Showing posts with label smoothies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smoothies. Show all posts

When you think about improving your diet and nutrition, your mind most often turns to the food that you put on your plate. You may contemplate the foods that can help you lose weight, or those that simply boost your wellness and wellbeing. What many people overlook, however, is the incredible power that is held by what you drink. If you drink sugary beverages all day, you are likely to gain (or maintain) weight. If what you drink is full of chemicals and additives, your wellness is bound to suffer.


 


Instead, why not make what you drink a vital part of your daily health routine, making sure that you only ingest pure, natural drinks in the form of smoothies and juices?


 


One such smoothie is sometimes referred to as the ‘aloe vera splash’ due to the fact that, when making green smoothies, lots of people like to add a dash of aloe vera gel. Aloe vera has numerous health benefits.


 


You can also make smoothies from any number of common fruits, which are packed with antioxidants. An apple and blueberry fruit smoothie, for example, is absolutely packed full of vitamins and can give your health a huge boost. In addition, the taste of sweet blueberries, creaminess of blueberry yoghurt and tart contrast of a green apple can be an absolute taste sensation.


 


One that you might not have thought of is the blueberry and red cabbage smoothie. It may sound disgusting but hear us out – this drink actually tastes great! By combining the blueberries with the red cabbage, a sweet and interesting flavour is produced, which not only fills up your tummy but helps to boost your immune system and brain power.


 


Finally, if winter colds and coughs are getting you down, try a ginger smoothie, made with fresh ginger, lemon, orange and carrot for a great way to boost your immune system and energise your body.

Fruit and vegetables go hand in hand with diet and nutrition. If you want to enjoy great wellness and wellbeing, you need to pack your plate with healthy fruits and vegetables. The problem can be finding the time to cook them all. That’s where juices and smoothies come into play. When you  make a blended drink, you can shove a whole bunch of these into the blender and then head out the door within minutes.


 


Smoothies pack a lot of nutrition into your day and they are also very delicious. Some of them even feel more like a treat than a healthy meal. There are so many different kinds of smoothies that you can make – you will never be stuck for ideas, and if you are, you can always throw a few things into the blender and see how it turns out!


 


One popular recipe is banana and sweet avocado. Avocados are absolutely bursting with healthy fats and will make you feel full and satisfied, whilst also adding a smooth, creamy texture to your smoothie. When you blend avocado with bananas, freshly squeezed orange juice, yoghurt, lime and ginger, the resulting drink is full of amazing flavours.


 


Berries are packed with antioxidants, and so if you are in need of a little pick me up, try throwing a few colourful berries into the blender, along with some pomegranate juice. This smoothie is healthy but contains no added dairy or sugar.


 


Superfood Smoothies can contain things like kale, spinach, orange juice, baby carrots, berries and yoghurt. The resulting smoothie is surprisingly delicious and is so full of vegetables that it’s practically a full day’s worth just in one sitting!


 


If you want to experiment, start by juicing single fruits and vegetable to get used to the flavours, and then mix them. Don’t be afraid to try some unusual combinations – some of the best smoothies are the ones that you really didn’t think would work well together!


 

If you’re looking to enhance your weight loss wellness, you might be tempted by a cleanse diet. According to Candice Kumai, author of Cook Yourself Thin and The Skinny Bitch Cookbook, clean green drinks are the secret to a lean body and better overall wellbeing. Kumai’s new clean green drinks plan includes a number of delicious recipes to help you lose weight and maximise nutrition. She adds, ‘Feel free to mix and match smoothies throughout the week, and cook up a delicious, clean, and satisfying meal for dinner.’ So, let’s take a look at the smoothies and dinners available on Kumai’s cleanse diet.


 


1. The Chocolate Morning Wake-up Smoothie: Kumai instructs, ‘Combine one cup unsweetened almond milk, one cup baby spinach, one frozen banana, one tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, one tablespoon superfood greens, two tablespoons protein powder, and one cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two servings.)’


 


2. The Blueberry Protein Power Shake: ‘Combine two cups unsweetened almond milk, one frozen banana, two cups frozen blueberries, one scoop (1/4 cup) protein powder, and one cup ice in a blender,’ says Kumai. ‘Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two to four servings.)’


 


3. The Quinoa & Clean Greens Salad: Kumai outlines, ‘Prepare a vinaigrette made with two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, two tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, three tablespoons lemon juice, and one tablespoon dried oregano. Combine four cups cooked and cooled quinoa with six to eight thinly sliced radishes, two cups mixed greens, 1/4 thinly sliced red onion. Toss salad with dressing and top with 1/2 thinly sliced avocado and a few more radish slices. (Makes six servings.)’


 


4. The Breakfast Blend: Combine two cups unsweetened almond milk, two cups baby spinach, one and a half cups frozen blueberries, one frozen banana, 1/4 cup superfood greens, one teaspoon spirulina, and one cup ice in a blender,’ Kumai details. ‘Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes three servings.)’


 


5. The Super Hemp Smoothie: Kumai notes, ‘Combine one cup coconut almond milk, one cup baby spinach, one tablespoon superfood greens, 1/2 frozen banana, two cups blueberries, two tablespoons hemp protein powder, one tablespoon spirulina, and one teaspoon hempseed oil (optional) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two servings.)’


 


6. Brussels Sprout Clean Green Salad: ‘Make dressing with two teaspoons honey, three tablespoons apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt,’ Kumai suggests. ‘Toss dressing with 1 1/2 pounds thinly shaved Brussels sprouts, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and 1/4 cup thinly sliced toasted almonds, Top with a little grated Pecorino Romano cheese. (Makes four to six servings.)’


 


7. The Green Sunshine Smoothie: Kumai explains, ‘Combine one cup unsweetened almond milk, two cups baby spinach, one frozen banana, 1/2 fuji apple, one tablespoon superfood, one tablespoon spirulina, and one cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two servings.)’


 


8. Creamy Pumpkin Smoothie: ‘Combine one and a half cups unsweetened almond milk, 3/4 cup organic pumpkin puree, one frozen banana, 1/2 Bartlett pear, 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice, one scoop (two tablespoons) pea protein, and 1/2 cup ice in a blender,’ says Kumai. ‘Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes two servings.)’


 


9. Clean Green Roasted Spaghetti Squash: Kumai directs, ‘Roast one spaghetti squash in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. Scrape out squash strands and serve with marinara sauce and a little Parmesan cheese.’


 


10. The Green Banana Mint: Kumai instructs, ‘Combine one cup almond milk, three cups baby spinach, one frozen banana, one scoop (1/4 cup) protein powder, three tablespoons mint, two tablespoons ground flaxseed, and one cup ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. (Makes four servings.)’

cravingshealthyIt’s pretty obvious why we love to snack so much; it’s convenient. Without even thinking about it, you can go from hungry to satisfied in two minutes, simply by grabbing a bag of crisps or reaching for the ice cream tub and a spoon, but how can you make snacking more wellness-centred? With a little preparation and planning ahead, you can make sure that a healthy snack is always there to help you fight those food cravings.


Firstly, roasted chickpeas can be prepared in a variety of ways, and are a great source of protein, fibre and iron. Choose some spices that you love from a favourite dish or cuisine, like curry powder for an Indian flavour or cumin and chili powder to for a Mexican variation, and then simply toss them in the oven with a can of chickpeas and a bit of oil and bake at 400C until your chickpeas are golden and crunchy. If that sounds too much like hard work, you can also snack on chickpeas in hummus form, and dip in some carrot sticks for an added vitamin A boost to your wellbeing.


When it comes to salads, they may seem like a nutritious and versatile snack, but they’re also messy and difficult to transport, and you can make your greens soggy if you mix in your dressing in advance. So what’s the solution? A few months ago, salad in a jar was all over Pinterest because people have found that if you layer your salad ingredients with dressing at the bottom and greens at the top, they all stay fresh until you dump them in a bowl.


If you have any nutritional needs to address, a daily smoothie is easily customisable. For your omega 3 intake, just add a handful of hemp seeds or ground flax. Throw a banana into the blender for potassium and fibre or you can even add a handful of healthy fresh greens, like spinach, to boost your smoothie (although you might want to look online for recipes that make these smoothies taste good, as well as being good for you). If all else fails, you can’t go wrong for a convenient healthy food than with a nice piece of fresh fruit.


 



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