Losing weight is a real struggle. Especially when most of us feel like eating fruits and vegetables is the most unexciting thing to do.
Well, if you can’t eat them, drink them. Smoothies are the easiest life hacks to lose weight. All you need is a blender and a trip to the grocery. It’s that simple!
Pick up your equipment, and let’s get blending. Here are five easy and delicious smoothies to get your fat burning.
1. Watermelon smoothie
1 ½ cups of cut watermelon
½ fresh lime juice
8 ounces of pineapple juice
½ ripe banana
2 scoops plain greek yogurt
Watermelon is an excellent source of a weight-loss friendly fruit. They are low in calories, and full of vitamins C, A, and B6. Let’s not forget that a watermelon has a high water content.
The benefits of watermelon, along with the protein from Greek yogurt, vitamin C from lime juice, and the fiber from pineapple juice and banana, makes this smoothie a yummy treat to lose weight.
2. Green smoothie
1 banana
2 handfuls of spinach
1 stick of celery
Small amount of ginger
About a quarter of a cucumber
A handful of chopped up pineapple
Coconut water
Ice
Start your day with a big glass of green. Spinach is the hero of this particular green smoothie. Did you know a cup of spinach has only 7 calories? Low in calories, high in nutrients – it’s no wonder Popeye tried getting the world hooked onto this powerful leafy green. Adding cucumber (another low calorie source) and celery, takes the drink up another notch with a pack of antioxidants.
A green smoothie can keep your tummy full for quite sometime. It also helps you from reaching out to unhealthy snacks and prevents you from overeating.
3. Strawberry banana smoothie
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp ground white chia seeds
1 tbsp or 15 ml of yogurt
½ tablespoon or 8 ml of lemon juice
Note: Try to stick organic ingredients.
A combination of strawberry, banana and chia seeds will give you a boost of nutrients. Strawberries are full of vitamins that are not only anti-inflammatory, but also revs up your metabolism. This coupled with the fiber content from banana, and the protein from chia seeds, can get you burning fat in no time.
4. Berry delicious smoothie
2 cups freshly squeezed apple juice
1.5 cups of frozen strawberries
1,5 cups frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen blackberries
1-2 cups frozen wild blueberries
Juice of one lemon
The berry family is full of ingredients that help you to lose weight. The fiber content keeps your stomach satisfied and full for sometime. Berries are a natural source to raise your metabolism. In fact, one study claims eating blueberries helps to reduce the dreaded abdominal fat.1
5. Pineapple detox smoothie
1 cup of ripe pineapple, peeled and roughly chopped
2 medium sized ripe bananas, roughly chopped
½ cup of water
½ small lime, peeled
1 teaspoon of maca powder
½ teaspoon of spirulina powder
1/8 teaspoon of turmeric powder
2 large handfuls of spinach and kale
This is another weight loss smoothie that targets belly fat. Pineapples are loaded with vitamins that aid weight loss. It is high in magnesium, which is important for bone and tissue health. Also, pineapple has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Maca powder helps to increase hormone balance in women. While spirulina powder helps to reduce cholesterol, and speed up weight loss because they are high in proteins, and curbs hunger.2
Do remember, though smoothies tend to keep your tummy full for sometime, they are not a replacement for a meal. But they are an interesting (and yum) way to lose weight and to get nutrients into your body. Bottoms up!
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