Smoothies...The Healthy Drink that is Trending

Hello Everyone,


I am talking health today. I recently decide I want to go on a diet and try to take healthier meals(I said try..lol) and this made me research on smoothies cause everyone seemed to be going on and on about it.

Smoothies have quite a number of health benefits and they are so quick and easy to make. They give you a daily allowance of fruits and vegetables thereby helping you to meet your body's daily nutritional needs.

• Easier weight loss. There are a number of weight loss programs that promote replacing a meal with a liquid drink. Provide your body with all the vitamins and minerals it needs via smoothies, cut out the weight gaining crap from your diet, and watch the pounds melt away. Lose weight easier than before and slim down the healthy way with diet smoothies.
• Improved digestion. 
• Delicious. 
• Detox. We’re exposed to and bombarded by thousands of man-made chemicals in today’s world, which leaves our body begging to detoxify. Give your digestive system a break while adding detoxifying ingredients like dandelion greens and kale into your smoothies to aid your body’s detoxification processes.
• Build muscle and improve athletic performance. Provide your body with the nutrients it needs to excel during athletic competition, and recover and rebuild after working out. It’s easier for your body to absorb and assimilate the nutrients in a smoothie as opposed to a meal.
• Beauty. Think radiant skin, hair, and nails. Supply your body with the vitamins and minerals it requires to grow healthier hair and make your skin glow.
• Strengthen your immune system. Getting sick is no fun. Reduce the number of times you get sick (if at all) and lesson the severity by empowering your immune system.
• Deeper sleep. Improving your health by consuming healthy smoothies almost always results in better sleep at night.
• Meal flexibility. You can consume a smoothie at any meal, not just breakfast. No time for lunch, grab or make a quick smoothie.
• Healthy ingredients galore. The number of healthy ingredients available for smoothies is practically limitless. After your basic fruits and vegetables, you can add an array of the various spices, herbs, superfoods, and other health foods. The possibilities and combinations are endless.
• Energy. Supply your body with the right fuel for more energy in the short and long term.
• Reduce cravings. We all crave sweets and unhealthy foods from time to time. Reduce those cravings, or better yet, replace what you would normally splurge on with a healthy alternative.

Read more on http://www.healthysmoothiehq.com/21-reasons-consume-healthy-smoothies

It does not take long to prepare and you can take it any time of the day as it is convenient for you. And kids love it.

So here are a few of my favourite smoothies:

Pineapple-Mango Smoothie

Blend  chopped pineapple and mango, 1 cup coconut water, a dash of ground spice(garlic or ginger) and 1 cup ice. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Chocolate-Banana Smothie

In a blender, combine banana, chocolate syrup, milk and crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Orange Smoothie

In a blender, combine orange juice concentrate, milk, water, vanilla, sugar and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Groovie Smoothie

In a blender, combine bananas, frozen strawberries, yogurt and milk. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve




And here is a list of various other smoothies you can try out. I love the ones with a mix of bananas and strawberry.

1. Banana Blend 2 bananas, 1/2 cup each vanilla yogurt and milk, 2 teaspoons honey, a pinch of cinnamon and 1 cup ice.

2. Strawberry-Banana Blend 1 banana, 1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup each vanilla yogurt and milk, 2 teaspoons honey, a pinch of cinnamon and 1 cup ice.

3. Strawberry Shortcake Blend 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup crumbled pound cake, 1 1/2 cups each milk and ice, and sugar to taste. Top with whipped cream and more strawberries.

4. Triple-Berry Blend 1 1/2 cups mixed blackberries, strawberries and raspberries with 1 cup each milk and ice, and sugar to taste.

5. Raspberry-Orange Blend 1 cup each orange juice and raspberries, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 cup ice, and sugar to taste.

6. Peach-Mango-Banana Blend 1 cup each chopped fresh or frozen peaches and mango, 1 cup each plain yogurt and ice, 1/2 banana, and sugar to taste.

7. Honeydew-Almond Blend 2 cups chopped honeydew melon, 1 cup each almond milk and ice, and honey to taste.

8. Cantaloupe Blend 2 cups chopped cantaloupe, the juice of 1/2 lime, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup water and 1 cup ice.

9. Carrot-Apple Blend 1 cup each carrot juice and apple juice with 1 1/2 cups ice.

10. Spa Cucumber Peel, seed and chop 2 medium cucumbers. Blend with the juice of 1 lime, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup ice and 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar or honey.

Images credit; google images
Recipes : food network & all recipes