Jul

Green Smoothie Health Benefits

By Davy Russell

A nutritious, tasty green smoothie has been a cherished morning ritual for my wife and I since early 2008. Since then, we have both experienced dramatic improvements in health, energy and mental clarity by increasing our consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole foods. We have each lost about 30 pounds and easily maintain our ideal weight with minimal effort. If you haven’t already, give green smoothies a try. You’ll be amazed at the health benefits.

Health Benefits of Green Smoothies

1 – Natural Weight Loss

Drinking a green smoothie is the best thing you can do to loose weight. I weighed 185 pounds when I added smoothies to my diet. I lost 30 pounds in just a few months and now maintain a healthy, normal weight in the low to mid-150s. My wife has also lost almost 30 pounds since including green smoothies to her diet and easily maintains a healthy weight as well.

Green smoothies provide the nutrition, vitamins, minerals, healthy carbohydrates, fiber and low fat whole food that you need to loose weight quickly, safely and effectively without starving yourself. After drinking green smoothies for a few weeks, my wife and I noticed that our cravings for junk foods were greatly reduced and we actually began craving healthy food options!

2 – Increased Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables (Particularly Greens)

The American Cancer Society recommends that we eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day to prevent cancer and other diseases. Green smoothies are a quick and convenient way to get your vegetables and dark, leafy greens without tasting them. The fruit masks the flavor so even though all you taste is pineapple, mango, banana or strawberry, you are consuming a healthy dose of spinach, carrots, tomatoes and any other vegetable that you put in.

3 – Easier Digestibility and Nutrient Assimilation

Blending fruits and vegetables together breaks down the cells of plants and improves digestibility. Your blender unlocks the nutrients and maximizes their delivery to your body more than chewing any salad could. Smoothies are quicker and more convenient than preparing and thoroughly chewing a salad, especially when you are on the go.

4 – Antioxidants

Green Smoothies are high in antioxidants and phytonutrients. Not only are you giving your body the best defenses for disease, but you are ingesting a variety of natural substances that are essential for optimum health and fitness.

5 – Increased Energy

Smoothies provide a powerful boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients without bogging down your digestive system. Since you are eating natural, whole foods in the most optimum form for your digestibility and nutrient absorption, you will have more energy to get things done and enjoy your day.

6 – Mental Clarity and Focus

With a healthier diet comes greater mental clarity and focus. Green smoothies have replaced my morning coffee ritual. Since becoming caffeine-free, I have experience greater alertness, energy and dramatically reduced anxiety and nervousness that I used to deal with on a daily basis.

7 – Increased Fiber Intake

Unlike fruit juice or using a juicing machine, green smoothies use the whole fruit and vegetable so that you get all the fiber and nutrition. Fiber is essential for good colon health and it keeps your bowels in working order.

8 – Clearer Skin

Clearer, radiant skin is an often-reported benefit to eating healthier. Smoothies are high in fiber and allow your body to eliminate toxins the right way instead of through your skin.

9 – Reduce Cravings

Green smoothies reduce cravings for junk foods, unhealthy sweets, salt and fats. You will find that after a few weeks of drinking smoothies, you will crave healthier foods such as fruits, vegetables and greens.

10 – Rich With Chlorophyll

Green smoothies are rich with chlorophyll which some natural health experts say enhances the immune system, purifies the blood and rejuvenates the body.

11 – Alkalizing

Fruits and vegetables are alkaline foods and many natural health experts claim that consuming these foods helps maintain a proper alkaline balance in the body. Acid-producing foods (as well as the over-consumption of protein) can raise the PH level of the blood, which can cause your body to leach calcium from your bones to neutralize it, thus increasing your risk for osteoporosis. Mainstream doctors and nutrition experts, while also promoting an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, point out a lack of clinical, scientific evidence to support claims by alkaline-diet promoters. Either way, consuming foods that help maintain a proper PH level in our bodies is a good thing and green smoothies can help with that.

In addition to these health benefits, green smoothies are:

Easy to make and clean up after.
Taste amazing.
Will keep for a few days in the fridge.
Are fun to make and experiment with different fruits and vegetable combinations.

Visit our recipe pages for lots of ideas and delicious creations.