MY DAILY RITUAL for the last three years is a 16-8 fasting diet. At noon, I have my smoothie (550 ml). There are endless possibilities to incorporate whatever ingredients I want: berries, avocado, banana, nuts, spinach, protein powder, flax seeds, and oats. I blend it all with oat milk and Kefir and know that it will always give me a diverse array of essential vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants.
Ultimately, it’s a great way to pack in the five servings (around 400 grams) of fruits and vegetables per day that are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
It supports increased fibre consumption.
An essential nutrient that aids digestion is fibre. It prevents constipation and supports the growth of good bacteria in your digestive tract. In turn that helps reduce inflammation, promote healthy immune function, and support good mental health. Adequate fibre intake reduces the risks of heart disease and type two diabetes.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends a daily intake of at least 38 grams of fibre for men and 25 grams for women. Yet, many people are not meeting their daily fibre needs — especially those who follow Western diets.
Homemade or Shop-bought?
Smoothies are good for you but not all are equal! Pre-made smoothies tend to be high in hidden sugars and processed ingredients such as fruit purées and juices. These purées concentrate sugars whilst removing many of the nutritional benefits of the whole natural fruit such as fibre, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. As with almost all foods, homemade versions using fresh or frozen ingredients will provide more nutritional value.
Give the body food it was designed to eat by nature – fruit
The Benefits of Fruit
A review published in Food Nutrition Research showed that fibre and fruit intake could protect against increasing waist circumference over time, partly because fruit is filling and stops you from overeating. As well as you feeling full for longer, because of its high fibre and water content fruit is associated with slower stomach emptying, which means that the rise in blood sugar and insulin is less dramatic.
In the US, in a review of literature in Food and Chemical Toxicology, they concluded that all Americans should add one additional serving of fruit (or vegetables) a day to help avoid 20,000 cases of cancer that occur every year.
My Essentials Ingredients
A handful of Berries always go in my smoothie; they are among the healthiest foods you can eat, and they can improve blood sugar and insulin response. They are also a great source of antioxidants, which are known to protect your cells and reduce the risk of disease.
A study in healthy men discovered that consuming a single, 300-gram portion of blueberries helped protect their DNA against free radical damage. In a six-week study, obese people with insulin resistance who drank a blueberry smoothie twice per day experienced more significant improvements in insulin sensitivity than those who consumed berry-free smoothies.
A ripe medium-sized Banana (about 105 calories) provides excellent nutrition (rich in fibre, antioxidants and several nutrients) before, during and after endurance exercise—the perfect food for athletes due to their mineral content and easily digested carbs.
A handful of Spinach has lots of nutrients in a low-calorie package. Dark, leafy greens are essential for skin, hair, and bone health. They also provide protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals. The calcium in spinach can help strengthen your bones to fight against injury, and vitamins A and C, fibre, folic acid, and other nutrients fight against colon and breast cancers. Spinach also helps lower damaging protein levels in the blood and protect against high blood pressure and heart disease.
Half an Avocado in a smoothie can provide the ideal amount of mono-unsaturated fatty acids. It is a source of vitamins C, E, K, and B6 and riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. Avocado also provide lutein, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. It contains high levels of healthy, beneficial fats that slow the breakdown of carbohydrates, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable. Fat is essential for every component in the body. Eating healthy fats supports skin health and enhances the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, other nutrients, and even the immune system.
The Smoothie Take-away
A good smoothie takes longer to digest and thus slows down the release of energy from the rest of the ingredients. In the process, you are increasing the absorption of all the nutrients as well as levelling out your blood sugar levels. This prevents the need for any ‘quick fix’ fast food energy boosts that die away quickly, so you keep the hunger pangs at bay for longer.
In relation to an intermittent fasting diet, this means that it becomes much easier to eat less often, and avoid feeling hungry outside the 8-hour eating phase. You can be confident that when you do eat, you are taking on board the entire range of nutrients a body to requires to maintain optimum health.
