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Smoothies are a refreshing and healthy way to consume fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods. They’re also an excellent way to help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism and giving you quick energy for your day ahead. But there is one caveat: if you want smoothie-based weight loss to be effective, make sure that the ingredients in your smoothies include some protein, fats, and carbohydrates to keep your food intake as balanced as possible. To figure out how to get rid of body fat with fat burning smoothie recipes, read on!
Smoothies can be counterproductive for weight loss if you don’t use the right ingredients. Researchers have also found that calories in liquid form have less satiety than calories in solid form (10). This is because the liquid passes quickly through our stomach and absorbs nutrients, while solid food takes longer to pass through. This is one reason why smoothies for weight loss might not be a long-term solution for weight loss.
Another reason to be wary of these drinks is they can be very high in sugar. The sugars used in store-bought smoothies are often refined, which causes them to be digested very quickly. This upsets your blood sugar levels and increases the risk of diabetes or heart disease problems in the future (17).
Smoothies that you make at home can cost as little as 50 cents each to make if you use fruit and vegetables from local markets, but they do not contain any added sugar.
Read More: 21-Day Smoothie Diet: Will Ditching All Solid Foods Promote Pound-Shedding?
Yes, smoothies are healthy! As long as you don’t buy a packaged drink from the store that is high in sugar or full of artificial sweeteners and preservatives. Instead, blend up one of these tasty green weight loss drinks using fresh produce to lose pounds off your belly fast without even dieting.
When blending your smoothie, remember two things matter more than anything else:
You should always use organic fruits and vegetables when making a smoothie because non-organic foods may have been sprayed with pesticides which can be extremely harmful to your body and general health.
The best way to know if something is organic is by looking at the label on the fruit or vegetable (usually located next to the bar code). Organic foods will be clearly labeled so.
The difference between a smoothie that frustrates your weight loss attempts and one that helps you burn fat is in the ingredients.
In addition to adding nutritious superfoods to your breakfast smoothie, you can also add the following fat-burning foods to attain quick weight loss:
Green tea is an ingredient that is featured in many fast fat-burning smoothie recipes. Though green tea and black tea share the same essential ingredients (Camellia Sinensis), the difference lies in the processing; while black tea leaves are fermented, green teas are steamed or pan-fired to prevent oxidation.
Studies from India prove that catechins present in green tea could help with weight loss (2). One study shows that those who drank green tea daily lost almost 7.3 pounds (3.3 kilograms) more than their counterparts after 12 weeks, even though both groups followed calorie-restricted diets (7).
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Chopping a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and adding it to the smoothie is another good way to add flavor to your fat-burning smoothie, apart from the health benefits.
Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, which help prevent obesity in rats fed with a high-fat, high-sugar diet (4). Several animal studies show that rats given cinnamon have lower levels of body weight, total cholesterol, and triglycerides than controls (21).
The anti-obesity effect might be due to the inhibition of pancreatic lipase by cinnamic acid found in cinnamon. Research indicates that powdered cinnamon reduces blood glucose and reduces weight by lowering insulin resistance (19).
Numerous studies have proven that daily intake of cinnamon can lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients. It also reduces LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol (5). Cinnamon is often taken as an essential oil addition to topical creams or gels for cellulite removal as it helps break down fat cells.
Acai berries contain potent polyphenols that can aid weight loss that makes them an interesting superfood. Acai berries are rich in tannin and have a higher antioxidant capacity than cranberries and a high concentration of anthocyanins, an anti-inflammatory agent and free radical scavenger (22). The superfood is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein. It’s low in calories and sugar.
Acai berries are made into jams or beverages, which are available at whole food stores. You can also find them online on several websites, including Amazon, as a powder in fat-burning fruit smoothie recipes or sprinkled over other foods such as yogurt.
The perfect fruit to add to your fat-burning smoothie are raspberries, which are high in ellagic acid, an antioxidant that slows the growth of cancer cells (15). Raspberries also have anthocyanins that help keep blood pressure down and prevent insulin resistance.
The popular fruit can reduce heart disease risk factors by lowering blood cholesterol levels while improving glucose tolerance.
Read More: Oat Smoothie Weight Loss: Give Your Busy Mornings A Much-Need Nutritional Boost
Coconut oil and coconut milk are one of the natural fat burners you can add to your smoothie.
Products of coconut have medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), naturally found in dairy products but not ordinarily present in fruit or vegetable sources. Unlike other fats stored as fat in the body, medium-chain fatty acids are sent straight to your liver (8).
They’re converted into ketones in the liver and are used as an alternative energy source for the brain and heart during low blood sugar or exercise periods. MCFAs are also absorbed by cells throughout your body, where they strengthen cell membranes and provide energy. In addition to providing additional fuel, coconut oil also makes food taste better!
Chia seeds may be tiny in size, but they’re huge on nutrition! They have one of the best ratios when it comes to healthy fats to protein.
Chia seeds are packed with fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. There is one tablespoon of chia seeds in a 33-gram serving size, which serves as an excellent addition for both your fat-burning smoothie and breakfast recipe.
Chia seeds are high in soluble fiber that helps you feel fuller longer, so it actually increases your energy levels instead of causing spikes and crashes as sugar or caffeine could. They also keep your digestive system running smoothly (23).
The majority of the calories in chia seeds come from fat, but they’re the good kind of fat – unsaturated fats. They have more omega-3 than salmon (ratio-wise)! Not only do the Omega 3’s improve heart health and lower the overall risk of stroke, but they also help reduce inflammation in the body. Their fiber content can help lower cholesterol and protect against colon cancer.
It is another one of those ingredients that help to boost your metabolism, not to mention it’s downright delicious! Cayenne pepper boosts your metabolic rate by increasing thermogenesis (the process through which the body produces heat) (20).
Chili peppers like cayenne trigger pain receptors in your mouth that signal warmth, so you start to sweat and burn more calories just after eating them! Not only are they suitable for burning fat, but they contain vitamin A which boosts immunity, keeps skin soft and reduces wrinkles.
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You can add larger quantities of ginger root to your smoothie, which will further boost the effectiveness of cayenne pepper for quick weight loss. Ginger has been found to increase fat oxidation, and a study suggests that it helps burn calories by increasing the thermic effect of food (9).
Belly fat-burning smoothie recipes that are packed with greens will keep you feeling fuller for longer, aiding weight loss efforts. Green smoothies may boost fat burning, too, thanks to the high levels of chlorophyll found in these leafy green vegetables (3).
It is an acidic fruit that promotes healthy digestion. Pineapple is also a good source of bromelain, which helps to break down proteins (14).
Mint leaves contain essential oils that can speed up the metabolism, enhance digestion, and relieve indigestion and flatulence (11). This helps you burn fat faster by improving your digestive system and also reducing any stress from digestion.
The cocoa bean, used to make cocoa powder, is also a powerful antioxidant. It contains potent flavanols that can lower blood pressure and increase heart health and an array of antioxidants such as phenolic acids and catechins, which promote weight loss and the prevention of diabetes (6).
Use cocoa powder, dark chocolate, or cacao nibs to make a hot chocolate smoothie for a healthy snack. Chocolate with at least 60 percent cocoa content is best. If you want to lose weight with your chocolate shake, eat smaller portions of high-quality dark chocolate instead of calorie-rich chocolate treats laden with toppings or syrups.
The fat-burning smoothie recipes below are good for people who have only recently started following a weight loss diet because they don’t include any hard-to-find ingredients that would be difficult to locate at most supermarkets.
If you’re at all familiar with superfoods like matcha green tea, maca powder, and acai berries, feel free to throw them in to give your smoothie a boost of energy.
You can enjoy this nutritious fruit smoothie instead of drinking store-bought juices at any time of the day.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Servings: 2
Calories per 100grams: 69 calories
Macros: 4.7 grams protein, 13.7 grams carbs, 2.0 grams fibre
Recipe courtesy of Sainsbury’s
This smoothie combines both acai berries and blueberries. You can opt to use coconut milk to reap its fat-burning benefits.
Ingredients:
Directions:
For this recipe, you can choose to eat half the serving to restrict the number of calories you consume.
Servings: 1
Calories per serving: 398 calories
Macros: 23.5g protein, 47.7g carbohydrates, 13.8g fat
Recipe courtesy of Eating Well
You can try this nutrient-filled smoothie during your morning meal or snack time.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Servings: 2
Calories per serving: 169 calories
Macros: 6 g protein, 33g carbohydrates, Fiber 7g
Recipe courtesy of Dinner at the Zoo
Despite everything you can read on the internet, smoothies can help you burn fat and lose weight. The key to making a fat-burning smoothie is to include ingredients that will help you boost your metabolism, increase energy levels, and increase your feeling of satiety. Not all smoothies are created equal when it comes to weight loss potential, so be sure to use only the best ingredients for making fat-burning smoothies.
Remember that a proper diet is not everything you need.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!