Fat Loss Friday - Blending 101: The Top 5 Smoothie Recipes for Beginners

More and more people are discovering the amazing health benefits of drinking green smoothies, that's why it's not surprising that a lot of juice and smoothie bars have been popping up around the globe over the last couple of years. If you want to start a healthier lifestyle by drinking green smoothies, here are some of the best smoothie recipes for beginners that you can try:

There are hundreds of smoothie recipes

1. The Tropical Dream

This delicious fruit and vegetable smoothie is designed to refresh and rejuvenate you on a hot day. It makes use of a cucumber and a coconut - two of the most water-rich fruits that will not only nourish you but will hydrate your body as well. Add a banana, some leafy greens, a little bit of pineapple and the twist of ginger and you'll get a flavorful, nutrient-rich smoothie that will keep you wanting more.

What you need:

1 1/2 cups coconut water

1/4 cucumber

1 small ripe banana

1 rib celery

1 small handful parsley

1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple slices

1/2-inch ginger

2. Classic Strawberries and Cream

If you're a fan of the strawberries and cream combination, then this is one of the smoothie recipes for beginners that you can't afford to miss. Aside from being delicious, strawberries are chock full of Vitamin C that will help boost your energy. Bananas on the other hand are known to give any smoothie a delightful creamy texture. Drink this classic smoothie for breakfast to help jump start your energy for the rest of the day!

What you need:

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1 small ripe banana

1/4 ripe avocado

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3-4 ice cubes

3. Green is In

If you're looking for low-calorie smoothie recipes, this is a good recipe to start with. Leafy greens aren't considered superfoods for nothing - they are low in calories but extremely rich in essential nutrients. If you're not fond of eating leafy greens, the apple and lemon both help neutralize the taste of this delicious smoothie.

What you need:

1 small head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped spinach

3 stalks celery

1 red apple, cored and chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4. The Healthy Cooler

By using a variety of vegetables for your smoothie recipes for beginners, you will gain different vitamins and minerals that will help maintain your body's health. Concoct this deliciously nutritious smoothie to ensure both your mind and body's wellness.

What you need:

1 bunch spinach

1 handful parsley

4 stalks celery

2 large lettuce leaves

1 handful mint leaves

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2-inch ginger

5 ice cubes

5. Berry Nutritious

Smoothies are a nutritious and delicious

Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, this mix is definitely one of the best smoothie recipes for beginners. With a delicious taste and an appetizing texture, this power smoothie will easily become one of your favorites!

What you need:

1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries)

1 cup oat milk

1 cup coconut milk

2 tsp. flaxseed

2 tbsp. organic natural yogurt

5-6 ice cubes

Try any of these delicious low-calorie smoothie recipes to jumpstart your healthy eating. Remember, fruits and vegetables are your keys to a healthier lifestyle!


Healthy dieting and eating is Donna H.'s passion and it has changed her life. With over a decade of experience and advice from nutritional experts, Donna spends her time writing about what she loves most - nutrition. Her newest book, Fat Burning Smoothies can be purchased on Amazon.com. The book is also available in kindle version.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Donna_H./1519703



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Fat Loss Friday

5 Secrets to Healthy Snacking

Resisting your cravings for crunchy potato chips, cheese popcorns, creamy burger and mouth-watering smoothies when you’re hit with an instant snack attack is probably the hardest thing to do, especially for food enthusiasts. But what if you don’t really have to resist those appetising snacks? What if your favourite snacks were both healthy and scrumptious?

Believe it or not, healthy snacking contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Snacks rich in protein and other essential nutrients not just satisfy your carvings and taste buds but go a long way to help lose weight and lower the risk of heart disease.

We want your snack break to be absolutely guilt-free and satisfying. Hence, we share with you some secrets to healthy snacking that you can undoubtedly adopt as your habits and enjoy your treats more than ever.

Say NO to Sugary Snacks

There’s nothing better than chocolates and candies to perk yourself up in an instant. But, these short-term temptations just set your up for another snack attack. You can combat chocolate’s not-so-healthy side by picking treats like light and sweet , nutritious chocolate bites, heart healthy nut and seed bars.

Stock Up On Protein

When you feel the need for an instant energy boost that can appease your snack cravings at the same time, fuel your body with protein-rich treats. It can be anything from gluten free chocolate snacks to wholesome energy bars and bites to healthy trail mix. Opting for foods packed with nuts, seeds and dry fruits will both energise your body and soothe your hunger pangs.

Weight Control Goals

While extreme hunger increases the risk of getting into unhealthy snacking, picking healthy options to curb your hunger and cravings can bring in weight control benefits. Having something little and light every few hours helps boost your metabolism, which in turn keeps your blood sugar in check.

Restrain Your Cravings
You probably can’t easily control your cravings or hunger, but you can certainly keep snacking from taking its toll on your health and well-being by picking all natural, health-friendly options. With that said, treating yourself to small, frequent snacks including low snack dairy foods, fruits and vegetables and nuts can prevent you from overeating at your next big meal and jeopardising your well-being.

Stay Hydrated

Yes, keep your body hydrated whenever snacking but not actually with coffee or soft drinks. Include fresh fruit juices, refreshing drinks and shakes and lots of water in your snack breaks to keep yourself energised through the day.




Source: http://www.sooperarticles.com/food-drinks-articles/5-secrets-healthy-snacking-1445013.html

Putting The Healthy Routine In Cruise Control

When one of your main concerns is improving your health, the toughest hurdles to get over will likely be changing the amounts of food you eat and getting a consistent form of exercise.

Even though these aspects of the weight loss process may not seem terribly difficult, understand that the number one reason why people fail in achieving their health and fitness goal is that they're not willing to stick with a daily calorie amount that is appropriate for their body and workout regularly.

This is why in order to get your healthy routine to a point where it's basically worry-free and in cruise control, you have to get your entire day running smoothly from morning to night.

Unfortunately one of the easiest things to do is to overeat. It's so simple especially when we're faced with numerous eating moments each and every day, meaning there are many opportunities to take in too many calories. This is especially true if you've become accustomed to eating a certain amount of food at meals.

Think about your current eating trends and what you regularly eat. How often do you go out and eat at restaurants or fast food spots? Do you drink a lot of sugary beverages such as soda, juice, or energy drinks? Do you usually snack while watching television, reading a book, or other leisure type activity? Do you find yourself often feeling stuffed after a meal and a lethargic feeling causes you to want to take a nap?

Your answers to these questions should give you an idea of what may need to be altered if you want to have success losing weight in a natural, healthy manner. If you are determined to succeed with this endeavor and are willing to make some actual changes, you will achieve your goal through your consistent effort.

Therefore in order to get your healthy routine into cruise control, you need to get your entire day up to speed. What does that actually entail?

It means the decisions you make during the day from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep should have your health as the top priority. In order to get into cruise control, not only do your three main meals of the day need to be monitored for their content and size, but also those sneaky snacks that pop up a few times every day.

As surprising as it sounds, snacks can sometimes end up totaling two or even three times the amount of calories of a regular meal if self-control is not maintained. This is something you definitely do not want to happen for it will limit your weight loss progress.

Ideally, you want each eating moment to be nutritious and appropriately portioned so that by the end of the day you will have a calorie total that is healthy for you. Try to create a daily habit, a routine that will guide you from one eating moment to the next.

Don't get fancy with breakfast, just keep it simple with a whole grain cereal with fat-free milk, a half of whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and honey, or an egg white omelette with mushrooms, spinach, olives, and a pinch of mozzarella cheese. Also be sure not to ruin that breakfast with drinks like orange juice or cranberry juice. You just don't need that glass of 250+ calories and sugar. Stick with water, black coffee, or other 0 calorie tea/beverage.

Next, get in the habit of packing nutritious snacks for work so you don't have to rely on vending machine Snicker bars and sodas. Simple snacks in Ziploc bags are easily tossed in along with your lunch so you can eat nutritious the entire time you're away from home. Try almonds with raisins, yogurt with granola, all fruits, rice cakes, granola bars, or carrots and celery sticks.

Be sure not to forget a travel lunch too in your weekly healthy routine! Leftovers make wonderful simple meals to go that literally take no additional effort to prepare. Not only will you save a ton of money over the year by not needing to buy lunch but you will have much better control over the portion size of the meal.

If there are no leftovers to take to work, try to keep food on hand that's easy to put together to make simple meals to go. Stock whole wheat bread and wraps at home so you can toss in tuna, or lunch meat, with lettuce, tomato, and mustard on the days when there are no leftovers. Frozen Lean Cuisines and Weight Watchers meals at $2 dollars each are another option if you have access to a microwave while away at work.

Dinner will likely be the last hurdle you'll need to overcome so that your day ends as a healthy, nutritious one. Be open to try new things in the kitchen. You'll literally find thousands of healthy dinner recipes in minutes if you put the Internet to work for you.

Look for simple yet appealing meals to try at home. Don't forget to cook a little bit extra so you have lunch leftovers or enough to make a different meal the following day. Plastic travel containers are a healthy individuals best friend so make sure you have a good stock in various sizes.

Once you've finished your last meal of the day try not to eat anymore and dump extra calories into your system before bedtime. If you absolutely cannot deal with hunger cravings that may arise towards the end of the day, try a large glass of water and a carrot stick. You may be really surprised at how filling that simple 50 calorie snack can quench a hunger craving while at the same time not ruin an entire day of healthy nutrition which a giant ice cream sundae would do at this moment.

Always keep in mind the importance of your healthy routine and hopefully you will make the right decisions with the choices you're faced with everyday.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_L_Gomez