Smoothie's benefits

Hello everyone!

As you may have noticed, Spring is coming slowly but surely, and Summer isn't far behind. And what is the best way to enjoy a warm spring or summer breeze? Exactly with a delicious and yummy smoothie!
I prefer to make them myself,  it is the best way to know the exact ingredients of your smoothie. If you buy them in a shop , I mean in a bottle, they are mostly full of sugar and other things you don't even know or have never heard before. Maybe not even 50% of the smoothie are fruits, who knows…?
Making smoothies yourself also prevents fruit from going to waste and it is the most delicious way to nourish your body with essential nutrients. The only thing you need is a blender, fruits you like and a base like any kind of milk, water or yogurt.

For example two smoothies I did myself:

A very easy-to-make strawberry-smoothie

What you need:

• Oranges
• Strawberries

Directions:

1. Press some orange juice
2. Blend the strawberries and mix with the orange juice
3. done!

Another easy-to-make berry-smoothie:

What you need:

• Greek Yogurt
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• 1 Banana

Directions:

1. Blend your berries and you banana
2. Mix with the greek yogurt until smooth
3. done!

This one is called a traffic-light-smoothie because it has the colors of a traffic light, green, orange/yellow and red 

What you need:

• 3 Kiwis
• 2 Mangos
• 4 to 6 Strawberries
• 1 Handful of raspberries

Directions:

1. Blend the ingredients separately, except the strawberries and the raspberries
2. Fill in the kiwi-smoothie in your glass
3. Fill in the juicy mangos
4. And last but not least the red berry-smoothie

If you want your smoothie to look like a rainbow try this one:

What you need:

• Oranges
• Blood oranges
• 1/2 Pineapple
• 1 Mango
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries

Directions:

1. Press some Orange juice and some Blood orange juice
2. Blend the pineapple and fill in your glass
3. Blend the Mango and mix with your orange juice and add to your glass
4. Blend the Strawberries and mix with orange juice , fill in your glass
5. Blend the Raspberries and mix with the blood orange juice, add to your glass
6. Blend the Blueberries and mix with blood orange juice, finish your glass by adding it
7. Make sure that the different fruit layers are thick enough so that they don't mix with each other!

• Benefits:

1. Vitamins and Minerals:

- Citrus, berries, tropical, drupes, pomes and melons contain a lot of minerals an vitamins. 

- Citrus fruits ( grapefruits, oranges, limes, lemons and soon) ,Tropical fruits (papaya, kiwi, pineapple, avocado, coconut, bananas and mangoes) and Pomes fruits (apples & pears) contain a lot of Vitamin C, which helps your immune system, a lot of potassium which is important for a good heart function and a normal blood pressure, and folate that promotes healthy cells. 

- Berries, like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries and grape, contain a lot of antioxidants which help decreasing inflammations and diseases.

- To help your visions and immune system function properly you need beta carotene which you will find in cherries, apricots, peaches and plums.

-Watermelons, cantaloupe, honey dew and casaba contain a variety of vitamin C too.

2. Fiber:

-If you want to reach the recommended intake of fiber (25 gram for women and 38 gram for men), drinking fruit smoothies is a good source. One serving of fruit normally contains 2 to 4 grams of fiber. Blackberries, pears and apples have the highest concentration of 5 to 7 grams per serving. This fiber found in fruit helps slow digestion and may also control blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

• Smoothie Base:

If you create your own smoothie you are free to choose your base. You can add water, any type of milk (almond milk, hazelnut milk, coconut milk, soy milk) , yogurt or even juice, I prefer fresh pressed orange or blood orange juice. If you want a low-calorie smoothie than I recommend you to choose water or low-fat milk or yogurt for your base. For hot spring or summer days you may also add some crushed ice or simple ice cubes. 

• Smoothie Tips:

If you are trying to lose weight I recommend you to use a smoothie as a meal replacements, not an addition. For example drink a dairy-based smoothie for breakfast or a water-based smoothie as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. Fruit smoothies can be a very healthy additional to your mean plan as long as you maintain portion control.