Smoothies and Losing weight

Smoothies are quick, easy to do, family-friendly and portable drinks. They can be changed for different taste preferences or nutrition plans. You can prepare smoothies yourself, but you can also find fresh ones at specialty cafes and some of grocery stores. Smoothies can be helpful through your weight-loss plan depending on the ingredients, base and liquid you are including; it can also be beneficial for your skin and help your body detox.

What are Smoothies ?

Smoothies are typically made from puréed fruits, vegetables, juices, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, and/or dairy or non-dairy milk. There are 3 main smoothies’ categories, fruit smoothies, green smoothies and protein smoothies. They are generally thick, creamy drinks. A base and a liquid are the first two ingredients of the simplest smoothie. After that, you can mix the ingredients however you choose. Some smoothies include ice cubes to give the final taste the cool of summer drinks and to give the drink a chilly and frosty smoothness of a milkshake.

Important guidelines for including smoothies into your weight-loss plan:

1-      Choose the right ingredients:

Though drinking liquids has been proven to reduce your appetite, choosing nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, dairy products or (beverages made from plants instead of dairy) as the foundation of your smoothie is crucial for your weight loss results. When choosing your nutrient-rich fruit or vegetable as the base of your smoothie, choosing low-calorie fruitsvegetables will be more efficient than choosing a high-calorie base.

2-      Include fibers and protein:

When you make a smoothie with mostly vegetables, fruits and a protein source, that helps in weight loss and you will feel full for longer because of its fibers and protein content. By using protein in your preferred smoothie recipe, you may not only feel fuller for longer but also experience a decrease in hunger hormones.

3-      Choose the right portion:

If your smoothie is a meal replacement it will be surely a different size than if you’re using it as a snack, therefore it’s important to think of how you are using your smoothie. For a good serving size, stick with 8 to 10 ounces.

4-      Check the added sugar and fat that are in your smoothie:

Making a smoothie at home gives you much more control over the ingredients. Bananas are very useful for smoothies since they give you the perfect sweetness. In many cases, adding additional sweeteners is unnecessary when using bananas in a smoothie. But in case of getting your smoothie from the store, check the added label for the kind of servings, serving size, calorie content, and added sugars. Also, if you’re ordering a smoothie at a cafe or smoothie bar, most of them will list the calorie content on the menu or you can always ask the waiter. You can also look online for their nutrition content.

How smoothies can help you have a clearer skin?

Green smoothies are full of antioxidants that is known to protect cells from damage which keeps your skin young and healthy; but to make smoothies for healthy skin you must include the right ingredients such as Avocado, spinach, coconut oil, cucumber and water. With the help of those ingredients, you will start noticing improvement in your skin tone and a reduction in your acne scars and red marks. Blueberries can also be great as a smoothie because this fruit is rich in antioxidants, vitamin c, a and e which makes blueberries great for your skin.

The best time to drink your smoothie is when you wake up, because our bodies dehydrates while we are sleeping; so, drinking a hydrating smoothie as you wake prevents too many skin issues.