Sure, smoothies are yummy and refreshing, especially after a hard, summer workout. But, unfortunately, some smoothie recipes could be slowing down or even reversing your fitness results.
Is your smoothie working for you or against you?
(Or worse, fruit “blend”). If your smoothie relies on fruit juices to give it some added punch (ha – get it?), your smoothie may not be as healthy as you think. Since fruit juice is often jam-packed with flavor-enhancing sugars. If you insist on fruit juice, squeeze it fresh yourself or try coconut water.
We covered this thoroughly in the Facebook Group – bananas are probably not the best choice. At least not a whole one. Stick the other half in the freezer for some future smoothie.
If you’re using fruit in your smoothie, you should already have plenty of sweetness to satisfy you. Anything else is excessive and will serve to slow you down and encourage fat storage.
[One of my professional goals is to make “faux-gurt” – fake-healthy yogurt – a popular term.]
Trick question. Smoothies that include yogurt can be either healthy or unhealthy depending on the yogurt (or faux-gurt). If you’re adding yogurt, make sure it’s as simple as possible. Plain would be nice. Okay, I’ll accept vanilla (maybe).
[Oops – I was guilty of this for years!] Before you serve yourself a 48-ounce smoothie, consider your weight goals and split your morning smoothie into appropriate portions. Drink down one portion in the morning and save the rest for a small afternoon snack or finish it off the next morning.
Smoothies don’t have to mean fruit. Spinach is always a great choice. You can barely taste it, and even that little bit of taste is on the sweet side. I also like to add beets, a proven recovery booster. You’ll need a NutriBullet or better, though, so you don’t end up with a chunky beet smoothie (YUK). Celery and cucumber are also refreshing.
