Smoothies: benefits and harms to the body

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

In the last five years, there has been a real boom in smoothies in our country. These are bright, tasty and fragrant cocktails without alcohol, made from fresh fruits, vegetables and berries. You can add ice, yogurt, milk, soda to them. These cocktails are chosen by vegans, raw foodists and other fans of a he althy lifestyle, harmony and beauty. The benefits and harms of smoothies for the body are described in detail in this article.

Smoothie recipes

Preparing a fragrant and bright drink at home is within the power of every person. Of course, in trendy restaurants of proper nutrition, the cocktail will be decorated with slices of citrus fruits, high-quality sweetener and natural seasonings are used for preparation. But all this can be easily replicated in your own kitchen.

1. You'll need a powerful blender that can blend even hard, raw vegetables like carrots or raw beets, popular ingredients that make smoothies undeniable for hematopoiesis. Not only to achievegrinding, and grind raw beets to a homogeneous consistency, you will need a device with a power of at least 1300 watts.
2. Which supplements should I choose? After all, the benefits of smoothies are not only in the presence of vitamins and minerals from fresh vegetables, fruits and berries. Amino acid mixtures, skim milk, yogurt are also added there. If you want a cold, refreshing cocktail in a hot summer, you can add ice cubes from distilled water. Ice cold mineral water will also enrich the taste of the cocktail not only with air bubbles, but also with a mixture of minerals. If you want to add milk to give the drink a creamy taste, you should opt for a low-fat product. Sometimes even fat-free cottage cheese is added to smoothies so that the drink has a full spectrum of amino acids and proteins. In this case, the consistency is quite thick.
3. Lumps and pieces are unacceptable in smoothies. The essence of making a cocktail is that it can freely pass through the straw. If the smoothie feels incompletely crushed pieces of ingredients, then either the blender was not powerful enough, or the cooking technology was violated.
4. Fruits, vegetables and berries for the preparation of the drink should be used fresh and thoroughly washed, dried. If at least one ingredient turns out to be stale or even rotten, the taste of the cocktail will be spoiled. In addition, a person who has consumed such a drink risks indigestion.
5. If the goal of a smoothie eater is to lose weight, green ingredients should be preferred. They most often havenegative calorie content and perfectly combined with each other in taste. These are cucumber, celery, kiwi (of course, peeled), broccoli, green varieties of apples (Granny Smith, Simirenko).

Different from regular smoothies and juices

Juices are drinks in which only the liquid is decanted, and the pulp is thrown away. The essence of making a smoothie is that the cake cannot be thrown away, as it is a complete ingredient.

Cocktails in the usual sense of the word involve the addition of one or another alcohol. A smoothie can be called a vegan or raw food smoothie, as alcohol is never added to it. From home-cooked vegetable smoothies, the consumer will fully appreciate the benefits. You can select ripe fruits yourself and adjust the density of the drink by adding or reducing the amount of ice, milk, yogurt or cream.

Smoothies are much thicker than juice. Cocktails are different in density, but more often they are closer in consistency to juices. Smoothies in some cases are so thick that they resemble a creamy mass. This implies recipes with the addition of liquid cottage cheese, yogurt, cream. However, we must not forget the rule: smoothies can be drunk through a straw, so even with a relatively high density, it should stretch.

Berry smoothies: cooking rules

The benefits of berry smoothies will be maximum if simple rules are taken into account in the cooking process.

1. Seedless berries should be chosen. These are raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, watermelon pulp. Cherries and sweet cherries can be used after removing the pit.
2. Before preparing the drink, you should carefully sort out all the berries, rinse them and dry them. If you start grinding wet fruits immediately after washing, the smoothie will turn out to be too watery; even if the berries look almost dry at first glance, they still have a lot of moisture accumulated.
3. Strawberry smoothie, which has the highest benefits and taste, is the easiest to prepare. Ideal combination with banana, mango, nectarine, watermelon, peach. Strawberry-melon smoothie will give real pleasure even to the most sophisticated gourmet. Strawberries are rich in beneficial antioxidants and slow down the aging process.
4. Vanillin, cinnamon, ginger can be used as a seasoning for berry smoothies. Those who like sweet drinks can add powdered sugar (regular sugar is also suitable, but it must first be crushed in a blender). Losing weight people are better off using a zero-calorie sweetener.

How to make a fruit smoothie?

The benefits of fruit smoothies are the abundance of vitamins and minerals in the composition. The absence of heat treatment allows you to keep all the elements almost in their original form. It is much easier for the body to absorb the beneficial components from raw foods. Unfortunately, in the presence of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, some raw fruits, even when ground, can provokeexacerbation. But more on that below.

Benefits of fruit smoothies based on ingredients:

• with the addition of banana - supports the work of the heart muscle and restores the s alt balance in the body due to the high content of potassium;
• apple smoothie is an excellent treatment and prevention of iron deficiency anemia, as ripe fruits are rich in ferritin;
• kiwi in cocktails will help boost immunity, as it contains a lot of ascorbic acid;
• mango boosts libido and mood by releasing oxytocin and endorphins;
• orange pulp, lemon juice in a smoothie will help fight autumn blues and depression, and a high content of vitamin C helps prevent colds;
• Pineapple in a smoothie is the perfect solution for losing weight.

After the chef gets his hand in making simple one-component cocktails, you can move on to more complex recipes. Multi-component smoothies surprise with an unusual combination of products and are able to amaze the imagination of even the most sophisticated gourmet.

The combination of berries, vegetables and fruits is sometimes really amazing. The benefits of an apple-celery smoothie are in the negative calorie content of the second. This is a great recipe for people who are losing weight. Celery and apple pulp smoothie nourishes and gives a good mood, supplying the body with iron, vitamin C, potassium, selenium and iodine.

Smoothies with vegetables

Uninitiated in the subtleties of proper nutrition, people still believe that the benefits of smoothies are the presence of berries and fruits. It's a delusion. For a long time, various ingredients have been used for cooking around the world, except for animal products.

The he alth benefits of smoothies are invaluable. And vegetables make this dish a complete meal replacement. We are no longer talking about a light dessert - it is rather a vegan creamy soup, creamy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Some people give up eating animal products once and for all and switch to vegetable cream soups. At the same time, they do not lose anything in terms of well-being and he alth by using additional amino acid tablets.

Greens are often added to vegetable cocktails - this enriches them with an unusual aroma and taste. It is worth considering that all ingredients must be raw. These are carrots, beets, celery, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes. Some of the ingredients are simply amazing.

1. The benefits of nettle smoothies are invaluable for blood formation. Regular intake of such a cocktail is an excellent prevention of thrombosis, varicose veins, inflammation, problems with the cardiovascular system and vein walls.
2. Carrot smoothie is rich in retinol and is ideal for people with diseases of the eyes, skin, liver. It should be noted that raw carrots are a fairly strong allergen and may not be suitable for everyone. Carrot smoothie is the perfect aperitif. Stimulates appetite and improves digestion. Cleanses the body of accumulated toxins, toxic compounds, alcohol intoxication and other contaminants.
3. Beetroot smoothie is a magic remedyfor blood. The fruit contains a protein that is very similar to the protein found in human blood. This explains why beetroot helps to recover so quickly in case of anemia. It's hard to believe, but beets contain hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide in the human body. Due to the presence of hemoglobin in beets, the beneficial effects are realized in a short time.
4. Celery smoothie, whose benefits are obvious for fat burning, is made by squeezing the raw and freshest vegetable stalks. The highest value of the drink is the ability to quickly cleanse the body of congestion, toxic substances, and other poisons. The kidneys, liver, blood channels are cleansed. The benefits of green smoothies are the negative calorie content of celery. It is an excellent choice for those who wish to lose weight.

Relationship with the presence of chronic diseases of internal organs

The reader gets the impression that the use of the above recipes is only beneficial. The harm of smoothies and juices cannot be overlooked. For some people, these recipes are literally dangerous.

1. In the presence of gastritis and peptic ulcer, the use of juices, infusions and smoothies from raw berries and fruits can provoke exacerbation, increased pain and internal bleeding.
2. If you have chronic cholecystitis, you should consult your hepatologist before drinking the smoothie.
3. The benefits of smoothies for breakfast are obvious only to completely he althy people. If availablechronic diseases of the peritoneal organs, taking fresh fruits on an empty stomach, even in crushed form, is prohibited.
4. If a person is prone to developing allergies - you should be careful, fresh berries and fruits are often strong allergens.

What time of day is best for smoothies

At what time of day will fruit and vegetable smoothies be the most effective? The benefits and harms of smoothies for breakfast will vary depending on the individual characteristics of the body. Everything that a person takes on an empty stomach should be agreed with the attending gastroenterologist (subject to the presence of chronic diseases).

The best time to eat a smoothie (for maximum benefits) is after breakfast. A portion of vitamins and minerals will strengthen the body before dinner, and carbohydrates will give vigor.

Replacing dinner with smoothies is not a good idea. This is not a benefit, but rather a detriment. The optimal dinner is a piece of fish or meat or a glass of kefir. Minimum carbs and maximum protein. This principle will help to improve sleep, not suffer from insomnia (carbohydrates energize) and get rid of excess weight.

Possible harm to the body

A perfectly he althy person has nothing to fear. But in the presence of peptic ulcer of the digestive system, polyps, erosions, gastritis, pain can intensify. It is especially dangerous in the presence of such diagnoses to take smoothies on an empty stomach. Before you start eating fresh vegetables and fruits on a regular basis, you should consult with your doctor.gastroenterologist.

In the presence of chronic cholecystitis, the inflammation of the gallbladder cells may increase when smoothies are taken. Start with small portions, avoid citrus fruits and herbs as ingredients, as well as hot spices.

The consequences of replacing ordinary food with shakes and smoothies

What happens if you completely switch to a liquid diet? Such a system exists. And there are a lot of liquid eaters (as people who eat only smoothies and dishes from grated raw vegetables) are called. They form groups and support each other. They say that the state of he alth changes radically and even chronic diseases disappear. However, no miracle cure has ever been documented.

In matters of nutrition, it is better to avoid radical decisions. A sudden transition to a liquid diet can be life-threatening. Depletion is inevitable. A blood clot can come off, the heart cannot withstand, stones from the gallbladder will begin to move away - it will not be possible to do without urgent help from doctors.

When absolutely necessary, the transition to liquid nutrition should be gradual. The optimal transition period is three to four months. If during this time no he alth problems appear, you can continue to eat smoothies alone. At the same time, a person should be aware that subsequently atrophy of intestinal motility, muscular dystrophy, baldness and problems with the skin (due to a deficiency of amino acids in the diet) may await him.

Doctors advice: how not to harm yourself

The opinion of doctors about the benefits andthe harm of smoothies is ambiguous. Some doctors advocate switching to a diet of chopped raw vegetables. Others, on the contrary, are vehemently opposed. Opinions agree on one thing: in the presence of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, one should be extremely careful with the introduction of smoothies into the diet.

1. Such a change in diet may facilitate the passage of gallstones.
2. Children are strictly forbidden to eat only smoothies, otherwise the development of muscular dystrophy.
3. Smoothies are he althier than juices, as they contain slightly more calories, and the stomach perceives them as more complete food.
4. Smoothies cannot replace the intake of vitamin-mineral complexes.
5. In the presence of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, it is strictly forbidden to take smoothies on an empty stomach.
6. Smoothies contain a lot of carbohydrates - this should be taken into account by losing weight people, since proteins and amino acids are mainly needed for fat burning.