Best Smoothie Recipes For Losing Weight And Boosting Energy

4 Healthy Smoothie Recipes that will boost your energy and help you lose weight

A lot of people are tormented by questions like “What should I eat to look good? What should I eat to feel better about myself? What should I eat to lose weight?” and so on…

The list of questions starting with “What should I eat” is truly endless.

And I hate to break it to you, but don’t expect to find one solution that answers all these questions. You probably hear a lot of “Eat more veggies to look good, feel good, lose weight etc”.

While it’s healthy to eat veggies, this is not the answer to all our food-related questions. Don’t expect to eat loads of veggies and suddenly turn into one of Victoria Secret’s angels.

If you want to lose weight, then eat specific veggies in very clear (and probably small) quantities and at certain times.

If you’re already slim but don’t have a six-pack to show off on a beautiful beach in Ibiza this summer, then you should go for fewer carbs and more workouts.

So what I want to say is that diets are different and they should always be tailored to your needs and goals.

But there’s one thing most of them have in common, and that’s smoothies.

Don’t think of them as an answer to all food-related issues, but they can fit perfectly with most diets. Whether it’s weight-loss, detox, energy boosting, smoothies will do a wonderful job.

You might ask yourself Why are smoothie recipes so popular and why should we include them in our daily diet? I’m sure that if you are reading this blog you already eat healthy.

So why should we take the time to make smoothies, instead of buying fruit juices from local grocery stores?

I looked for answers to these questions and after a bit of research, I found quite a few interesting facts which I’ll share with you below.

I’ll share them below and I will point out the benefits of smoothies and their ingredients. They will help you decide whether you should start including smoothies in your daily diet.

I will also show you how to make 4 amazing  smoothie recipes, that are perfect for weight-loss, detox and boosting energy (that’s the best part 🙂 )

So let’s see why smoothies work so well with all diets and most of all…

Why are smoothies so healthy?

According to Veg Kitchen, smoothies are healthier than fruit and veggie juices because they are also rich in fiber. That’s on top of the vitamins and minerals they both have.

Most important, smoothies are a delicious way to eat your veggies. Think about kale for example. It’s healthy, but we’re never going to eat it on its own, right?

Do you think you’ll ever find kale juice at your local store? Not a chance!

Smoothie recipes are versatile. They can be adjusted to your needs.

If you want to lose weight, then choose a smoothie recipe with Matcha and Kale. If you want a detox smoothie then choose one with turmeric.

I will tell you more about the benefits of their ingredients throughout this article. But now I want to point out some benefits of smoothies and why we should have more and more of them.

Benefits of Smoothies

• They are rich in vitamins and fiber. This makes them healthy meals and great energy boosters.
• Smoothie recipes are quick and easy to make. Also, homemade smoothies are cheap
• Perfect for weight loss. They are low-calorie which makes them perfect for this purpose.
• Kids love them. Try telling your kid to eat his veggies. Then ask him if he wants a smoothie. We all know the answers to both of these questions.

Now that we know why we should include them in our diets, I want to show you my favorite smoothie recipes.

4 Smoothie Recipes for weight-loss and energy boost

1. The Green Goddess – A Green Smoothie Recipe with Kale, Pineapple and Matcha tea

This smoothie recipe is great for weight loss, detox, as an energy booster and it even relieves anxiety.

Let’s take a look at its main ingredients.

Green Smoothie Recipe Ingredients

• 2 cups raw kale
• ¼ cup fresh mint
• ½ cup pineapple
• ½ lemon juice
• ½ avocado
• 1 cup almond or soy milk
• 1 Tbsps raw honey
• 1 tsp matcha powder

According to the Telegraph, “matcha is a stone-ground powdered green tea used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.”

That said, Matcha is a green tea in its purest form. Hence, it’s properties are more powerful and concentrated. Kind of like a green tea on steroids.

Just take a look at its antioxidant levels.

Bodybuilding.com wrote an in-depth article about matcha’s benefits. I will summarize them below, but you might want to check it out if you want to learn more about Matcha.

Benefits of Matcha

1.    Cancer Prevention
2.    Anti-Aging
3.    Lowers LDL “Bad” Cholesterol
4.    Weight loss
5.    Detox
6.    Mind improver
7.    Rich in Fiber
8.    Energy booster

Now let’s look into the other healthy ingredient of this green smoothie recipe:

Benefits of Kale

Kale is a cancer-fighting veggie, whose popularity increased a lot in recent years. It’s great in:
Detox, Heart Support, Brain development in Infants and Cancer Prevention

The best time to serve The Green Goddess is in the morning. This is a great smoothie for breakfast and it’s best to have it on an empty stomach.

More Healthy Breakfasts:

• Chocolate chia pudding with fresh berries
• Homemade Chocolate Granola
• Shakshuka with cherry tomatoes and goat cheese

2. The Berrylicious – A delicious and healthy Berry Smoothie Recipe

I’ve made this Berry Smoothie Recipe with coconut water and that’s why it’s very hydrating. I would recommend it before or after workouts.

As you know, all berries are excellent antioxidants and sources of fiber.

A recent study from The American Society for Nutrition shows that berries are also rich in polyphenols.

They have neuroprotective features such as anti-inflammation, antioxidants and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as improved vision.

Their studies found that:

Ingredients of this delicious Berry Smoothie Recipe:

• 1 cup berries
• 1/3 cup natural coconut water
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• 1 Tbsps flax seeds

3. Chocolate Madness – A Cocoa and Banana Smoothie Recipe

Out of all smoothie recipes, this one’s my favorite.

I always have it as a post-workout meal, but it’s a great smoothie for breakfast as well. The cocoa makes it an amazing energy booster, so it will keep you sharp and alert throughout the day.

It’s very nourishing which makes it perfect for all of you busy bees out there, that might not have the time to grab a proper meal.

But don’t replace more than one meal a day with the Chocolate Madness.

Smoothies should supplement our diets and not replace meals altogether.

 Ingredients of the Cocoa and Banana Smoothie Recipe

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 banana
• 2 Tbsps raw cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Medjool dates
• 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter

Let’s take a closer look at cocoa, which is the main ingredient in this smoothie recipe.

The most important thing to remember when using cocoa is that it has to be raw and organic.

Please don’t buy the processed one that we usually find in stores. It’s full of sugar and the processing took away a lot of its healthy properties.

As amazing as it may sound, out of all foods, raw cocoa has the highest number of antioxidants.

Just take a look at the chart below to see a comparison with other foods rich in antioxidants

More than that, raw cocoa is incredibly rich in magnesium and chromium. As you probably know, magnesium is the most deficient mineral in humans.

Finally, the last smoothie recipe on our list is:

4. The Detox – A Detox Smoothie like no other

As the name suggests, this smoothie recipe is good for detox and to lose weight.

The most interesting ingredient is turmeric. Yup, this is the same ingredient that we use to spice our dishes.

Mostly used in Asian cuisine, turmeric has many benefits, other than being a wonderful spice. Dr. Ralph W. Moss says that “Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory. It inhibits  the growth of new blood vessels in tumors and it’s a powerful antioxidant”

More recipes with turmeric:

• Rainbow cheesecake with matcha, turmeric, and blueberries
• Hummus with turmeric and roasted cherry tomatoes
• Turmeric cauliflower and quinoa salad

There are some compelling reasons why we should cook with turmeric and here’s a short list of them:

1.     Prevents cancer. It doesn’t cure it, but in combination with other healthy veggies, it has an anti-tumor effect which will prevent it.
2.     Prevents Alzheimer disease
3.     Boosts the immune system
4.     It’s great for digestion and weight loss
5.     Lowers cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of heart attack and strokes

Ingredients of The Detox Smoothie Recipe

• ½ mango
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ ginger powder
• 1 banana
• 1 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 Tbsp flax seeds

In conclusion, smoothies are the most natural way of achieving our nutritional goals. Whether we want to lose weight, detoxify our bodies, boost our energy or immune system, they should always be part of our diets.

That said, please don’t go buying or making smoothies just because they’re healthy. Define your goals first, then do some research to find out which smoothie recipes will help you meet them.

For example, if your goal is to detoxify your body, then look for detox smoothies. A hydrating or tropical smoothie might not do a very good job for that purpose.

Now I want to know what are your favorite smoothie recipes and why? How are they helping you?