The drink is a light, quick and nutritious option for a snack or before the gym
Smoothies became fashionable a long time ago, but they still attract fans. They are a quick, practical and tasty option for those who want to follow a healthy diet, which involves the consumption of five or more daily portions of fruit and vegetables, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Unlike many juices, the blend can incorporate all the edible parts of the fruit and vegetable, including the peel, seeds and pulp. Therefore, according to experts, a smoothie can be very similar nutritionally to whole foods.
Do you need a light, quick and vitamin-rich meal for a snack or before going to the gym? A smoothie might be right for you. Do you have no patience and don’t you love certain vegetables that are good for your health, such as kale, beetroot or courgette? Just mix them in the blender with your favorite fruit.
Here are some tips to get the most out of this drink and make it even healthier:
1. Freshly made is better
When fruits and vegetables are mixed, many of their compounds become less stable. Therefore, the drink you prepared yesterday and stored in the refrigerator will not have the same antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content as the one consumed immediately. Industrialized products have the same drawback, as well as often having some type of sugar or preservative added.
2. Adapt the basis to your goals
If you want something light to accompany your snack, you can simply use water, ice or orange juice as the base for your drink. If you want something more satisfying, or need to improve your protein intake throughout the day, use milk (regular or vegetable), yogurt, kefir or whey protein.
3. Add crunch and nutrients
Although we don’t usually associate them with smoothies, chia or flax seeds, or even pieces of dried fruit, can enrich your drink with fiber, vitamins, minerals and even fats that are good for your health. The mixture will also turn the smoothie into a snack, as these components help increase satiety.
4. It’s okay to use frozen!
Many people don’t know this, but properly frozen fruits and vegetables lose few nutrients. So don’t be afraid to fill your freezer with whatever you want to use in a smoothie or mix it with the fresh food you just bought. The recommendation is not to leave products on the freezer door, as nutrients could be lost due to daily opening and closing.
5. Keep an eye on flavonols
Flavanols are a type of antioxidant that promotes our cardiometabolic health. A study carried out at the University of California, in the United States, warns that bananas can influence the availability of these antioxidants in a smoothie that also includes apples, blueberries, blackberries, grapes or cocoa, among other foods. The work, published in Food and functionof the Royal Society of Chemistry, suggests that it is best not to mix these antioxidant-rich fruits with bananas.
Why does this happen? When you cut an apple or peel a banana, the fruits tend to darken in contact with air, due to the high activity of a substance called PPO (polyphenol oxidase). Analyzing samples of people who drank flavanol shakes or capsules, the researchers found that those who used bananas in their drinks had 84 percent lower flavanol levels.
The researchers suggest that those who want to consume more of these flavanols combine fruits rich in this component, such as red fruits, with other ingredients that also have low PPO activity, such as pineapple, orange, mango or yogurt.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
