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A Guide to Smarter Smoothies {Video}
While smoothies have become a popular meal replacement, snack and all around trendy food, crafted incorrectly you can be consuming a sugar-loaded, blood sugar exploding cocktail. I am excited to share with you A Guide to Smarter Smoothies to hopefully help you understand how to better create the smoothies that are right for you.
If you’ve been reading Tasty Yummies for some time, you probably know that the archives are LOADED with smoothie recipes. Smoothies used to play a much larger role in my daily diet routine, for the longest time it was always my favorite way to start my day. Interestingly at the height of my smoothie consumption, weight loss was definitely a struggle, as were energy crashes and sugar cravings. What I didn’t know back then, but I do know now as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, is that without the proper formulation, smoothies are a blood sugar explosion waiting to happen.
Every time you consume any carbohydrates and sugar containing foods, it causes an increase in blood glucose. How much so is dependent on the food and the individual. Simple sugars more specifically (monosaccharides), those sugars ending in -ose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, galactose, maltose – these are metabolized especially quickly and can often cause a big surge in insulin.
Our body’s innate intelligence continually monitors the amount of glucose in our bloodstream to maintain balance and homeostasis. When blood glucose levels increase, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin. Insulin increases the uptake of glucose by our muscle and fat cells; increases the amount of glycogen in our muscle and liver; increases fatty acid synthesis from excessive carbohydrates; and decreases fat breakdown and mobilization from our fat tissue.
How Bad Can a Fruit-Loaded Smoothie Be?
With a spike in blood sugar, a release of insulin and the impending crash, no matter what food is the initial cause, this can lead to immediate hunger, mid-day cravings, energy crashes, lightheadedness, anxiety, etc. Even worse, if the rest of your day’s eating (and most days) continue on the carb and sugar path, you are absolutely creating a long term problem. Whether you are overweight, struggle with weight loss or notice blood sugar issues or not.
Day in and day out this roller coaster can lead to a slew of health complications beyond obesity, lethargy and cravings. To simplify the worst of it, constant output of insulin is like the boy that cried wolf, your cells stop responding to the insulin that is constantly being produced and they become resistant, meaning without the insulin to transport the excess glucose to your cells for energy production, blood sugar levels remain high and this is can lead to chronic insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and eventually diabetes.
These days, I personally prefer to opt for (and I recommend to my clients) the prioritizing of nutrient-dense whole foods, rather than drinkable meals, like smoothies or juice. Whole foods offer the opportunity for maximum nutrient absorption, which allows our digestion to work as intended, and assuming these whole foods aren’t loaded up with carbohydrates and sugar – it’s much easier on your blood sugar.
That said, in the summer I do find myself with a much different appetite and my cravings differ quite significantly from the cooler months. I am not nearly as ravenous for more robust meals, especially on the hotter days. In the summer months I find myself wanting and craving more smoothies than any other time of the year. Knowing what I know now, my approach to creating them has drastically changed, so today I am going to share with you my Guide to Smarter Smoothies.
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25+ Gluten-free and Grain-free Holiday Cookies, Treats, Sweets and Cocktails
We made a list, but there is no need for you to check it twice. 25+ Gluten-free and Grain-free Holiday Cookies, Treats, Sweets and Cocktails! Everything you could need for a tasty and indulgent, homemade, real-food-inspired holiday is right here! From cookies, sweets and treats, to hot cozy drinks and spiked boozy cocktails, you can rest easy with all the planning already done for you. More time for you to finish up that last minute shipping and perfectly wrap all those thoughtful gifts.
Grain-free Cookies
Dark Chocolate-Dipped Grain-free Rosemary Shortbread Cookies (pictured)
Grain-Free Dark Chocolate Dipped Almond Cranberry Biscotti with Sea Salt
Grain-free No-bake Gingerbread Cookie Balls
Grain-free Orange, Almond and Dark Chocolate Biscotti
Grain-free Matcha Orange Blossom Shortbread with Black Sesame Seeds
Perfect Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Coconut Macaroons
Grain-free Spices Molasses Cookies
Grain-free Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Sweets and Treats
Hemp Heart Peppermint Chocolate Fudge (pictured)
How-to Make Chocolate Bark (with customizable printable labels)
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
Winter Spiced Dark Chocolate Bark with Smoked Sea Salt
Grain-free Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Vanilla Bean Marshmallow Creme
Winter Spiced Dark Chocolate Bark with Smoked Sea Salt
Grain-free Cranberry-Orange Spice Mini Tarts
Salted Dark Chocolate Nut Bites
Pomegranate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Drinks, Smoothies and Cocktails
Spice Infused Winter Sangria (pictured)
Dairy-free Peppermint Mocha & Hot Cocoa
Spiced Apple Cranberry Kombucha Sangria
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20 Healthy Holiday Recipes to Keep You On Track This Season
It’s certainly very easy to go a little too hard and overindulge a bit during the holidays. We’ve all been there. You may feel the guilt of not following your usual, more conscious way of eating, but usually more-so you end up feeling the actual physical pain of loosening up a little and not being mindful of the type of food you are consuming.
I am a big fan of balance, having your fun and letting go, but not at the cost of your health, or the healing you work so hard to maintain the rest of the year. I think with the holidays coming but once a year, it’s important to be kind to yourself, honoring your health and your hard work, while also acknowledging that depriving yourself isn’t the real answer. While it can be easy to use this time of year as an excuse to overindulge, it is also very important to cultivate and hone that same balance you honor throughout the rest of the year. To pick your battles wisely, yet to still allow yourself to indulge a little in your favorites. Rather than spending the first few weeks of the new year detoxing, cleansing and working to reverse any damage caused by going too far during the holidays, I find it helps to simply reach for healthier versions of your favorites, whenever possible. Less sugar, less refined, processed foods and instead more nourishing, whole foods.
I compiled a list of some of my favorite holiday-inspired and seasonal recipes sure to keep you on-track and in-balance this holiday season.
20 Healthy Holiday Recipes to Keep You On Track This Season
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Giveaway: Blendtec Designer 725 Blender + Twister Jar
If you caught my Tutorial Tuesday post this week on how to make the best homemade salsa ever, you have definitely been waiting for this post! Today I am super excited to be partnering with Blendtec on this amazing giveaway. One lucky Tasty Yummies reader will take home their very own Blendtec Designer 725 Blender + Twister Jar.
As I mentioned in the salsa post, this high speed blender is life changing!! I really mean it. I seriously didn’t know what I was missing out on with these run of the mill blenders I have been using all these years.
Tag Archives: smoothies
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Giveaway: Blendtec Designer 725 Blender + Twister Jar
If you caught my Tutorial Tuesday post this week on how to make the best homemade salsa ever, you have definitely been waiting for this post! Today I am super excited to be partnering with Blendtec on this amazing giveaway. One lucky Tasty Yummies reader will take home their very own Blendtec Designer 725 Blender + Twister Jar.
As I mentioned in the salsa post, this high speed blender is life changing!! I really mean it. I seriously didn’t know what I was missing out on with these run of the mill blenders I have been using all these years.