the greens and fruits you’ve blended in with it. Ideas for other healthy fats you could throw in are: nut butter, coconut oil, flaxseeds and hemp hearts.
Use Water For Your Liquid Base. You can also use coconut water, iced coffee or non-dairy milks, but you’ll find that the fruits are so flavorful that you don’t need anything other than water!
Add More Flavor & Nutrients. You may want to add fresh, detoxifying herbs [like parsley], superfood powders [like maca or acai], fresh or frozen fruits [like berries, pineapple, mango or banana], or spices [like cinnamon]. You can use any combination of the above! The trick is finding what flavor, texture and thickness you like, which takes some time and experimenting. Just know that you can’t make a mistake - you may make a few smoothies that don’t taste so great, [I have!] - but in no time you will figure out what satisfies you and start enjoying all be benefits.
Curb Your Sweet Tooth. Start your day with a smoothie for breakfast. Throw in a half a frozen banana with your greens and whichever other fruits you enjoy and boost it with some raw cacao powder for a sweet, chocolatey flavor. Then, you’ll be less tempted by any sugary treats you may encounter for the rest of the day.
Do you already make smoothies? What are your favorite combinations of flavors?! Share with me on IG @simplypuzzlin!
B Well,
Momma B.