Do you know what Alessandra Ambrosio, Jessica Alba, Blake Lively, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley have in common? Besides the fact that all these Hollywood actresses are incredible beauties with impeccable figures, they all actively use smoothies to lose weight and have their own recipes for this drink.
For example, Alessandra uses them to enhance the effectiveness of her workouts, Jessica replaces several meals a day with them, Lively arranges fasting days with them, Paltrow uses them daily, and Rosie starts her morning with them. The result of such a diet is obvious: all the girls look amazing. Shouldn't we follow their example?
What it is
Before you lose weight on smoothies, you need to figure out what it is and how it differs from the same fresh drink. It is a sweet (pay attention to this! ) thick drink made from berries, fruits, herbs or vegetables with the addition of juice. So usual recipes include honey, sugar, dried fruits, stevia, molasses, jam, sweeteners and other sweeteners. But as part of a healthy diet and dietetics, these components are removed, which helps reduce calories.
Unlike fresh juices, smoothies contain not only the liquid part of the components, but also the pulp. Moreover, some peel fruits and vegetables from seeds, peels and membranes, while others grind all this "good" so as not to lose a single gram of vitamins. Therefore, they contain much more nutrients, they are more nutritious and provide a long-lasting feeling of fullness. This is very important for losing weight, since you won’t have to fight the hated hunger, which means the risk of failure is minimal.
The second difference: a juicer is used to make fresh juices, and a blender or mixer is used to make smoothies.
Why is it called that?The word "smoothie" goes back to the English "smooth, " which translates as "soft, smooth, pleasant. "
Effect on the body
Main benefits of smoothies:
- retain plant fibers, antioxidants and vitamins;
- contain easily digestible carbohydrates, which provides a boost of vivacity, energy, improved mood and increased performance;
- have an anti-stress effect;
- strengthen the immune system;
- cleanse the body of waste and toxins;
- improve digestion thanks to fiber;
- satiate and quench thirst at the same time;
- promote weight loss.
The last property is the most important, since many consider this drink as the basis of a dietary diet. And it’s not in vain:
- normalization of digestion leads to the fact that fats are not used as reserves, but are converted into useful energy;
- cleansing the intestines can remove a couple of kilograms;
- prolonged saturation leads to a decrease in the total daily calorie intake and allows you to maintain the diet to the end;
- improving metabolism activates lipolysis;
- removing excess fluid from the body means losing another 1-2 kg;
- eliminating cholesterol plaques also promotes weight loss;
- The puree-like consistency of cocktails normalizes the water-salt balance.
So smoothies have one continuous benefit for health in general and for weight loss in particular. True, in order to extract it, you need to be able to prepare it correctly. After all, the presence of high-calorie foods and sweeteners in the composition can lead to the opposite result.
Through the pages of history.No one knows exactly who and when invented this drink and called it that way. The first version says that the term appeared among hippies, and the second claims that such cocktails were invented by Pacific surfers.
Kinds
There are different types of smoothies, and you need to know which types can be used for weight loss and which ones cannot.
Fat burning
Some foods contain substances that activate the production of growth hormone. These are vitamin C, taurine, methionine, magnesium and iodine. Under their influence, cells begin to divide intensively (nails thicken, hair stops falling out and becomes thicker, muscle mass increases), requiring additional energy from the body. This leads to the consumption of fat reserves.
Another group of foods has the so-called "negative calorie content": more energy is spent on their processing than they can provide to the body. And again fat reserves are consumed.
These products are called fat burners, and if you make a smoothie from them, the effect will not be long in coming. Here is their list:
Vegetables:
- broccoli;
- carrot;
- cucumbers;
- tomatoes;
- savoy cabbage;
- beet;
- pumpkin;
- cauliflower.
Greenery:
- leaf salad;
- arugula;
- celery;
- asparagus;
- spinach;
- sorrel.
Fruits:
- avocado;
- pineapples;
- oranges;
- grapefruits;
- kiwi;
- lemons;
- mango;
- tangerines;
- apples.
Berries:
- strawberry;
- cranberry;
- raspberries;
- currant;
- blueberry.
Drinks (for dilution):
- Pineapple juice;
- water;
- green tea;
- kefir;
- mineral water;
- tomato juice.
Fat-burning smoothies are the most effective for eliminating fat deposits in problem areas of the body; they can be used to lose belly fat.
Dietary
Losing weight is only possible if you burn more calories per day than you take in. Accordingly, you need to increase physical activity and reduce caloric intake. Diet smoothies made from foods with a minimum amount of calories will help with this. They are mainly prepared from vegetables, since berries and fruits contain more sugar.
Recommended products (calorie content below 40):
| Products | Kcal |
|---|---|
| Watermelons | 27 |
| Broccoli | 34 |
| Blueberry | 39 |
| Grapefruits | 35 |
| Melons | 35 |
| Blackberry | 34 |
| Zucchini | 24 |
| Brussels sprouts | 35 |
| Cabbage | 16 |
| Savoy cabbage | 28 |
| Cauliflower | thirty |
| Cranberry | 28 |
| Lemons | 34 |
| Tangerines | 38 |
| Carrot | 35 |
| Sea kale | 25 |
| cucumbers | 14 |
| Pomelo | 38 |
| Tomatoes | 24 |
| Leaf lettuce | 16 |
| Celery | 34 |
| Pumpkin | 22 |
| Spinach | 23 |
But it is not recommended to abuse these products (calorie content above 50):
| Products | Kcal |
|---|---|
| Avocado | 160 |
| Pineapples | 52 |
| Bananas | 96 |
| Grape | 72 |
| Cherry | 52 |
| Grenades | 72 |
| Durian | 147 |
| Potato | 77 |
| Mango | 60 |
| Sea buckthorn | 82 |
| Red rowan | 50 |
| Rowan chokeberry | 55 |
| Jerusalem artichoke | 61 |
| Feijoa | 61 |
| Persimmon | 67 |
| Cherries | 52 |
| Garlic | 149 |
| Mulberry | 50 |
| Rose hip | 109 |
Diet smoothies are recommended for overall weight loss as part of any weight loss program.
Detox
Making smoothies from foods that are known for their cleansing properties makes excellent detox drinks. They can be used to organize fasting days.
What we cook from:
- from greens: lettuce, dill, celery, parsley;
- from drinks: mineral water, freshly squeezed juices, green tea;
- from vegetables: beets, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, pumpkins;
- from oats and bran;
- from nuts;
- from dried fruits;
- from fruits: plums, apples, cherries, lemons, peaches, pears, apricots, grapefruits, oranges;
- from berries: black currant, strawberry, cranberry, lingonberry, gooseberry.
What we try not to add:
- alcohol;
- coffee;
- seasonings;
- radish;
- spices;
- seeds;
- Black tea;
- spinach;
- sorrel.
Detox smoothies are recommended for general slagging of the body, as well as for cleansing certain organs and systems.
Dairy / protein / protein
If you dilute fruits and berries in a smoothie with milk, kefir, yogurt or whey, they will become a good source of protein for the body. During weight loss, it plays an important role. With its deficiency, energy primarily begins to be extracted from muscle fibers, rather than fat reserves. Their breakdown leads to general depletion of the body. Protein prevents this, promotes muscle mass building and redirects all forces to burning adipocytes.
Protein smoothies are suitable for those who are actively involved in sports and are not just losing weight, but are sculpting their body so that it is slim, beautiful and sculpted.
This is interesting.In American bars, there is a distinction between "thick" and "thin" smoothies. The latter does not contain additional sweeteners and removes the natural sugar contained in berries and fruits.
Cooking features
The good thing about smoothies is that they are easy and quick to prepare at home in a blender or using a mixer. However, there are also secrets here that can make it even more useful and effective.
General recommendations
Smoothie components: solid components (fruits, vegetables, herbs, berries) and liquid (most often juices or water). Canned products are not used. But frozen fruits and berries will come in handy in hot weather.
To lose weight, you cannot prepare smoothies from only fruits - they contain a lot of fructose and glucose. It is better to dilute with leafy greens and vegetables. All ingredients must be natural; it is better to take seasonal products. They must be washed thoroughly.
Some people recommend removing skins, seeds, pith, and albedo (the white subcutaneous layer of citrus fruits) from fruits and vegetables because they may contain toxins and cause a softer texture. But everyone decides for themselves. Albedo, for example, has a very high concentration of useful substances.
There is heated debate about soy milk in smoothies. On the one hand, it reduces overall calorie content and is ideal for vegetarians. On the other hand, recently they are increasingly talking about soy as a GMO product.
Many vitamins and minerals are absorbed only with the help of fats. Therefore, it is recommended to add 1 teaspoon of any of the fat-containing products to the smoothie: pureed avocado, olive oil or sour cream.
Advice.To properly prepare a smoothie in a blender, you need the highest grinding speed.
Universal recipe
- Squeeze out the juice used for dilution.
- Tear the leafy greens with your hands.
- Blend the herbs and freshly squeezed juice (it can be replaced with water, green tea or milk drinks) in a blender for 1 minute.
- Cut fruits and vegetables into large pieces and add them to the blender along with the berries. Beat for 1-1. 5 minutes.
- Pour into a glass, garnish on top with mint sprigs (traditional garnish), whole berries, and pre-ground nuts (be careful with them: they are very high in calories and can spoil your weight loss results).
Ideal proportions
- Fruit and berry smoothies = 40% leafy greens + 60% fruits and berries.
- Vegetables = 70% vegetables + 30% fruits and berries.
- Greens = 40% vegetables + 40% leafy greens + 20% fruits and berries.
The amount of liquid base is selected "by eye". If you need to get a nutritious cocktail that acts as a separate dish and replaces an entire meal, add no more than 50 ml per serving (250-300 ml). In summer, to quench your thirst, you can take more liquid - 100-150 ml.
Some supplements in minimal quantities (literally a pinch) will help enhance the fat-burning effect:
- vanillin;
- goji;
- ginger;
- cocoa powder;
- cinnamon;
- Peruvian poppy;
- nuts;
- protein;
- bee pollen;
- flax, sesame, chia, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower seeds;
- spirulina, kelp, chlorella;
- lemon zest.
Ideal combinations
Fruit:
- banana + pineapple + green apple + spinach;
- banana + peach + cucumber + lettuce;
- banana + dates + avocado + lettuce + soy milk + cinnamon powder;
- banana + green apple + strawberry;
- green apple + apricot + carrots + spinach;
- green apple + kiwi + strawberry;
- green apple + strawberry + black currant.
Vegetables:
- bell pepper + green apple + lettuce + pumpkin seeds;
- carrots + green apple + cucumber + avocado + spinach;
- carrots + beets + cucumber + green apple + lettuce + parsley;
- carrots + celery + green apple;
- cucumber + broccoli + pineapple;
- pumpkin + carrots.
Green:
- banana + pineapple + spinach + avocado;
- banana + green apple + lettuce;
- green apple + celery stalks + lettuce + spinach + parsley + almond milk;
- mango + cucumber + lettuce.
If you are making your own recipe, remember the golden rule: the ideal drink includes no more than 5 solid ingredients, 1-2 spices and 1 liquid for dilution.
You cannot add ice cream, jam, sugar or any other sweeteners that increase calorie content and are harmful to weight loss.
Interesting fact.In American bars, smoothies are also divided into types depending on the effect they have. Before ordering, the client is asked what exactly he wants: to relax or cheer up, cheer up or calm down, quench his thirst or eat.
Weight loss plans
Once you have mastered the art of making smoothies, it’s time to choose a weight loss program and learn how to drink it correctly. The results will also largely depend on this.
First you need to distribute its types by meals:
- for breakfast it is better to drink the most high-calorie, fruit smoothies that will charge you with energy for the whole day;
- for lunch, make them as nutritious and thick as possible; vegetable and multi-ingredient ones are suitable;
- For dinner, green ones would be an ideal option, as they improve digestion, setting up the gastrointestinal tract for a night's rest;
- for lunch and afternoon snack, before or after training (+/- half an hour), drink protein smoothies - they will preserve muscle mass;
- At night, you can drink a one-ingredient drink (for example, orange or strawberry) with a small addition of low-fat kefir.
Now directly to the weight loss plans.
Fasting day
During the day, you need to drink 2. 5 liters of plain water and 1 liter of low-calorie detox smoothie in small portions (it is better to take the simplest recipes, from 1-2 products). For the first 2 months, arrange such unloadings weekly, then once every 2 weeks. The result is minus 1-1. 5 kg per day.
Mono-diet
You will have to give up solid food completely and replace all meals with smoothies. It can be different, it can be from some specific products (for example, focus on vegetables, or greens, or fruits). A significant drawback of such weight loss is intestinal disorders at the end of the diet, since the stomach becomes unaccustomed to digesting solid food. Duration - from 3 to 7 days, no longer. The result is minus 3-4 kg.
Diet
The smoothie diet does not involve replacing all meals with these drinks, but only one or two. This allows you to avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Typically, breakfast is chosen because it is important to get a boost of energy for the day in the morning, and/or instead of dinner to ease the work of the stomach at night. Duration: 1-2 weeks. The result is minus 5-6 kg.
As a sports supplement
Against the backdrop of a healthy diet or any diet, protein smoothies can be drunk not only for weight loss, but also for maintaining and building muscle mass. To do this, you need to drink the drink 30-60 minutes before training and the same time after it.
Regular use
To maintain a normal weight and not gain extra pounds, it is useful to drink a glass of a diet smoothie for lunch or an afternoon snack as a preventive measure against the backdrop of a healthy diet.
A spoon of tar.Frequent consumption of smoothies leads to the development of dental caries.
Recipes
Since the mixer still has much lower power and whipping speed, we offer recipes for a blender that is ideal for making smoothies.
*Note.The calorie content of each dish is indicated per 100 ml of drink, and not based on the proportions prescribed in the recipe.
Vegetable smoothies
- From pumpkin (40 kcal)
Coarsely chop the pumpkin pulp (250 g) and 1 banana. Pour 100 ml of 1% kefir. Beat in a blender.
- From broccoli (75 kcal)
Tear lettuce leaves (50 g) with your hands and pour in 200 ml of 1% kefir. Beat in a blender. Add chopped broccoli (150 g), add cilantro seeds (10 g). Mix.
A hearty broccoli drink can replace a full lunch. It is also called cream soup.
- From beets (90 kcal)
Tear spinach (150 g) and asparagus (250 g) into large pieces with your hands. Pour beet juice (150 ml), beat in a blender. Add boiled beets (150 g), cut into large pieces, and 2 figs. Beat the ingredients again.
This dish makes an even more delicious lunch than broccoli.
- Carrot (79 kcal)
Chop 1 carrot and 1 green apple. Pour 100 ml of 1. 5% milk and 100 ml of Greek yoghurt. Add 50 g oatmeal. Beat in a blender.
Fruit smoothies
- From kiwi (63 kcal)
Chop 2 kiwis, add 50 g of oatmeal, pour in 200 ml of low-fat kefir.
- With pineapple (60 kcal)
Chop 1 banana, 1 hard pear, 100 g pineapple, add 5 strawberries. Pour in 100 ml soy milk. Beat.
- With grapefruit (80 kcal)
Cut ½ grapefruit and ½ orange (without white fibers) into large pieces, pour 200 ml of low-fat yogurt without additives or dyes over them. Beat in a blender.
- From avocado (100 kcal)
Grind 50 g of parsley, dill, cilantro leaves. Pour 200 ml of still mineral water. Beat. Cut 2 cucumbers, 2 avocados into pieces, add to the green mass. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Pour in 50 ml lemon juice. Mix with a blender.
A very satisfying and tasty drink that can easily replace any meal.
- Banana (60 kcal)
Coarsely chop 200 g banana pulp, 150 g kiwi, add 5-6 pitted plums. Pour natural low-fat yoghurt (200 ml). For taste, add 10 g of honey.
Green smoothies
- From celery (44 kcal)
Mix chopped parsley, dill and arugula to make a total of 200 g. Chop 3 stalks of celery. Add 200 ml kefir (minimal fat content), ½ tsp. olive oil. Beat in a blender.
- With spinach (47 kcal)
Tear 100 g of spinach, pour 100 ml of chilled green tea. Beat. Add 50 g of green apple and kiwi, cut into pieces.
- With spinach and celery (30 kcal)
Pour large pieces of spinach leaves and celery stalks (100 g each) with mineral water (100 ml). Mix in a blender. Add 50 g of green apple, kiwi and cucumber. Beat again.
"Star" recipes
- Green by Alessandra Ambrosio (50 kcal)
Tear 400 g of spinach, pour in 400 ml of almond milk. Beat. Cut 1 apple and 1 banana into pieces, add to the spinach-milk mixture along with 50 g of oatmeal. Add a pinch of cinnamon and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Stir again.
Divide into 2 servings and drink half an hour before training and half an hour after it.
- Cabbage from Jessica Alba (58 kcal)
Coarsely chop kale (400 g), mix with Greek yogurt (200 ml). Add 50 g of raspberries and blackberries, 20 ml of honey. Beat again.
Drink instead of breakfast or lunch.
- Apple from Blake Lively (54 kcal)
Coarsely chopped celery stalks (100 g), chopped cilantro (10 g) and pour coconut water (100 ml). Mix. Add chopped kiwi (2 pcs. ), avocado (1 pc. ). Mix in a blender.
This is how Blake Lively arranges fasting days.
- Coconut from Gwyneth Paltrow (45 kcal)
Chop the flesh of 1 coconut, pour in coconut milk from the same fruit, add 100 ml of aloe juice and 20 g of chopped cilantro. Beat.
Paltrow claims that with regular use of this drink, fasting days are not needed: it perfectly cleanses all organs and systems of toxins.
- With chia seeds from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (59 kcal)
Pour chopped cabbage (200 g) with coconut milk (200 ml). Mix. Add avocado (1 pc. ), apple (½), chia seeds (10 g). Beat in a blender.
Rosie drinks this drink every morning instead of breakfast.
Winter smoothies
- Chocolate (109 kcal)
Mix frozen raspberries (250 g), honey (10 g), low-fat fermented baked milk (100 ml), dark chocolate (30 g) in a blender.
- Apple (30 kcal)
Apples are on store shelves all year round, so you can use them to make diet drinks even in winter. 100 g of any greenery (it is required in the cold season to increase immunity) pour 200 ml of mineral water. Add 100 g of chopped apples and the same amount of kiwi. Beat again.
- Tangerine (48 kcal)
Pour 100 ml of low-fat kefir and 100 ml of orange juice into the slices of three tangerines. Beat. Add a couple of frozen berries on top. An excellent option for losing weight during the New Year holidays.
Other recipes
- With oatmeal (79 kcal)
Cut 1 slightly unripe banana, add 100 ml of soy milk and 100 ml of Greek yogurt. Beat. Add 50 g of oatmeal, a pinch of cinnamon and 10 ml of honey. Mix.
- From kefir (43 kcal)
Pour 50 g of crushed wheat sprouts with 200 ml of low-fat kefir and 50 ml of natural yogurt. Mix. Add 100 g strawberries and 10 ml honey. Beat again.
- With cottage cheese (62 kcal)
Mix 400 g of low-fat cottage cheese, 150 g of blueberries, 200 ml of low-fat milk. The ideal protein drink recipe for athletes.
These are the best smoothies for weight loss, which are recommended by nutritionists and have many positive reviews. Be sure to try different recipes to see which one works best for you. All organisms are so different that some lost weight thanks to banana smoothies, despite their high calorie content, while for others it is enough to drink a glass of green tea every day to maintain their normal figure.