A smoothie is a drink made by puréeing ingredients in a blender. These versatile beverages are portable, family-friendly and modifiable for any taste or dietary preference. Smoothies are easy to prepare yourself and are a quick way to increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables which provide a diverse array of essential vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.

What are the health benefits of smoothies?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that adults eat at least 5 servings (around 400 grams) of fruits and vegetables per day. However, most people fall short of this mark. Smoothies can be a great way to incorporate more healthy foods into your diet. Smoothies which contain frozen or fresh fruit and vegetables can reduce inflammation, improve digestion, and lower your risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity and age-related cognitive decline.

A word of warning about smoothies

If a smoothie is the only way you are incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet, watch out for added sugars. Commercially prepared smoothies tend to be higher in added sugar than homemade versions, but it ultimately depends on the ingredients used in each recipe.

1. Superfoods smoothie

Superfoods is a marketing term for foods that provide a significant amount of nutrients and few calories. The antioxidants found in superfoods, such as berries, help neutralise free radicals that are formed in our bodies.

• 1 banana
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries
• 1 cup of frozen cherries
• 4 ice cubes
• ½ cup of orange juice
• ¾ cup of Greek yoghurt or vanilla yoghurt
• ½ teaspoon of honey

2. Reece Witherspoon’s healthy green smoothie

Hollywood actress and producer Reece Witherspoon loves to start her day with this green smoothie recipe. Almond butter is high in monounsaturated fats which help to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol. The recipe takes time to prepare but makes enough for two smoothies. Once the fruits and vegetables are washed, chopped and peeled, pile it all into the blender, starting with the solid food and then pouring the coconut water on top. Blend the ingredients for about 3 minutes to make sure there are no chunks.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of romaine (or cos) lettuce
• ½ cup spinach
• ½ cup coconut water
• 1 banana
• 1 apple
• 1 pear
• 1 lemon
• Celery (optional)
• Almond butter (optional) to taste

3. Healthy summer green feel good smoothie

In your blender, add the following ingredients and blend to your desired consistency:

• ½ cup of water
• 30ml barley juice
• 1 cucumber
• 2-3 mint sprigs
• 2-3 small peaches
• ¼ cup green grapes

4. Jennifer Aniston’s creamy chocolate protein shake

Don’t let the fruit and veggies fool you. This smoothie – a favourite of Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston – is more like a delicious milkshake. The cherries are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. In your blender, Jennifer Aniston adds the following ingredients:

• 1 cup of chocolate almond milk
• 2 scoops of Vital Proteins Chocolate Collagen Peptides (you can substitute with protein powder)
• A handful of pitted cherries
• 1 banana
• A few drops of stevia for sweetness (you can substitute for honey)
• Handful of spinach
• Almond butter (optional) to taste
• Pinch of cinnamon

Look after your health with One Life Medical in Alexandra Hills

One Life Medical is a bulk-billing practice in Alexandra Hills. As holistic doctors, we focus on preventative care, looking at a patient’s mind, body and spirit to get to the root cause of an issue. Services include immunisations, general surgery, antenatal care, health assessments, ECG’s, cryotherapy, travel medicine, employment medicals, driver’s medicals and more. Allied health practitioners regularly visit our practice. These include a physiotherapist, podiatrist, hearing specialist and dietitian.

To book an appointment at One Life Medical, please call 07 3824 8144. Alternatively, you can book online or download the app for iPhone or Android devices and make bookings directly from your phone. For further information, please call reception on 07 3824 8144.

References

Are Smoothies Good for You? (healthline.com)

How to Make Reese Witherspoon’s Green Smoothie Recipe (tasteofhome.com)

Jennifer Aniston’s Smoothie Recipe Looks Like Dessert | EatingWell