The Amazing Benefits of Green Smoothies – Drink Your Salad

Hear me out. There’s no better way to get all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need than by drinking green smoothies. It’s basically drinking a salad. Stay with me; this green smoothie is incredibly delicious and doesn’t even taste healthy.

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about green smoothies, including the benefits, an amazing recipe you can follow, and much more. Learn how to customize your own green smoothies and how you can get the most out of this amazing drink.

What are Green Smoothies

I promise you, if you make them right, green smoothies are not just a liquefied salad. They taste delicious and have amazing nutritional properties that make them worth making. Green smoothies are made with a variety of fruits, vegetables, protein, healthy fats, and other nutritious ingredients. These all blend together to make a drink that is high in antioxidants, protein, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Misconceptions 

There are many things that green smoothies can and cannot do. Some people market them as a way to slim down and detoxify the body. The truth is, your body is already good at detoxifying due to the liver and kidneys. Any boost in nutrition can help your body do its job better, but the drink itself is not going to detoxify you.

Aside from that, there are ways for green smoothies to help you in weight loss. However, if you just change up a couple of ingredients, green smoothies can help you maintain or even gain weight if you need to. These smoothies can be made higher in protein to give you an extra boost of calories, amino acids, and collagen that you need to rebuild muscles if you’re weight training. Everything depends on how you make the green smoothie. The recipe below is a standard one, and follow the tips at the end to learn how to tweak the recipe to fit your needs.

Benefits 

Green smoothies are nutrient-dense. This means you get a lot of nutritious properties in a small package. Green smoothies provide natural energy, can improve digestion, help strengthen the immune system, may improve the appearance of the skin, and support optimal liver function.

These drinks can also help to control your appetite, reduce fluid retention, aid healthy weight management, and promote a good night’s sleep.

Green Smoothies for Weight Loss or Weight Gain

Everything depends on how you make this smoothie. Again, this recipe is highly customizable. This means that if you want to make a higher protein version, it’s very easy to do so. A version that is higher in protein can help you build more muscle, particularly if you are resistance training with weights. 

You can even make a version that will help you lose weight, but remember that while there’s nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, the important thing is to cultivate healthy habits that you can sustain for a lifetime. You can even make a smoothie design to gain weight if that is what you need. Many individuals have a hard time getting adequate calories a day. By making some adjustments, the smoothie can boost your daily energy easily.

If you simply just want a smoothie to support you and your daily functions and activities, that is possible. Check out the recipe below to learn the standard recipe for a green smoothie. Plus, take a quick peek at the tips to learn how to customize your smoothie to suit your goals.

Quick Recipe for Green Smoothies

The moment you’ve all been waiting for, here is a quick recipe for a standard green smoothie. This is a good option if you’re looking to maintain your wellness. The important part of the green smoothie is to choose vegetables that are fairly neutral in taste, such as spinach, celery, or cucumber. 

If you have a particular goal in mind such as muscle building, weight loss, or weight gain, check out the tips below the recipe.

Ingredients

• Cucumber – they contain B-complex vitamins and help to reduce stress. Also high in folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, which helps reduce inflammation and stay hydrated.
• Leafy greens – have vitamin A, B1, B2, C, K, calcium, phosphorus, iron, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, beta-carotene, and powerful antioxidants. For example, kale is a rich plant source of iron, it also contains vitamin C, strengthens bones, and is rich in calcium, vitamin K, and potassium.
• Small piece of ginger – boosts metabolism and provides energy. It is a powerful regulator of glucose in the blood.
• Berries – high in antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and nutrients, berries such as blueberries and strawberries are a great option for this drink! Warning: blueberries may turn your green smoothie pink or purple, and strawberries may turn your drink brown(red from strawberries and green from vegetables make the color brown; the smoothie is still wellness gold). 
• Lemon juice – has great antibacterial power and is a source of vitamins B and C. It is rich in minerals such as potassium, selenium, calcium, iron, and magnesium. 
• Yogurt or milk base – add enough yogurt, milk, and/or milk alternative to liquify smoothie. This also boosts the protein in the drink.
• Sweetener – to taste. Make your green smoothie not taste like a liquid salad by adding some sweetness in the form of stevia, monk fruit, or natural sugar like honey.

Tips for Customization 

Here are some quick tips that you can use to customize your green smoothie recipe more. No matter what your goals are, whether it’s to increase muscle mass, lose weight, or maintain, there’s a version of a green smoothie recipe that’s right for you.

• Higher protein (muscle gain) – if you’re trying to gain muscle, like I am, you’re going to want a version of the smoothie that is high in protein. This can be from more Greek yogurt in the base. You could also add scoops of whey protein, collagen powder, or milk kefir for a boost of microbiota benefits.
• Lower calorie (weight loss) – a version of this drink that is lower in calories will help aid weight loss. Plus, this version should have more fiber to increase feelings of fullness throughout the day. Add more leafy greens and choose lower-calorie vegetables and fruits, such as berries, leafy greens, cucumber, and celery.
• Higher calorie (energy boost) – a higher calorie version is particularly useful for individuals who are looking to increase their energy and gain weight. You’re going to want to use more healthy fats in the recipe. This can be using more avocado, or some sort of nut or nut butter. This will make your smoothie higher in calories and energy.

The Takeaway

Smoothies are the best way to drink your vegetables. They are high in nutrition and can be customized to fit your fitness goals. Try them out and start making progress in your wellness journey today.

Remember, health always comes from within. Start by eating nutritious food, moving your body and exercising when you can, and taking care of your mental health. These small daily changes and habits that you start to cultivate become the foundation for a life full of wellness. Don’t forget about the health of your microbiome, too! Gut microbiota affects everything in your body, from the skin to muscles to the immune system and mental health. Get all the resources you need about microbiota health for free here!