Why we all need to smoothie…

by Julia Recker

Green, pink, orange… they come in any color and by now you can buy them at every corner. Smoothies are the milkshake of this decade. What they all have im common: they pretend to be super healthy. 
I don’t want to frustrate you but it’s not that easy.

You can blend three bananas with a handful of blueberries and raspberries, some strawberries, add some raw chocolate and dried fruit. Et voilà, your smoothie is full of healthy ingredients, but wait! This is much more than you’d consume if you’d actually eat the fruits, right? Also, you’d take only a fraction of the time for consumption compared to really eating them. So you’d feel super conscious and clever but actually you’d end up with a super energy-densed drink, take up lots of calories and sugars within a short time, leaving you literally sugar-shocked. This is the principle of overconsumption through liquid calories, which happens too often nowadays with soft drinks and lemonades. Can you see that? So I will repeat, what I talk about so much: It’s about the balance! Once you understand the principle of combining fruit and veggies intelligently and know how to add some health promoting spices, you can go wild with your blender. I’m not saying you should skip fruit entirely because of fructose but I want you to be aware of what you throw into your blender. So, please enjoy your fruit but also incorporate vegetables and leafy greens to make it a truly healthy and wholesome treat that keeps you satiated for some time. 
Smoothies can be an excellent way of fuel your body straight away with vitamins and minerals – particularly useful after workout. The mechanical breakdown of the food has already been done, no extra work for your body! The drink is ready to be absorbed immediately. Smoothies taste best when ice-cold. Use ice cubes or frozen fruit to get delicious results! 
Try to adhere to those three ground rules and nothing can go wrong: 

1. Find a fruit-veggie-balance.
3. Prepare moderate portions. 
2. Take time for consumption.

 


I had the honor of creating three different smoothie recipes for a fitness event at our outdoor pool. So I was brainstorming about post-exercise combinations most beneficial for athletes and came up with these three versions: Coco-Mango-Turmeric, Spinach-Banana-Cardamom and Raspberry-Beetroot-Chocolate.
Beetroot stimulates blood formation, banana delivers magnesium, spinach and celery support hydration and deliver iron. Yellow fruit such as mango are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, whilst cocoa and turmeric add anti-inflammatory properties. I also like to use small amounts of plant-based milk to achieve a pleasant creaminess. However, I always dilute them with water.  



Coco-Mango-Turmeric 
serves 2 portions

1 cup mango cubes, frozen
1,5 cup water
4 tbsp coconut milk
1 inch fresh ginger
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp turmeric powder


Spinach-Banana-Cardamom
serves 2 portions

1 cup plant-based milk 
1 cup ice-cold water 
1 banana
1/2 apple
1 handfuls baby spinach
1 stick celery
1 tsp cardamom powder


Raspberry-Beetroot-Chocolate 
serves 2 portions

1 cup water
1 cup plant-based milk 
1 cup raspberries, frozen 
1 small beetroot, cooked
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa powder 
1 tsp agave nectar

I enjoyed meeting so many interested and interesting people last weekend. We had a wonderful day, taking about nutrition, enjoyed rainbow smoothies and vegan power bars. I want to thank everyone who enabled me to be part of this event and supports me spreading my vision of a wholesome and healthy lifestyle!
One last tip: Keep sips in your mouth for some moments – this is where digestions starts! :)
Stay critical and healthy!

                                                                                                                    Johanna 




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