At the start of the year, it is easy to get overwhelmed in eating better, doing better and not messing up a single thing in your diet, workouts, or life in general. In the upcoming month, I’ll be posting a series of blog posts, recipes, and tips to help you stay on track, while allowing yourself room to breathe and really enjoy being healthier in the New Year. No guilt required 😉
It’s the beginning of a New Year, which means you might ind yourself on the detox and cleansing wagon, or perhaps you are just trying to be healthier overall in your lifestyle this year. Or maybe you are just having fun trying out some new recipes and workouts, or getting back to your old favorites. Whatever the case may be, if you are looking to get healthier, you are bound to run into recipes for smoothies, juices, and all things green in the upcoming weeks. These recipes can be super helpful for getting healthier and loading up on nutrient-packed fresh produce and plants, which will make you body thrive. Unfortunately, they can also e really hard to decipher which smoothies and recipes are healthy, which taste good, and which ones are just gimmicks or “calorie-bombs”.
Here are a few ways to crack the smoothies code, along with the simplest, nutrient packed smoothie recipe that requires no fancy blenders, powders, or extra ingredients.
Stop with the Gimmicks:
If your smoothie comes in a powder form and promises to replace your meals and help you drop 10 lbs in 10 days, it isn’t worth trying. While there are some great protein powders on the market, these are not meant to be complete meal replacements, but should be used as supplements to your smoothie if you choose to use them at all.
Most of these contain a high list of ingredients which (see below) isn’t always the best thing for your body, and are often made from fillers, preservatives, and artificial ingredients.
Many of these also claim to help you drop weight fast and , truthfully, they will. But it won’t last. Smoothies like this, even the high quality, organic kind, are full of ingredients meant to sustain you, but are often super low in calories. This causes your weight to drop, and continue to drop – until you stop using it. Once you decide to eat a healthy meal for breakfast, like oatmeal or eggs or even a freshly made smoothie, or perhaps a salad for lunch, your body will gain weight due to the increase in calories. These smoothies cause you to drop to an unrealistic weight for your body, without learning how to bring it in to balance through real foods and nourishment.
Add a scoop of organic, plant-based protein powder to your smoothie occasionally to make it more filling? Sure. Rely on packets for your smoothies? Big NO.
Keep it Simple:
As cliché as it might seem, simple is better. Smoothies with a ton of ingredients, whether from a pack (see above) or from the recipe itself can often overwhelm your digestive system. While it might seem like an awesome idea to pack in as many superfoods as possible, many of these just don’t digest well together. Instead, keep it simple with just a few, basic but highly nutritious ingredients. Opt for kale and/or spinach. Go for high anti-oxidant, low sugar berries. Try some unsweetened almond milk or coconut water. Add a scoop of supergreens, chia seeds, or flax seeds. Just don’t do them all at once.
This will help you from not overloading your digestive tract, but also from making a “calorie-bomb”. I don’t often discuss calories or counting calories in a positive manner, because I just don;t believe in it, but “calorie-bombs” have become the term used for smoothies that contain a multitude of ingredients (even healthy ones) that rack up more than a meals worth of calories for a smoothie that might be consumed as a midday snack. These are the spinach, fruit, protein powder, juice or milk, almond butter, and banana-type concoctions that taste good, but are much too complex.
Instead, try picking three or four ingredients that you could eat together anyway. Opt for a nut butter, superfood powder, seed, OR protein powder, not all, or go without. Try just one or two veggies or fruits. Your digestive system and waistline will thank you.
Use Real Ingredients:
This goes without saying,e specially if you read the above tips, but keep the ingredients “real”. Skip add-ins whenever possible and use highly nutritious, nutrient-dense foods whenever possible. Your body will be able to digest and absorb the nutrients from them with more ease, meaning your tummy feels better and you get more out of each sip.
“Real” ingredients are things like fruits, veggies, nut butters, seeds, yogurt, and your liquids.
Now that you’ve got that sorted out, give you smoothie a makeover and try a few new, simple recipes, starting with this awesomely green smoothie.
The Simplest and Best Green Smoothie Recipe for Your New Year:Â
Makes 1 large smoothie
1 cup liquid (apple juice, coconut water, unsweetened almond milk, water)
2 cups spinach
1 frozen banana
Add all ingredients to your blender. Blend until smooth.
That’s it. No powders or monthly subscriptions. No meal replacements. No special blenders or equipment. Just tons of flavor and even more nutrients to keep you healthy, glowing, and strong all year-long.
You can try this for your breakfast if you don’t like a heavy meal first thing or as a healthy snack during your day.
If you want to get even more out of your healthy goals, click below to download the Hassle-Free Juices and Smoothies Guide, featuring shopping guidelines, time-saving tips and more.
I am so excited for 2016 and have tons of new opportunities, recipes, and more coming your way. Stay tuned as it all unfolds 🙂
Enjoy!
PS If you are ready to drop the resolutions altogether and go a different, way, the Modern Detox is now available when you are! Join in for a fun, simple approach to getting healthier along with a few bonuses to make it work for you even more.
