Carrot Almond Banana Smoothie

www.wholefoodies.org – Cut a few carrots into pieces big enough for your juicer and juice them. Add the juice with some almond milk and banana into a blender and add some spices or sweeteners to add to the taste.
- WholeFoodies

Health benefits of Fruit Smoothies

More people are discovering the healthy benefits of freshly made juices and smoothies every day. They have realized how healthy diet can have a positive impact on our health and our general well being.  And there is even more. Freshly made juices and smoothies retain the highest level of nutrients, which the body can digest readily. Raw juices and smoothies drunk on an empty stomach are absorbed into bloodstream within 15 minutes.

So what is a fruit smoothie?

The fruit smoothie is a blend of fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit. No additives, or preservatives, just a fruit.  The fruits that you use in your smoothie will have a massive impact on the flavor of your drink and its quality too. Remember, the drink that comes out of your juicer or blender will only be as good as the ingredients that you put in. Try to shop with this in mind. If you’re making a healthy smoothie it makes sense to avoid fresh produce that is likely to have been sprayed with pesticides. If you’re going to take the time to make your own drink, make it as good quality as they possibly can be.

Processed soft drinks often contain 90 percent water, a huge hit of sugar and/or sweeteners and chemicals to add flavor. “Pure” juices and smoothies are frequently reconstituted concentrates that have been heat treated to prolong shelf life, which means they provide very few nutrients. Even “freshly squeezed” juices and smoothies have been kept on the shelf for several hours (if not days) and they are less nutritionally valuable than freshly prepared juices and smoothies because many vitamins lose potency when exposed to light, heat and air. Only freshly made juices and smoothies retain the highest level of nutrients.

Fresh juices and smoothies are also abundant in enzymes responsible for the digestion and absorption of food into the body, ensuring optimal metabolism and high energy levels. Cooking fruit and vegetables destroys these enzymes, whereas juicing and blending releases them and allows the body to utilize them easily. Another important health benefit is that juices and smoothies are generally low in fat and many of them are completely fat free.

It is also true that much of the beauty comes from within, so it is as important to cleanse the inside of your body as it is the outside. Many of the nutrients found in the fruit and vegetables help to rid the body of toxins, which in turns lead to cleaner, brighter skin and fewer pimples. Getting a nutrient rich diet from regularly drinking juices and smoothies will also give you healthy hair and nails, naturally. Stress, ill health and lack of sleep will eventually take their toll on appearance and that is why juices and smoothies banishing stress and boost immunity are so beneficial. Finally, you can watch the pounds disappear if you opt for low calorie, fat burning juices and smoothies.   

- Stephanie Taylor

Efficient Diet for Six Pack Abs – The Untold Secrets

One common misconception about diets is the notion of cutting down food intake. This is certainly not true because depriving the body with the nutrients and energy will not help in muscle building or fat loss. It should be understood that dieting is about eating the right food at the right amount, and the focus should be based on what can be eaten and not on what to be avoided.

Listed below are some guidelines for an effective diet for six pack abs.

Eat six meals per day

Eating six meals per day will help to distribute food intake throughout the day instead of having it in bulk amounts as that in a three-meal daily plan. Distributing the food intake will further result to energy balance that will support fat loss and muscle building. Research shows that people with good energy balance, or those who exceed or lack 300 to 500 calories in an hourly basis, tends to become leaner and lose fat faster. It was also found out that those with large energy imbalance, or those who exceeds or lacks at least 500 calories over a long period of time, tends to become fatter.

Make sure to have a dose of the 12 powerfoods

These powerfoods are rich in natural chemicals that promote muscle mass and fat loss. Powerfoods are listed as follows:

A – almonds and nuts B – beans and legumes S – spinach and green vegetables D – dairy products that have low or zero fat I – instant oatmeal with no sweeteners and flavors E – eggs T – turkeys and lean meats P – peanut butter O – olive oil W – whole-grained breads and cereals E – extra protein powder R – raspberries and other berries

Include as many powerfood as possible in a meal to provide carbohydrates and protein in the abdominals and other muscles.

Drink smoothies

Smoothies are advantageous for abdominal diets for the following reasons:

Less preparation time Berries, protein powder, and peanut butter will make them taste like a dessert to satisfy cravings for sweets Its thickness will occupy lots of space in the stomach, making them an ideal substitute or as in-between snacks

There are also past studies done that shows the effects of smoothies in losing fat and building muscles as listed below:

Thick drinks will make a person stay full for a longer period of time Extra-thick yogurts and shakes results to a decreased calorie intake Drinking meal replacements regularly increases the percentage of having permanent weight and fat loss Three servings of yogurt in a daily diet for 12 weeks decreases body fat by 61%, and increases abdominal muscles by 81% Do not count calories

Food calories are good measures to determine what foods are to be included in a diet, and burned calories in a workout are practical parameter in knowing how effective a routine is. Frequent counting of calories will distract a person and make them loose their motivation.

The following substances can also be included in an abdominal diet.

Omega-3

Fish oils and fats are rich in omega-3. This substance protects and strengthens the heart. In recent studies, people who took 6g of fish oil daily burned more fats. Researchers concluded that omega-3 can change metabolism and direct it to efficiently burn more fats.

Calcium

Commonly found in milk and dairy products, calcium limits the amount of fat that can be deposited in the body, makes the bone stronger, and helps in developing leaner bodies. Research shows that more calories are being burned in digesting calcium-rich food compared with foods with low calcium though their calorie counts are equal.

Monosaturated fats

These can be found in nuts, and in olive and canola oils. It helps reduce cholesterol and protects the heart against diseases. It was also found out that meals that are rich in monosaturated fats will cause the body to burn more fats as compared with a meal that is rich in saturated fats.

- Greg Correll