Healthy smoothies can form an important part of your diet. When you make a smoothie, you are eating the entire fruit or vegetable. This contrasts with juicing, where you are discarding the fibrous material.
Healthy smoothies for weight loss include many fat-burning ingredients that will support your low-calorie eating plan while providing important nutrition. Smoothies are easy to make. All you need is a blender and a selection of natural foods.
Here are ten reasons why you need a healthy smoothie and a few selected recipes that will provide you with a delicious, nutritious treat. These smoothies contain ingredients that will amp up your balanced diet and give you a tasty, filling alternative to indulgent foods like ice cream.
10 Signs You Need Healthy Smoothies and What to Try
1. You Feel Tired and Run-Down
If your diet hasn’t been healthy and if you have been snacking on too much junk food, you will feel tired and run down. Try a healthy smoothie with a banana to replenish the potassium in your diet.
2. Your Skin and Hair are Dull
If you’re not eating a balanced diet, your skin and hair will suffer. Add flaxseed and chia seeds to your smoothie to amp up the Omega-3s. Omega-3s are fatty acids that support supple skin. Try avocado in your smoothie to make your skin smooth. Vitamins C and E in avocado can make awesome healthy smoothies for weight loss.
3. Your Digestion is Sluggish
The soluble fiber in chia seeds will help your digestion move along. Add fiber-packed ingredients like kale to boost the power of your digestion. You can also get fiber from including citrus fruits with the peel still on.
4. You’re Not Getting Enough Calcium
Women should consume 1,000 mg of calcium each day. For women over 50, this jumps up to 1,200 mg per day. Calcium is crucial for bone health. If you’re not getting enough calcium, you could be at risk for osteoporosis later in life. The low-fat and non-fat dairy products added to smoothies can be a great source of calcium. For vegans, tofu provides a lot of calcium.
5. You’re Trying to Lose Weight
When you’re trying to lose weight, you need nutritious, satisfying snacks and meal replacements. Don’t go overboard with nut butter and full-fat dairy in your smoothie if you want to lose weight. Stick to whole fruits and vegetables with non-fat dairy or alternatives like almond milk and soy milk.
6. You’re Not Eating Enough Protein
Adding Greek yogurt, protein powder, and nut butter to your healthy smoothies can amp up the protein content and keep you feeling full longer.
7. You Need to Replace a Meal
When you are losing weight, sometimes it is necessary to replace a meal with a nutritious alternative. A smoothie is a low-calorie and nutritionally balanced way to keep you satisfied when you aren’t going to eat a full meal.
8. You’re Feeling Depressed
When people are feeling depressed, they often reach for unhealthy foods like chips and cookies. Do something nice for yourself by drinking healthy smoothies. Folic acid found in green vegetables and citrus fruit helps protect against depression.
9. Your Body Needs a Detox
Healthy smoothies help to boost your body’s own detox powers. Add garlic, beets, and papaya to your smoothie to amp up the total body cleansing. Citrus fruits, seeds and nuts, and Omega-3s like those found in flaxseed also help your body to detox itself.
10. You Need More Variety in your Diet
Smoothies are a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Even if you don’t like fruits and vegetables, you can sneak them into a smoothie and enjoy the nutritional benefits without the off-putting flavors.
A Great Weight Loss Smoothie
This smoothie recipe will boost your weight loss while providing a nutritious, satisfying snack or meal replacement. It contains many different types of ingredients that promote a healthy body and mind.
Combine one frozen banana with half of an orange, chopped up with peel and all. Add a few handfuls of kale or baby spinach. Add a handful of frozen blueberries. Finish the smoothie with one cup of fat-free Greek yogurt. If the smoothie is too thick, you can add milk.
Final Thoughts
When you’re looking for a great snack or meal replacement, turn to healthy smoothies. They are packed with awesome nutrition and will satisfy your need for a tasty treat. Each ingredient has special properties that will help you become healthier.
