You scroll through Instagram, feasting your eyes on idyllic, staged photos while you munch on your favorite snack, wishing you were as radiant and toned as this solo traveler, fashionista, vegan foodie, or possibly all three combined.
You shut eyes and imagine how satisfied you would be if you were anything like them. Realizing the lengths you’d have to go to earn Instagram stardom, you decide it’s much easier to just shove those flowery mental images aside and carry on with life just as it is.
If you think being healthy and fit is a tedious, no-fun journey to take, we beg to differ – and so does smoothies guru Daniel Pelegreen who has proven time and time again that a healthy, nutritious diet can something to look forward to when done right.
We know it’s hard to give up the comfort of high-calorie, sugar-saturated foods, and that’s exactly why smoothies can become your new comfort zone. Here’s how:
Healthy Ingredients’ Hideout
As children, we all had this one thing we totally refused to eat. It often comes as off as betrayal when we learn that our mothers still incorporated them into our meals anyway under some disguise. Now, as adults, that we must take matters into our own hands and plan our meals, this classic motherhood trick doesn’t seem so bad after all – and smoothies are an excellent experimental playground for this trick.
You’d be surprised at the amount of greens, like spinach or kale, that you can sneak into your smoothie by orchestrating the right flavours that bring you a harmonious end result. This may not sound very flattering at first, but after a while of following others’ recipes, you’d be tempted to try your own originals.
A Great Midday Pick-Me-Up
Reasons may vary from hunger to an extremely boring day at the office, but afternoons seem to occupy the lowest point of the energy curve throughout the day. This usually calls for the long awaited lunch break. Hoping to conquer your hunger and boredom at the same time, we may get dragged into a blackhole of cravings that end in nothing but guilt (especially if you’re trying to be mindful of what you eat).
Although, to be realistic, it will never be as scrumptious as a sizzling, juicy burger patty and fries, a well-structured smoothie guarantees enough water, fiber, and protein to leave you feeling full and ready to get back to your activities.
Unlike juicing, smoothies retain more nutritional value which means you consume your food in its full glory.
Replacing Processed Sugar
Emotional eating is likely to be on top of the weight gain downfalls anywhere. Once the violent winds of an emotional typhoon hit, we rush for chocolates, ice cream, and whatever processed sugars we can lay our hands on – and we do it in abundance.
As understandable as this dilemma is, you can beat it by keeping some balanced smoothies in your fridge which can help you stabilize blood sugar and overcome such waves of cravings.
All in Moderation
If you’re starting to consider smoothies as an integral part of the regimen (as we may hope), we have to remind you that even healthy smoothies can turn against you if you consume them in excess. Although all of the sugar that goes into your smoothies is natural (that is, in case you prepare all of your smoothies yourself, and steer away from ready-made, bottled ones), too much of it can backfire, especially if you don’t burn it off.
Treading the smoothie path is a stroll of mindfulness, so plan your ingredients with care, and keep an eye on the calorie count. But most importantly, enjoy the ride!
