Want to Lose Weight? Drink a Smoothie!
If you're trying to lose weight (and even if you're not), it's imperative your diet is in check. That means lots of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables are a must and making smoothies can be a great way to ingest them.
What are Smoothies?
Smoothies usually contain blended or puréed fruits and/or vegetables. Sometimes ice cubes are added and milk or yogurt is common too. Smoothies have a consistency similar to a milk shake but, if made properly, offer way more nutritional value and can be just as tasty. The liquid nature of smoothies makes them highly digestible and because fruits and vegetables are the best sources of nutrition, smoothies can provide a tremendously dense shot of highly absorbable nutrients. Unlike processed junk food, empty calories just don't exist with fruit and vegetable juice smoothies, it's all good stuff.
In Contrast to Juices
It takes virtually no energy to digest juices and you're more likely to still feel “hungry” when drinking pure juice because it does not fill your stomach the way solid food (fiber) does. The sugar in fruit juice is not a red flag but is something to be mindful of. Orange juice is good, but drinking a gallon of it at once would be an ultra hefty serving of sugar. Whereas juices are the extracted liquid components of fruits or vegetables, smoothies are the actual fruit or vegetable in a puréed form, basically to the point of a thick liquid. Smoothies supply the same nutrients as organic juice cocktails offer and require only a little more energy to digest because although their ingredients are puréed to the point that they are almost liquefied, it still contains fiber (potentially a lot) to make you feel “full” after you consuming.
Smoothie Ingredients
Since childhood we have all been taught to eat our vegetables, all of them, and this is a constant that never changes no matter what diet we adopt for ourselves, and no matter how natural and organic a lifestyle we live. It's so simple but often gets overlooked for a bag of chips. Vegetables are an essential food group we cannot neglect. It ought go without that the most nutritious smoothies for weight loss are going to consist of the same organic vegetables Global Healing recommends throughout the website; there is so much versatility in options. To keep sugars low, try to maintain a 50/50 ratio with fruit juices.
Why a Complete Smoothie Contains Vegetables AND Fruit
Aside from the obvious improvements fruit offers to flavor, there are practical reasons for blending vegetables and fruits as well. Vegetables consist of non-soluble fibers, which do not blend completely with distilled water. A smoothie made only from vegetables is essentially tiny shreds of plant fiber floating in water. Not only does it lack flavor, but it also has too much of a grainy texture to go down smoothly. Adding fruits to your smoothies for weight loss creates not only more flavor, but a texture that is easier to swallow. Fruits contain soluble fibers that blend into a creamy mixture when puréed with water. You can experiment with various combinations of organic vegetables and fruits until you strike the right balance between nutrition, palatability, and metabolic fat burning. A well-planned fruit and vegetable combination fill the spaces of a super nutrient spectrum.
When to Drink Them
Starting the day with a smoothie is an easy and nutritious breakfast that can supply your body with energy and help curb your appetite throughout the day. This makes the morning the most important time to drink smoothies for weight loss. If you have a bad habit of snacking on refined sugars and processed foods, be ready to make a smoothie during the times you cheat so as to provide a better option.
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.
Dr. Edward Group, DC
FOUNDER | HEALER | ADVOCATEDr. Group, DC is a healer and alternative health advocate, and an industry leader and innovator in the field of natural health who is dedicated to helping others. He is a registered doctor of chiropractic (DC), a naturopathic practitioner (NP), and proud alum of Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr. Group, DC is the founder of Global Healing – a mission and vision he has shared through best-selling books and frequent media appearances. He aims to spread his message of positivity, hope, and wellness throughout the world.
