Smoothies are good for you. Apart from being a great meal replacement, having all those natural ingredients will give you all the nutrients you need while cleansing your digestive system of all the bad bacteria. After getting our hands on the Philips HR2100/03 Blender, we were inspired to take on the ultimate 7-day Smoothie Challenge. By combining replacing two meals with smoothies each day, we plan to debunk the biggest myth revolving around replacing meals with smoothies – Can it help you lose weight?
But before you we embark on our challenge, we’d like to share a little knowledge about the smoothie diet and some health precautions:
The smoothie diet is a healthy alternative where one or two meals are replaced with a healthy homemade smoothie. What you really should know is that we won’t be living on smoothies, but merely replacing our meals for a healthier option.
A smoothie generally contains a range of fruits or vegetables (or both), combined with yogurt, fruit juice, soy milk, chia seeds, oatmeal and more. If you’re not too sure about what to put in your smoothie, don’t worry because we’ll be sharing a few recipes below.
Anyone can take on a smoothie diet, but we highly recommend seeing a physician or a nutritionist beforehand to see if you have any underlying medical condition. If you suffer from diabetes or insulin resistance, you may want to avoid this diet, or limit yourself to a smoothie a-day, preferably for dinner.
Here’s a simple guideline of our 7-Day Smoothie Challenge:
The 7-Day Smoothie Challenge
1. Consume 2 smoothies a day, for any meal of your choice.
2. One meal a day should consist of a decent amount of carbohydrates for energy supply.
3. Drink up to 2 litres of water a day, preferable with a few slices of lemon.
4. Snack on fruits and nuts when hungry.
5. Include cereals in smoothies for energy boost.
RECIPES
Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie
A simple but filling smoothie rich in protein and energy, simply combine one banana, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, half a cup of soy milk and 2 tablespoons of honey and blend until smooth.
Green Smoothie with Mango and Lime
Green smoothies can be hard to consume, so give it a sweet refreshing twist with some tropical fruits.
Combine two tablespoons of fresh lime juice, 1 1/2 cup of frozen mango, a cup of chopped spinach, a cup of yogurt, and half a cup of water. Blend until it reaches your desired consistency. Add in some honey and apple juice to taste.
Yogurt Smoothie with Orange Juice
Combine a whole kiwi fruit, a banana, a cup of orange juice and a cup of yogurt in a blender. This works as a refreshing tropical beverage for breakfast.
The Ultimate Energy Booster
This smoothie is the perfect meal-replacer. Combine two bananas, frozen berries, cranberry juice, soy milk, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, one tablespoon of oatmeal, and some honey, and blend until smooth. Then combine a few cubes of ice and blend again.
We’ll be sharing the results of our 7-Day Smoothie Challenge in exactly seven days.