I had the pleasure to recently be a guest on the SiriusXM “The B. Smith and ‘Thank You Dan’ Show.” B. and Dan Gasby are a smart husband and wife team who are committed to improving the health and wellness of their listeners.
We spent much of the segment talking about smoothies, and I promised to summarize the discussion and provide some recipes – so here you go!
Smoothies can be customized so you can not only create flavors and textures that you love but you can also add nutrients that you need specifically. Getting our nutrients from whole foods rather then supplements is a good idea because we tend to stick with our food habits longer than we do our supplement regimens.
BENEFITS OF SMOOTHIES
- Customizable
- Quick to make
- You can make them without much planning ahead – keep berries in the freezer.
- Supplements can be added to them to reduce the number of pills we have to swallow.
POPULAR WITH KIDS
Smoothies are the perfect after school energy drink and they can be made as a meal replacement by adding protein (whey protein powder, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese). They also provide an educational opportunity with kids. You can teach kids about the health benefits of each ingredient which will give them a nutrition education to use throughout their lives.
WEIGHT LOSS INGREDIENTS
Wild Blueberries
Wild blueberries have higher antioxidant levels than cultivated blueberries. These phytonutrients reverse metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance) and protect against heart disease.
Fighting Oxidative Stress – USDA scientists found that eating Wild Blueberries each day helps prevent oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is what causes cell damage that results in skin wrinkles, damage to our vision. To get those protective benefits we need to eat antioxidant-rich foods everyday. I’m adding 1 cup of wild blueberries to my daily smoothie to cover my bases.
Strawberries
One of the reasons I consider strawberries to be a weight-loss food is that they contain a soluble fiber called Beta-Glucans which slows the absorption of sugar from the berries which allows your body to burn the sugar rather then storing it away as fat.
Greek Yogurt
(Brands: Fage pronounced Fi-Ya, Oikos, Chobani)
Greek yogurt has less liquid and no added thickeners so it’s twice as high in protein as regular yogurt.
Greek yogurt contains about 15 grams of protein per 6 ounce serving – compare that with a protein bars which generally only have about 10 grams of protein.
Blended Cottage Cheese
1/2 cup of cottage cheese contains about 15 grams of protein. Blending it changes the consistency, it gets creamy and very rich tasting. Perfect base for ‘smoothie shakes’.
Citrus Bioflavanoids
Are nutrients that help strengthen blood vessels so they help reduce the chance of health problems such as a spider veins and bruising and even your risk for stroke.
When adding citrus to your smoothie, cut the colorful outside of the skin off rather then peeling it. Leave the white pithy part of the peel on the fruit and add all of that to your smoothie.
Coconut Water
Coconut water such as Zico brand doesn’t contain any added sugar, is low in calories, rich in electrolytes and is a tasty liquid base for smoothies. Its very high in potassium with 700 mg in one serving (11 ounce) which is more than a banana which has about 400 mg. It’s also low in calories as it contains only 60 calories in 11 ounces vs. whole milk which would add 200 calories to your smoothie.
Green Tea
Green tea contains EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a polyphenol that helps the production of noradrenaline, which increases fat-burning.
RECIPES
Lemon Coconut Cream
1 cup coconut water
6 oz lemon yogurt – no sugar added variety such as Green Valley or Greek yogurt
1/4 cup ice cubes
Serves 1
Violet Tea Elixir
1 cup brewed, chilled green tea
1/2 cup wild blueberries
2 tablespoons hempseed
4 ice cubes
Serves 1
Hempberry Shake
3/4 cup hemp milk
1/2 cup frozen, organic strawberries
1/4 cup frozen mango chunks
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
Serves 1
Taste of Tropics
1/2 cup watermelon
1/2 cup filtered water
1/4 cup frozen mango
1/4 cup frozen pineapple
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Serves 2
Mango Tea Icy
1 cup brewed, chilled green tea
1/2 cup mango
1/4 cup ice
Serves 1
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