The 5 Best Smoothie Recipes for Your Metabolism
If you're dealing with a slower metabolism, you'll try anything to get it moving along quicker. Working out, changing your diet, and breaking some old habits may be a solution. When it comes to eating certain foods, you're allowed to have a little fun with them. It should be more than just eating a bowl of fiber or cutting out tons of sugar to help kick your metabolism back into gear. A smoothie, for example, is a great way to get a meal in while supporting your metabolic health.
Depending on the ingredients, certain smoothies may keep you full longer. They also may help digestion and help your body convert energy quicker. We spoke with The Nutrition Twins, Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT, and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, authors of The Nutrition Twins' Veggie Cure, about some recipes that can help speed up your metabolism and enrich your body while doing so. Read on to see what they are. Then, be sure to check out 6 Vegetable Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss.
Metabolism Boosting Morning Green Smoothie
This low-calorie smoothie comes in at about 200 calories and packs an ultra-satisfying combination of 18 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. According to The Nutrition Twins, this macronutrient combination helps to keep blood sugar levels stable and prevent energy dips that lead to sugar cravings.
"When it comes to an efficiently running metabolism, eating to keep your body in the best working order possible is key," says The Nutrition Twins. "A superstar ingredient, green tea, which contains the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), has been shown to increase brown fat (fat that you actually want more of since it burns calories!) and boost metabolism."
Let's not forget about the leafy greens in this smoothie. The Nutrition Twins suggest that kale and spinach pack extra nutrients and prevent cell damage. Meanwhile, the Greek yogurt in the recipe provides "good-for-your-gut" bacteria and protein. The calcium also helps turn on fat burning and shut down fat storage.
Get the recipe from The Nutrition Twins.
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Blueberry Protein Smoothie
Another low-calorie smoothie (at only 225 calories), this one is super satisfying. It contains a whopping 20 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber.
"Thanks to its blueberries, this smoothie can enhance fat metabolism as the phytochemical Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) increases the production of adiponectin, while also increasing the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin," say The Nutrition Twins.
Care to squeeze more lemon into your recipe? The Nutrition Twins suggest lemon can help fight against chronic inflammation. If not treated, chronic inflammation makes it harder to lose weight and easier to gain weight. Its polyphenols also may help to suppress body fat accumulation and prevent obesity.
Get the recipe from The Nutrition Twins.
Creamy Paleo Green Smoothie
"The spinach in this smoothie works similarly to kale in that it can protect against the harmful metabolic effects created by a high-fat diet, while the flaxseeds have been shown to increase metabolism and reduce obesity," says The Nutrition Twins.
Avocados have also been found to prevent metabolic syndrome: a combination of three or more heart disease and diabetes risk factors such as a large waist circumference, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides.
"Nothing helps assist in an efficiently working metabolism more than preventing chronic disease," says The Nutrition Twins.
Additionally, according to research provided by the Illinois Institute of Technology, avocado can help to keep you lean by suppressing hunger and increasing meal satisfaction without adding calories when used as a substitution for carbohydrates.
Get our recipe for Creamy Paleo Green Smoothie here.
Kale Recharge Smoothie
"This veggie- and nutrient-packed smoothie is so low in calories that it can be added to any meal to help to fill you up with fiber, so you eat less of the heavier components of the meal," says The Nutrition Twins.
According to the journal Public Library of Science, kale has been shown to protect against the negative metabolic effects caused by a high-fat diet, including inflammation, which is linked to obesity.
As for the ginger, spinach, lime, carrots, and parsley, The Nutrition Twins suggest that they all contain potent antioxidants that also act as anti-inflammatory compounds to reduce chronic inflammation as well.
"Research shows that ginger can have a significant impact on reducing body weight and belly fat, especially," they say.
Get the recipe from The Nutrition Twins.
Super Berry Weight Loss Smoothie
Not only is this smoothie full of healthy ingredients, but dare we say it's berry delicious.
"This antioxidant-rich smoothie packs in blood-sugar stabilizing and weight loss benefits with a whopping 23 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber," says The Nutrition Twins.
This hefty dose of fiber helps slow digestion and promote fullness, which research shows may reduce the calories you eat throughout the day.
"Reducing hunger is key for your metabolism because if you're constantly snacking throughout the day, you're triggering insulin surges that shut off fat burning," advises The Nutrition Twins.
According to The Nutrition Twins, strawberries and blueberries boast metabolism-revving C3G. The pea protein added in has been found to aid in weight loss even when calories aren't restricted. Get the recipe from The Nutrition Twins—you won't regret it!
