Lately, I have been focusing on improving my health and appearance (getting healthiful!) by introducing better habits and phasing out bad ones. This endeavor has included drinking plenty of water with freshly squeezed lemon, cutting out alcohol, taking the right supplements, improving my skincare routine, and drinking healthy smoothies.
At some point, I'd like to incorporate regular exercise into the above equation, but I'm seriously lazy when it comes to moving! I'll get there, I know!
Anyway, I have been enjoying the services of our Nutri Ninja in my quest for better health. I love the idea of packing so many nutrients and vitamins into one filling drink, and I have no issues with filling the container with as many leafy greens as I can. I tend to stick to spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce, but it's better to rotate your greens.
Today, for instance, I woke up and had a big glass of water with fresh lemon juice. About a half hour later, I made a huge smoothie with non-fat Greek yogurt, water, apples, blueberries, cherries, baby kale, and a smattering of walnuts. It was satisfying and kept me full for a while, though I definitely needed my light lunch when the time came. For dinner, I had a smoothie with carrot, blueberries, cherries, spinach, and water. I feel refreshed and revitalized, like I'm really pumping my body full of beautifying nutrients!
I am by no means an expert, but here are some ideas if you're interested in creating your own beauty smoothie:
Lemon juice in water, apple cider vinegar in water, or green tea would be excellent bases for a smoothie. All are enormously good for your body, and green tea provides antioxidants that improve heart health, beautify, and possibly help trim your waistline. Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar are purported to be detoxifying, and also touted as being conducive to weight loss.
If you go for lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, be sure to dilute them enough so that they aren't too harsh. They are acidic, so they can wear away at the enamel of your teeth. I drink apple cider vinegar in water on a daily basis, so I'm always careful to keep it away from my teeth as much as possible.
Greek yogurt is a good addition to breakfast smoothies, as it's packed with protein and calcium to start your day off on the right foot. It's also delicious!
In terms of fruits and veggies, carrot, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, collard greens, cucumber, celery, beets, apples, cherries, blueberries, oranges, banana, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, mango, and pineapple are excellent. There are many more, of course, but these are ones with which I have the most experience. These vegetables and fruits are antioxidant and mineral-rich powerhouses.
It's important not to consume too much of certain types of vegetables and fruit, as variety is the spice of life. You will get bored if you eat the same types every day, and some of them can cause harmful buildups or reactions in your body if over consumed.
Introducing things like chia seed, flax seed, almonds, or walnuts to your smoothies is another way to get energy and boost the effectiveness of your smoothies.
Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe that you refuse to live without? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below, so do share!
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