One of the easiest healthy habits to begin (and maintain) is drinking a daily green smoothie. They are delicious, easy to make, and have a myriad of health benefits!
Anytime I need to detox my body and give it a healthy reboot, I turn to green smoothies. They are one of the easiest ways to give you a healthy jumpstart.
Here are just 10 reasons you should start this incredible healthy habit:
1. Great way to eat more fruits & veggies
We all know we should be getting more fruits and vegetables into our diet, but sometimes that can be a challenge. Throwing greens, fruits and vegetables into a delicious smoothie helps ensure we increase our fruit and veggie intake!
2. Loaded with enzymes
Enzymes are important for breaking down the food we eat to ensure that everything is properly digested. When food is cooked, enzymes are naturally destroyed in the cooking process. By drinking raw fruits, veggies, and greens in a green smoothie, you get all the wonderful enzymes in these foods, which also helps to easily digest them!
3. Alkalizing to the body
Many of the foods we commonly eat tend to make our body more acidic (think red meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine). Vegetables, fruits and raw leafy greens are alkaline and help to counter those acidic foods. Drinking green smoothies helps to balance your body’s pH levels.
4. Great for weight loss
Replacing one of your daily meals with a delicious green smoothie is an easy and healthy way to lose weight or maintain healthy weight levels. Your body can easily utilize the dense nutrients you get from a green smoothie, making it much easier to shed unwanted weight.
5. Gives your digestive system a break
Did you know that your body expends a tremendous amount of energy digesting the food you eat? Because green smoothies are full of enzymes from raw fruits and vegetables, and because a smoothie is blended (leaving less work for you digestive system to break down food), they provide a welcome relief for your body. Many people report more energy when they start drinking a daily green smoothie!
6. High in antioxidants
Oxidation is the process where our cells begin to deteriorate (due to aging, toxins in the environment, chemicals, etc). That’s why antioxidants (anti=against) are so important! Antioxidants are found in certain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients (i.e. Vitamins C, D, and E are all antioxidants). And fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens are loaded with these incredible antioxidants!
7. Gives you a quick energy boost
As we mentioned above, because your digestive system gets a bit of a break when you drink green smoothies, they can provide a wonderful, natural energy boost throughout the day. Instead of reaching for caffeine or a candy bar for your mid-afternoon slump, try a green smoothie instead!
8. Gives you glowing skin
When you consume a green smoothie, you flood your cells with all those wonderful enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. This, along with the cleansing effect green smoothies have, can help to give your skin a radiant glow!
9. Reduces your cravings
The more you focus on eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens, the less you will crave junk food. It’s a fact! You will feel so much better consuming nutrient dense smoothies, your body will crave processed junk less and less. Give it a try!
10. Fights inflammation
The enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in a green smoothie make it the perfect food to help fight inflammation in the body. Spices like ginger and turmeric are wonderful additions to your green smoothie, because of their powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Need a recipe? Give this Banana Turmeric Smoothie a try!
Convinced yet? This one simple habit of drinking a daily green smoothie can greatly impact your health! Give it a try! Commit to drinking one green smoothie every day for the next 2 weeks, and see if you don’t experience the benefits above!
