Healthy and Tasty Smoothies!

They say “you are what you eat”.  Unfortunately that is true. Why “unfortunately”, you ask? Most of the times, we choose to eat food based on what our tongue craves for and not what our body requires. Our body requires vitamins and proteins and fibre and we end up giving it more calories than we can burn, bad carbohydrates and unhealthy fat deposits. I wish, from the bottom of my heart, that healthy vegetables like spinach would taste like pastas or fruits taste like burgers. Sadly, we live in a real world and the real world asks us to eat healthy and stay fit.

There is nothing new in what I am going to say next. Exercise is a MUST. Physical movement is essential. There are perks of exercising, of course – a toned body, glowing skin, healthy hair and most importantly a healthy lifestyle. If you do not like going to the gym, choose a sport (I play badminton!)  Or choose a fun activity like dancing (I love to dance!) But it is equally important that after all the physical activity, we eat right so that the effort does not go waste.

Coming back to the eternal war of tongue vs. the body, I have been trying to find a middle way. Since I was able to succeed in doing so, I am sharing it with you. Here are two smoothie recipes that satisfies the taste buds and is super healthy.

1) Spinach and Pineapple Smoothie:

Here are the ingredients:

1. Spinach – 1 cup
2. Pineapple – 1 cup
3. Lemon – 3-4 drops
4. Mint leaves – 5-6 leaves
5. Water (Depending on the thickness you want for your drink)

Put all the ingredients in a mixer and blend it well.  If you want to be really scientific, you can choose to leave the concoction a little coarse so that you get to chew a few pieces. This will trick your mind into thinking that it is rather ‘eating’ the fruit or vegetable. This covers the food particle with saliva which has Ptyalin – an enzyme helpful in digestion. You can add honey for the sweetness but avoid using sugar.

Yes, we add spinach. But trust me, with the other ingredients added, the whole concoction tastes fabulous. Also since we are thinking healthy, spinach is an amazing vegetable to start with. Spinach is extremely good for skin, hair and overall health. It is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, foliate, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.  See!  I told you it has too many benefits to count.

Now, if I talk about pineapple and its benefits, there is a pretty long list here too. It has minerals and vitamin C and magnesium which is required by the body.  Almost 75% of the daily requirement of our body is easily supplied by this fruit alone. It also helps in keeping our bones strong. It contains dietary fibre which helps keeping our intestines clean.
In case if you are looking for some more variety, more strength and something richer and fruitier, here is a lovely recipe.

2) Banana and Apple Smoothie:

Here are the ingredients:

1. Banana
2. Apple
3. Ginger
4. Honey
5. Yogurt/Curd

Chop the Banana and apple into pieces, put these along with small portion of ginger, honey into the mixer. Now grind them together by adding curds or yogurt accordingly. Pour it into a jar and your smoothie is ready!

 

You can store this in fridge for 2 days and drink whenever needed. When I’m late to office and can’t have a good breakfast, I have a glass of this smoothie and Tada!!  You have a satisfied and full belly for the next two hours. Happy Belly, happy me!

The benefits of apple are no secret.  You know what they say about one apple keeping doctors away, right? I am sure you got the age old saying! It helps in weight loss, it keeps your eyes healthy and it even protects the heart by lowering cholesterol. I am sure with the apple being loaded with such benefits, other fruits are pretty jealous of apple!

Banana is very good source of fibre to our body. Banana also provides us with vitamins C and B6 for our body. Research says Bananas are high in antioxidants, which can provide protection from free radicals, which we come into contact with every day — from the sunlight to the lotion we put on our skin.

Ginger is very good to avoid stomach and motion related problems and it has been used since ages in our dishes to add flavor. Honey is used for the sweetness. You can either use milk or curds to make this smoothie depending on what is available at that time!

It is summer season and we suggest that you intake a lot of fluids so you don’t get dehydrated. A hydrated body means great health and obviously, great skin. A smoothie is a way healthier option than a juice to keep yourself hydrated. Besides, all the fibre content of the fruit (and/or vegetable) remains as it is. You can also add dry fruits and oats in your smoothie. Instead of water, you can put green tea.

This one option will give you the guilty pleasure of a good tasting drink and simultaneously provide you with the satisfaction of having consumed something super healthy. Life does not give you a lot of win-win situations — this is one of those rare cases. Make sure you grab it.

Stay healthy, Stay Beautiful 🙂

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