Are the Green Smoothies Truly Worth Your Time and Effort?
Are smoothies healthy?
They are definitely not one of the “new kids on the block” these days, yet, some of us still don’t buy into the idea of having a smoothie as a snack or even as an entire meal replacement.
How about blending green leafy vegetables into the smoothie? Many ask: why on earth would we blend them in when we can eat the salad instead?
Chewing the food
Well, let’s be honest with ourselves and answer the following question: How mindful are we when we eat?
Do we sit down and relax whilst fueling our bodies, or do we eat on the move only to get some food in, whilst thinking about what do we have on our schedule next? Eating a salad required thorough chewing, and we don’t generally chew sufficiently to derive the full benefits from what we eat.
How many times do we chew every single mouthful of the food? If you answered 10 times, I congratulate you, that’s certainly more than the average person.
“By eating green foods, it stimulates our bodies to do some serious spring cleaning to get rid of all of the harmful toxins our bodies have built up over time.”
DAVID ROMEO, Nutraceuticals LLC
The whole digestive process of any food starts in your mouth before it goes to the stomach and intestines. When you chew your food, it’s get broken down into smaller pieces which are easier to digest. Blending the smoothie breaks the food in the smaller particles – blending essentially helps to ‘pre-digest’ the food.
It’s believed anywhere between 30 – 40 times is the number that should be applied to most bites of food.
“Download your FREE Guide of 7 DETOX Green Smoothie Recipes for Fast FAT LOSS!“
Experts say the faster you eat, the more food you will tend to eat. Smoothie’s great benefit is, they help to pre-digest the food, so our body spends less energy on breaking the food down, and we potentially end up being energized, instead of feeling like we need that afternoon nap!
4. Common Ways Smoothies Can Become Unhealthy
Too Much Sugar
Smoothies are delicious.
Especially the fruit ones. Banana, pineapple, mango, exotic fruits like papaya, dragon fruit – love them all! And of these smoothies are incredibly tasty, however, a majority of fruits contain lots of sugar, and have an acidic effect on our bodies.
Many of the smoothies commonly found on supermarket’s shelves also contain fruit juice, which is literally like an extra sugar infusion, that our body needs to cope with! When we make our smoothies at home, from scratch, we have the option to add plant-based milk (think almond, hemp, oat, hazelnut…), that contain lots of healthy fats.
You want those good healthy fats in, so your brain can function optimally!
Not Enough Greens
Green smoothies are a nutritional powerhouse. They are full of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and amino acids. In today’s culture, we tempt to overdo on the so-called smoothie’s ‘Adds-on’ and under-do the most crucial part – greens!
Always try to stick with ration 3:1 – 3 parts of greens to 1 part of a fruit, plus the liquid.
Not Enough Variety of Greens
The most common leafy greens found in supermarkets are kale, spinach, chard and romaine lettuce.
We have to look outside of the box and try visiting a local farmer’s market in and around the area we live in, where the farmers do offer a much greater variety of greens and most importantly, the greens are harvested locally and they are from the current season. You also support the local economy and the community you live, grow and play in!
“Why do I ask for directions? Because I hate wasting time.”
HARRISON FORD
The Wrong Combination
It is not advised to blend fruits and vegetables in one smoothie.
Starchy vegetables such as carrots, beets, broccoli stems, zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, pumpkin squash etc. combine poorly with fruit and may produce indigestion and gas. However, if you have healthy digestion, and the combination of fruit and vegetable doesn’t make you feel bloated, then go for it! I am a true believer that everybody is different, and we should with all the respect, always listen to our body.
More greens you are going to drink, fewer cravings you will have for the less healthy foods.
I have experienced this on myself. I used to crave sugary and refined carbohydrates foods all the time. Every single day! However, since I did incorporate green smoothies into my daily life, I don’t even remember, how does a cookie look like!
“Download your FREE Guide of 7 DETOX Green Smoothie Recipes for Fast WEIGHT LOSS!“
The green smoothies are incredibly nutritious, rich and satisfying, and full of fibre, which helps to keep you full for longer, so you don’t have the usual need to reach out for that ‘pick-me-up’ sugary snack. Your body will slowly adjust, and your sugar cravings will disappear with the time.
Green Smoothies Benefits
There are many reasons to drink green smoothies on a daily basis. Below are the most popular:
- Get your 5+ a-day portions of fruits and vegetable – every single day!
- Replace unhealthy meals and snacks with fruits and vegetables
- Green smoothies are easy to make, convenient, go-anywhere food
- Green smoothies are satisfying, they will help you with the sugar-cravings
- Very effective in weight-loss
- Green smoothies support the detoxification process
- Green smoothies contain a significant amount of fibre
- Green smoothies are energy boosting
- + many more!
“Popeye was right about spinach: dark green, leafy vegetables are healhiest food on the planet. As whole-food go, they offer the most nutrition per calorie.”
MICHAEL GREGER
Green Smoothies Guidelines
Prepare your green smoothie first thing in the morning.
Use organic greens if you can, as you don’t want to load your body with unnecessary toxins and pesticides. When it comes to certain fruit and vegetables, please refer to ‘Dirty Dozen’ list.
Sip your green smoothie slowly, chew every mouthful for better absorption.
Keep it simple – start with one type of greens, fruit, and liquid (plant-based milk, water, herbal teas).
You can also add herbs – mint and basil are the basic ones. It is not recommended adding nuts, seeds, oils and other supplements if you have a problem with digestion. If you have a sweet tooth, spice like cinnamon will make your smoothie sweeter – cinnamon pairs excellent with apples and pears.
Drink your smoothie by itself, and not as a part of the meal. Simple smoothie digest in approximately 40 minutes. After this time, feel free to eat anything you want, if you feel hungry.
It is important to rotate your greens. Almost all greens contain alkaloids – they cannot hurt you, and can even strengthen your immune system. However, if you keep consuming the same greens over and over without rotation, your body can develop unwanted symptoms of poisoning. If you rotate the fruit, this will enhance the variety, flavour and nutrition in your smoothie. Use only fully ripen fruit, as this also enhances the nutritional profile of the smoothie.
Go ahead, start consuming the green smoothies daily, so your body can THANK YOU.
Do you have any questions about green smoothies? What’s your favourite green smoothie? Let me know in comments below!
To your HEALTH!
With Love,
Kristina
“Download your FREE Guide of 7 DETOX Green Smoothie Recipes for Fast FAT LOSS!“
You may also like:
Easy & Delicious Vegan Summer Smoothie Bowls
The Best Ever Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
7 Tips How To Make Your Brain Healthy
13 Simple Ways To Start Eating Healthy Today
RESOURCES for this article:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/how-many-times-should-you-chew-your-food
- https://theeverygirl.com/are-smoothies-healthy/
- https://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/prolonged-chewing-lunch-decreases-later-snack-intake
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26188140/
- Victoria Boutenko, Green Smoothie Revolution (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2009)
- Tracy Russell, The Best Green Smoothies On The Planet (Dallas, TX: Benbella Books, 2014)
0 Comments