Smoothies: the basics you need to know!

Are you an avid or occasional smoothie drinker?  Are you BORED out of your mind with the same ole’ same ole’ recipes?  Or perhaps you’re unsure if you’re making your smoothies “right”?  Well, if you fall into any of these camps — read on!  I have some tips for taking your smoothies from ‘okay’ to ‘amazing’ by following a simple formula that contains tons of options.

First, the formula!  Your smoothie should consist of the following 3 elements:

HEALTHY FAT + FIBER + PROTEIN

I see so many smoothies that are loaded with fruit and a small handful of greens; while these types of smoothies may taste good they may be sending your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride.  Sugar — even in it’s natural form (fruit) — is still sugar.  And when we consume too much sugar too quickly our body can’t handle it and what isn’t used for immediate energy gets stored as fat.  Unless you are looking to add on extra fat, I’m pretty sure this wasn’t your intention when making your smoothie.

To avoid this unintended consequence, you want to slow the digestion of sugar by the addition of healthy fats, fiber and protein.  You will hear me speak A LOT about the importance of blood sugar balance and I’ll mention my mantra – fat, fiber and protein – hundreds of times!

Ok, so now that you know the basic smoothie formula here are some options for each category:

Healthy Fat: coconut oil, avocado, chia/hemp/flax seeds, nuts
Fiber: organic leafy greens (kale, spinach), 1-2 cups fruit, chia/hemp/flax seeds
Protein: collagen powder, pea protein, grass-fed whey, chia/hemp/flax seeds

So now that you have all the tools you need to make an amazing smoothie – go blend!!  What is your favorite smoothie recipe?  Share in the comments section below.  Have a question about what you’ve read here?  Leave a comment below or send me an email.

Here is the recipe of a truly tasty smoothie from Culinary Farmacy:

There will be more great smoothie recipes in my fall detox.

Have concerns about detoxing?  I totally understand the hesitation which is why I’m providing a free webinar on Debunking Myths About Detoxing.  Sign up for the webinar HERE and learn how to detox the right way! 

 

Photo credit: istockphoto