Summer’s just around the corner and we got some compelling reasons why a smoothie should make it to your weekly or even daily routine.
Easily Get Your 5+ A Day
Smoothies might be the easiest way to get all the goodness of fruits and vegetables. Drinking a smoothie or 2 a day could be the answer if you don’t have the luxury of time to eat all the good greens in a day.
Immune
With many smoothies being jam packed with vitamins and minerals, they could be just the boost your immune system needs. Add a healthy dose of Vitamin C by including different kinds of citrus fruits and you’ll notice that you’re getting sick much less often.
Healthy Skin
The best thing you can to keep your skin healthy is to keep hydrated. As most fruits are majority water they prove an excellent way to contribute to your daily hydration goals.
Antioxidants
By now everyone’s heard the important role antioxidants play in preventing heart disease, cancer and other diseases. If fruits and all those cruciferous vegetables (Brocolli, Cauliflower, Kale etc) weren’t enough for you then try adding some matcha powder to your blender and get antioxidant supercharged.
Detox
How smoothies help your body detox is in 2 main ways. Firstly, because you’re feeding your body nutritious ingredients, you’re less likely to snack and put more toxins in the body. Secondly and more importantly certain fruits and vegetables are particularly great for detoxifying such as garlic, papaya, turmeric and beets. They help to cleanse your blood and help the liver get rid of toxins more efficiently.
Brain Health
Some studies have shown that healthy fats such as Omega-3 help keep you ‘younger’ and healthy. With a variety of ingredients showing a range of benefits, such as coconut oil showing potential to fight dementia, what it means for you in the long run is better brain function.
Be Happier
Many natural ingredients that can be easily added to smoothies, such as Chia seeds and Walnuts have shown to help with depression, help you sleep deeper and improve hormone imbalances which can all help you lead a happier life.
Unusual Ingredients
While everyone knows about the classic ingredients to make a healthy smoothie, bananas, berries, there’s a whole world of possibilities when it comes to your handy smoothie.
Tea – That’s right, tea! Here’s one more way to enjoy a brew. Tea is high in antioxidants which provide that whole range of benefits as mentioned earlier also with increased energy as it can be a natural source of caffeine, without the high sugar content of juice based smoothies.
Oils – No not any oil, think Avocados, Coconuts and Sesame. The good fats they contain can help with a range of needs including helping with proper brain function and weight loss.
Roots and Spices – Spices don’t have to be limited to your weekend curry. An addition of Ginger can help with digestion and muscle pain, while turmeric and specifically the compound curcumin found in it has been shown to be excellent tool to prevent inflammation in the body.
Mushrooms – Smoothies don’t always have to be sweet, especially with benefits that mushrooms can offer. Shrooms such as reishi, maitake, and crimini are just a few known to boost the immune system, fight cancer and help heal arthritis. Kombucha is a “mushroom tea” that can adds a kick to your morning ‘go juice.’
Here’s 2 Unusual Recipes To Try For Yourself
Cherry and Avocado
Half an avocado, skin and stone removed
About three quarters of a cup of frozen dark cherries (fresh are fine too, just make sure you take out the stones)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or powder
One big blob of almond butter
About a cup and a half of coconut milk (you can substitute for almond milk, regular milk, or whatever you fancy)
Green Kombucha Machine
2 big handfuls of spinach
1 small apple, cut in large chunks, skin included
1 avocado
1 cup gingerberry kombucha (more if you want)
2 tablespoons frozen mango, melon or grapes (for sweetness)
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 cup ice (more if needed)