Now that the weather is finally turning warmer, you might be thinking about lightening up and cutting back on calories. One of the easiest — and healthiest — ways to do that is to substitute one of your daily meals with a yummy smoothie made from fresh whole foods. It's quick and easy to make, satisfying, healthy and delicious!
A whole foods diet—fruits, vegetables and whole grains—provides you with the richest source of nutrients essential to feel young and healthy until you are 100 or more.
And this is the season when all sorts of yummy fruits and veggies are readily available. Fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries can be found in abundance in supermarkets, independent grocers and local farmers markets. Fresh berries are packed with healthful antioxidants… and their sweet, juicy goodness is hard to resist!
Bananas are another excellent whole food. They add a wonderfully silky texture and sweetness to any drink. Exotic fruits like fresh papaya, mango and kiwi add unique flavors and contain a variety of healthful nutrients, including the protective antioxidants.
Other whole food fruits you might consider …
- pineapple
- coconut
- cherries
- pears
- oranges
- tangerines
- tangelos
- apples
- grapes
- peaches
- plums
- nectarines
- apricots
- pluots
Browse through the produce section of your grocery store the next time you're there. Chances are you'll discover all sorts of delectable delights you can enjoy in your smoothies.
Fruits aren't the only ingredients to make a yummy smoothie. Veggies like carrots, beets and cucumbers add interesting flavors and nutritional value. You might even consider fresh herbs like parsley. Even if you don't especially like vegetables, most fruit flavors will disguise any veggie taste altogether.
Yogurt is wonderful in a smoothie, and like banana, it thickens and adds a smooth texture. Yogurt also contains beneficial live cultures that are really good for your gut. My preference is unflavored, non-fat organic yogurt, but any flavor or type you like works well.
For extra nutritional value, try adding fresh mangosteen juice. Be sure it's one that contains the whole fruit because the whole fruit contains the important nutrients you want. Xanthones from the mangosteen pack a powerful nutritional punch… and its taste is extra good!
Besides fruits and vegetables, I like to add protein powder and a little soy milk to my morning smoothie. And because vitamin tablets or capsules tend to upset my stomach, I buy my vitamins in powdered form
and throw it into the mix. These added ingredients really round out the flavor and value of my smoothies, and ensure I'm getting everything I need to satisfy and keep me eating healthfully.
Another benefit to eating fresh whole foods is getting plenty of disease-fighting phytonutrients. They help to bolster your body's arsenal against those nasty little free radicals that cause all sorts of problems for you. Whole foods also give you plenty of daily fiber... something you need to keep your metabolism revved up and help control your appetite.
Do you know that USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend a minimum of nine servings of fresh fruits and veggies a day? Yep, and you should also get three or more servings of whole grains everyday, too. Their latest findings also say that a whole foods diet is essential to a long and healthy life.
Hey, the sky is the limit, so go a little crazy and experiment with whatever whole foods appeal to you. You just might discover some fabulously delicious concoction that tastes great… helps you feel better… and is super good for you!
Viva 100!
