A smoothie for weight loss is low in calories and saturates the body with nutrients. The drink creates a feeling of satiety, so it is suitable to use it as part of a diet. Outwardly, the smoothie resembles a thick mass with a multicomponent composition based on plant ingredients.
Smoothie - what is it?
It is a thick drink made from fruits, vegetables and fruit juices. Smoothies are used to correct the diet and normalize weight, therefore they are suitable for cleansing the body. The main benefits of the food supplement:
- Easy to make, doesn't take much time, easy to make at home.
- Consists mainly of inexpensive herbal ingredients.
- You can drink it every day, without restrictions.
- Does not contain harmful food ingredients.
- Suitable for mixer or blender.
- Grated vegetables and juices are better absorbed.
- The composition contains useful vitamins and microelements.
- The digestive activity of the stomach and intestines is normalized due to the large amount of fiber contained in the composition.
- A large number of recipes that make the diet varied.
- Satisfies hunger, reduces cravings for sweets.
- Normalizes metabolic processes.
- Helps eliminate toxins from the body.
Cocktails can be consumed at any time of the day and are ideal to replace a high-calorie dinner. With the consumption of drinks it is easier to lose weight.
Who shouldn't drink smoothies for weight loss?
Despite the long list of beneficial properties of the drink, there are good reasons why you should not get carried away with it.
Drinking smoothies is contraindicated in the following cases:
- the presence of chronic or acute renal failure;
- hepatitis, various liver diseases;
- childbearing period of a child;
- breastfeeding;
- neurotic or obsessive states associated with an eating disorder - history of bulimia, anorexia or orthorexia;
- a tendency to food allergies, especially hypersensitivity to fruit combinations;
- intolerance to lactose and dairy products.
During pregnancy, smoothies can only be drunk with the permission of your doctor and with careful selection of ingredients. It is forbidden to mix fruits with milk or honey, so as not to strain the gastrointestinal tract. When selecting the optimal components, the drink will benefit only the expectant mother.
How to make a green smoothie
Plant-based drinks are popular among people who practice raw food diets and vegetarianism. Green ingredients are used as a base: loose leaf tea, rooibos or mint shoots. Often, herb juices, broccoli, dill, parsley or a vegetable mix of cucumbers, green peppers or apples are used as a base.
The most useful component is algae, rich in calcium, iodine, zinc and essential microelements. The vitamins they contain prevent the appearance of oxidative stress and fight free radicals. Plant components are combined with fruits, which gives the drink a spicy taste.
Juices, water and milk are used as a liquid base. An example of a classic combination: spinach, bananas, ice cream, milk and blueberries.
It is important to adjust the proportions individually to ensure moderate thickness of the product. The increase in thickness is a deviation from the recipe.
The calculation of the amount of ingredients depends on the following ratio: 200 ml of milk base, 20 g each of herbs, fruits or berries. This mixture makes a smoothie.
Diet Smoothie Recipes
The simplest drinks suitable for daily consumption are prepared using a blender. They can be used as a supplement to the main diet, or for breakfast or dinner instead of the usual portion of food.
The simplest option is to mix a glass of low-fat yogurt with a cucumber in a blender without adding auxiliary ingredients. The tangy taste comes from mixing a banana, 100 ml of almond milk and a cup of lettuce.
The diet is easier to tolerate if you prepare a smoothie from a whole banana, a cup of salad and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Banana is the best source of easily digestible carbohydrates that quickly satisfy hunger. Orange juice contains antioxidants and natural fat burners synephrine. Leaf lettuce contains a lot of fiber that is difficult to digest.
Other healthy drink options:
- The best way to recharge your energy in the morning is to have a tasty and healthy breakfast. You need to mix 100 grams of white seedless grapes, lettuce and a glass of natural orange juice.
- The second option is to mix grapes with a banana and a glass of yogurt without sweet additives. It is a hearty dish that helps satisfy intense hunger.
- A more complex variation: a mixture of grapes, banana, lettuce and fresh orange juice.
- Spicy ingredients: fresh peach, lettuce or spinach, orange juice.
- Smoothie for weight loss: an apple, a cup of celery stalks. The mixture is stirred and pureed and 50 ml of water is added to give a larger serving volume.
- Non-standard option: a carrot, a cup of celery stalks, 100 g of low-fat yogurt, a banana. It must be carefully ground and can be eaten for breakfast or dinner.
To select the optimal fat-burning menu based on healthy cocktails, it is recommended to consult a nutritionist.
Using smoothies to cleanse the body
Detox is a modern trend in dietetics that allows not only to get rid of excess weight, but also to cleanse the body of harmful substances accumulated during the period of junk food abuse. As nutritionists confirm, with the help of detoxification you can improve the functioning of the digestive system, improve skin condition, get rid of acne and slow down the aging process.
It is optimal to carry out the treatment once every six months. The duration of the detox is 2 to 4 weeks, no more. The principle is to consume smoothies on a dietary basis 8 times a day, every 1. 5 to 2 hours.
Before starting detox therapy, it is recommended to normalize your daily diet for 1-2 weeks. You need to give up alcohol, fatty, fried and fast foods, stop abusing caffeine, start leading an active lifestyle and quit smoking. With uniform preparation, the body will normally accept detoxification therapy. If you start a drastic diet, your health will deteriorate significantly and the person will not be able to withstand the detoxification period.
At first, a person losing weight is tormented by hunger, but within a week his body adapts and the diet is tolerated normally. The correct and varied selection of cocktails is important so that the detox diet does not become boring and brings pleasure during the period of cleansing the body from toxins. You need to gradually get out of such a cleansing diet.
Examples of detox drinks
400 g of spinach are mixed with 400 ml of boiled or filtered water. Then add 3 medium bananas, lemon or lime juice. This is a hearty mixture that should be divided into 3-4 portions. The main thing in detoxification is the frequency of drinking cocktails in small portions. This helps to accelerate metabolic processes and start the active functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
In a blender, mix 2 medium-sized bananas, half a glass of fresh blueberries, the juice of 2-3 lemon slices, 3 stalks of celery and 100 ml of water. Celery contains a large amount of dietary fiber, which helps cleanse the intestines. Blueberries are a source of lutein, a natural component that supports visual acuity. Wild berries also have antioxidant properties.
The combination of celery, lettuce, lime and banana is rich in antioxidants that actively prevent the spread of free radicals in the body. 2 stalks of celery are mixed with a large handful of spinach leaves, 100 ml of water, a banana and the juice of half a lime. Celery, in addition to its cleansing properties, has the function of a natural fat burner. Among plant components, only citrus fruits can boast of this effect.
A combination of banana, spinach, apple and lemon will help energize and maintain vitality. Bananas are filling and contain a moderate amount of carbohydrates. Green vegetables are mixed in a blender with two small bananas, an apple, lemon juice and 100 ml of water. It is necessary to use in 3 doses.
A multi-component composition that leaves no one indifferent, because the taste is truly unusual.
A combination of lettuce, fresh cucumber, lemon and honey will not only help you fill up, but also enjoy an unusual taste. Fresh cucumbers have good detoxifying properties and lettuce is rich in alpha-tocopherol, the main antioxidant vitamin. In a blender, beat a bunch of lettuce, a small peeled cucumber, lemon juice, a tablespoon of honey and 200 ml of water. The mixture is drunk in 2-3 doses.
In a blender, combine medium peeled carrots, a beet, a bunch of celery, a medium skinless cucumber, 2 fresh apples, a handful of ginger and parsley. The drink turns out to be slightly sweet with a spicy aftertaste. Beets have pronounced cleansing properties that help speed up intestinal function.
Smoothies for weight loss are a great way to lose extra pounds, get rid of puffiness and normalize blood sugar levels. There are a large number of variations in the preparation of diet drink recipes. It is recommended to consult a nutritionist regarding the optimal selection of ingredients.