The Best Juices and Smoothies for Your Belly
What if I told you that you could transform your body and radically improve your health with the push of a button—and it's would be easier more delicious than you ever imagined? That's the promise of Clean Green Drinks, the exciting recipe collection of 100+ delicious cleansing recipes from health journalist, chef and TV host Candice Kumai. Here's a peak at Candice's book, and three of the best smoothies and juices for your belly.
Best Smoothie for Weight Loss
Clean Green Drinks isn't just about weight loss, but better-fitting jeans is often a happy side effect of juicing. That's because most fruits and vegetables are low calorie, low in fat, and packed with fiber and vital vitamins and antioxidants that will keep you satisfied and full of energy as you lose weight. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that dieters who drank an eight-ounce glass of low- sodium vegetable juice daily over a 12-week period lost, on average, four pounds more than dieters who did not drink the juice. Replace your regular breakfast or lunch with a divine low-calorie, nutrient-packed juice or smoothie and cleanse away the pounds!
Chocolate Morning Wake-Up Smoothie
Serves 2 | Per serving: 150 calories, 2.5 g fat, 10 g protein, 8 g sugar, 7 g fiber
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup baby spinach
1 frozen banana
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon green superfood
2 tablespoons protein powder
1 cup ice
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Best Juice for a Flat, Happy Belly
Unlike many bottled drinks that are heated during pasteurization and sometimes hide both synthetic and genetically modified ingredients (as well as a ton of added sugar!), fresh juices are totally raw and you control what goes in them. It's believed that consuming raw produce boosts digestion by preserving vital enzymes, which means you can beat the bloat and sip your way to more regular bowel movements for a flat, happy tummy!
The Spicy-Ginger Pineapple Green Juice
Serves 1-2 | Per serving: 90 calories, 0.5 g fat, 3 g protein, 15 g sugar, 0 g fiber
3 cups baby spinach
1 medium cucumber
¾ cup fresh pineapple
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root
Directions: Add all ingredients to a juicer and juice. Serve immediately.
Best Smoothie for a Lean, Toned Body
Protein is kryptonite to belly fat, and the building block of a lean, toned bod. I have to admit, when Kumai began writing for men's nutrition-and-wellness publications, she asn't too keen on their obsession with protein powders. Yet, as she began to research and experience the wonders of vegetarian protein blends, she soon became a fan. Within weeks of testing the post-workout smoothies for my book, Kumai's body leaned up; and she had just as much muscle tone as she did when she was running half marathons. Here's a delicious recipe to try; one sip and you won't believe it's healthy since it takes just like a vanilla shake.
Green Vanilla Almond Smoothie
Serves 2 | Per Serving: 180 calories, 6 g fat, 11 g protein, 8 g sugar, 3 g fiber
1 cup unsweetened coconut water
2 cups baby spinach
1 frozen banana
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
4 tablespoons protein powder
1 cup ice
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
