Healthy Smoothies: The tasty way to a slimmer waist

A smoothie is a mixture of ingredients blended together to create a paste-like beverage... Like a good milkshake!

Typically you start with a base mixer such as yogurt, milk, juice or water. For a more refreshing smoothie, I also recommend adding crushed ice to any of these.

Making a smoothie can be broken down into 4 stages:

1. Choose and prepare ingredients (chop fruit into small chunks, remove skin from any fruit that requires so).

2. Add your base mix to a blender, or preferably a smoothie maker.

3. Add the fruit (a little at a time if there is lots). Blend until a paste like texture that can be consumed as a drink.

4. Pour out and enjoy!

A main set of ingredients is used to flavor the smoothie. These can be either fruit or vegetables, or both! For example, you may choose to use milk as a base, with bananas and strawberries as the main ingredients. When blended, the smoothie will be a cool refreshing taste, with a hint of sweetness. And that, is how a smoothie is made!

A collection of delicious smoothie recipes can be found here.

A smoothie can aid weight loss by replacing the less healthy snacks/meals in your diet.

Today, we are over-exposed to junk food and 'easy' options that do not provide the correct nutrition needed to maintain a healthy weight. The added preservatives, high amounts of salt and artificial ingredients also contribute to bad skin, hair and nails.

Healthy smoothies provide the following nutritional values:

- Fruit and Vegetables! We all know that we should be eating more of these. Aside from being filled with goodness, they increase your metabolic rate!

- High in vitamins and minerals. The fruit and vegetables are packed with goodness that is great for everything from clearing your skin, to strengthening your immune system.

- Natural sugars. These are slow-releasing, providing you with just the right amount of energy needed, unlike artificial sugars which cause spikes in your blood sugar levels leaving you feeling unsatisfied and wanting more.

- Low in carbohydrates. Smoothies are typically low in carbs, allowing your body to pull energy from your fat stores.

In conclusion, you can expect to lose weight by replacing snacks, or even some meals, with smoothies. You should consume smaller portions spread over more meals in order to keep your metabolism burning. Think of your body as a furnace. You can add a lot of wood (a big meal) and it will burn for a while, then die out. Alternatively, you could keep adding smaller batches (portions) and keep the fat-burning furnace going all day.

So a typical day could look like this:

Breakfast
This should be something filling, low in GI (for a slow release of energy) and should contain the bulk amount of your carbs. This is because you have the whole day to use up this energy. E.g. A bowl of Muesli.

Mid-Morning Snack
BAM! Time for a smoothie. Go ahead and follow a recipe from here. Alternatively, check out some great reading which can be found further down this page.

Lunch
This should be something light, to keep you going for a few hours. E.g. A baked sweet potato with tuna and spring onion.

Mid-Afternoon Snack
It's smoothie time again! Finish off the rest of the smoothie you made earlier, or if you're feeling active - go ahead and try another recipe!

Dinner
Your body will have had sufficient energy by now to allow you to enjoy a light dinner. A chicken salad would be a great option. However, if salad isn't your thing, how about trying some low-carb stuffed peppers?

Remember! Keep your portions small, and your eating regular.