ZZZZZZZ Smoothie

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Belly Blaster Smoothie

As I near the end of my Six Week Challenge, I find that I have really been missing my smoothies.

While I do believe that a diet including nutrient rich smoothies is healthy and can be conducive to weight loss, I have been largely avoiding sugar during this challenge.  However, even with the natural sugar from the fruit and the yogurt, the balance of vitamins, nutrients, protein and fiber make this particular smoothie a good weight loss tool.  Antioxidant rich raspberries and pineapple both aid in digestion and help prevent bloating, spinach and whole oats add fiber, yogurt and whey powder pack a protein punch, the cashew milk and banana give a great sweet flavor, and all together it will keep you full and satisfied for hours.

Belly Blaster

4 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Vanilla

½ c Unsweetened Cashew Milk

1 c Raspberries, frozen

½ c Pineapple, frozen

½ Banana, frozen

1 c Spinach, frozen

2 T Flax Seed, ground fine

½ c Whole Oats, ground fine

2 T Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla flavor

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(60 g Protein, 10 g Fat, 22 g Fiber)

The Antioxidizer Smoothie

They may be little, but berries bring on big beautifying benefits to your skin.  Berries are full of antioxidant compounds that neutralize damaging free radicals which lead to skin cell damage and premature skin aging.

Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and enzymes (proteins inside your body) that can help to prevent and repair damage to your body's tissue. Antioxidants do this by slowing or preventing the effects of free radicals in the body.  When it comes to caring for your skin, antioxidants can help to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun.  Unlike sunscreens and moisturizers, antioxidants can protect your skin from the inside out by guarding your cells from damage.

Vitamins A, C and E and the mineral selenium are thought to be particularly helpful in skin care. In addition to helping fortify cells against free radicals, vitamins A and C also encourage cell and tissue growth, helping the body to repair itself. This is very helpful to the skin, which is constantly shedding and regrowing cells. For this reason, any antioxidants that protect cells and encourage cell growth could be helpful in an anti-aging regimen, as they may help fight fine lines and wrinkles [source: WebMD].

This smoothie contains 2 whole cups of colorful, antioxidant rich berries, as well as peaches, another fruit known for it's substantial antioxidant content. Berries and peaches are also loaded with hydrating water and are chock full of vitamins C and A, all of which are crucial for a healthy complexion.  And, if that's not enough, these colorful superfoods help the body manufacture collagen, which makes skin soft, smooth and youthful.

So, remember, getting a gorgeous, glowing complexion doesn't only mean slathering on the sunscreen or the latest pricey serum.  It also means paying attention to your diet.  By tossing nutrient rich fruits and veggies into your blender, you can nourish your skin from the inside out.

The Antioxidizer

6 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Vanilla

½ c Raspberries, frozen

½ c Strawberries, frozen

½ c Blackberries, frozen

½ c Peaches, frozen

1 c Spinach, frozen

2 T Flax Seed, Ground

1 c POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

½ c Water

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.(18 g protein, 5 g fat, 12 g Fiber)

It's All About The Beet

I had heard all the hype about the health benefits of beets, and even heard of people putting them in smoothies.  While I had nothing against beets, I can't say they were the first smoothie ingredient to come to mind when thinking about tasty concoctions.  But, for me, smoothies are about finding that fine line between tasty and super healthy.  So, I decided to give it a try.  

I admit that I cheated just a bit.  Every thing that I read about beet smoothies suggested cooking the roots first so they were soft enough to blend smoothly...then I heard a tip from someone who said if they were going to be cooked anyway, you might as well use canned beets.  Normally, I do try and use all fresh ingredients in my smoothies, but being a beet newbie, I decided to go the easy way and bought a can of beets.  It worked well for me because I also used the juice from the can as the liquid in the smoothie.  Who knows, I might get adventurous next time and actually try stewing fresh beet root, but for now, I think the canned stuff worked just fine.  

The flavor was absolutely delicious, the color rich and lovely, and I could just feel all those wonderful antioxidants flooding through my body.  So, today, it's all about the beet!

Beet-Berry Blast

1 c. Greek yogurt, plain

¼ c. red bell pepper chunks

½ c. shredded carrots

½ c. cooked beets

1 frozen banana

½ c. frozen raspberries

4 frozen strawberries

1/8 c. beet juice

1/8 c. pomegranate juice

1 T. lemon juice

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(21 g Protein, 0 g Fat, 8 g Fiber)