5.30.2014

fitness friday #15: adding extra nutritional value to your smoothies




fitness friday was born when like-minded bloggers desired a place to discuss hair and health goals and to remain accountable to themselves and each other for reaching those goals. 
tune into this and your hosts' blogs every friday to be inspired and to inspire.
there is no shortage of vitamins and minerals in a green smoothie - one smoothie can provide most, if not all, of your fruit and veggie intake for the day, which we all know packs a huge nutritional punch!

beyond that, however, there a few tweaks that can be made to really increase the value of your smoothie. one of the ways that i do this is reducing/eliminating the amount of plain water i use in my smoothies.

before you grab your pitchforks, understand that i am definitely not discounting the use of plain water. i love water, and i drink it by the gallon everyday, BUT a lot of fruits already contain plenty of water. adding water helps the blending process, but can also water down the smoothies, which can affect the taste and is honestly a missed opportunity to really ramp up the nutrition.


instead of adding plain water, try the following!

1. tea!
the herbal benefits of tea are vast and varied, and using these in place of plain water is a great idea. my favorite teas for my green smoothies are green and white (antioxidants), and bamboo leaf (silica). i blend my greens separately with tea and freeze them in a mini muffin pan to use in my smoothies.

2. nut and seed milks! 
instead of water, pour in a cup of hemp (omega fats and amino acids), almond (omega fats and antioxidants), or coconut (monolaurin, a powerful antiviral and antibacterial) milks.

3. fruit-infused water!
not only does steeping fruit in water create a refreshing beverage, but it also adds an additional vitamin and nutrient boost that is not present in plain water.

pssst... you can check out some yummy green smoothie and blender soup recipes on my pinterest board!

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