Imagine starting your day with a not so regular kind of breakfast. Something light, creamy, cool, bursting with flavor, and nutritious… oh so yum! That’s right. A glass of of your favorite smoothie.
A smoothie is a healthy drink made from fruits and vegetables with the aid of a food blender or smoothie maker. The blending usually involves the use of a liquid base such as water, milk, or yogurt.
It is known to be thicker than regular fruit or vegetable juice as it packs on all the dietary fiber (seed, pulp, skin) from the fruits and vegetables. This makes the consistency different from juices. It’s a fun way of having part of your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. It can even work as a meal replacement depending on the content.
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What Are Smoothie Enhancers?
Smoothie enhancers also referred to, as add-ins, super foods, or supplements, are essential health improving, nutrient-dense, and disease-combating foods. They are added to the smoothie blends to make it richer, and more wholesome for the body.
Their addition to the mix packs in more proteins, omega fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. There are various types available in-store and they can even be homemade. If however you aren’t schooled in that area, you might be loading on a lot of sugar without knowing. You need to read your labels. You need to know your ingredients.
Blending just the fruits or vegetables without the enhancers can soon get repetitive, and boring. Turning to Blender Bombs for smoothies might just be the “switch up” you need.
Benefits of Smoothie Enhancers
You’ve probably heard the saying “your food is your medicine”, so you might as well eat it right. The same applies with your smoothies which can act as food for your body.
Some of the benefits you can get from enhancers include:
- Energy boosters – instead of taking caffeine or energy drinks, you can let a refreshing smoothie with add-ins that has vitamin B do the job.
- Cold fighters – flu and cold are a respecter of no one and when the season kicks in, it can keep one down. Although most fruits have a healthy dose of vitamin C which is known to tackle these issues, a supporting boost won’t harm. This will help boost the body’s immunity and reduce the cold’s severity.
- Probiotics source– these help keep your guts healthy. Your digestive system will thank you for it and help keep those healthy bacteria happy.
- Nutrient balance – your choice of fruits or vegetable blend will determine what your smoothie lacks. You can then get the appropriate add-ins to balance up. With regular meals, sometimes supplements are advised as one might not be able to have a balanced diet most times, so how much more with smoothies?
Types of Smoothie Enhancers
There are great and not so great smoothie enhancers. As seen here though, there is almost an inexhaustible list of such foods. We’ll be looking at some foods that fall into the great category as pertains to smoothie enhancers because they are exceptionally rich in various nutrients. Here are some of them:
- Cacao – in powder form, is rich in flavor and antioxidants. It’s not the sweetest but its chocolate and dessert-like feel satisfy the sugar cravings when mixed with your fruits.
- Acai – when fresh as berries or in powder form is also rich in antioxidants.
- Chia seeds – they are high in fiber and omega 3.
- Coconut oil – this is extracted from fresh coconut and helps regulate blood sugar. It’s anti-fungal and anti-viral and will also be sure to add a mild coconut flavor to the drink.
- Flax seeds – this is a highly nutritious fiber-rich crop.
- Goji berries – they are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, and cancer-fighting benefits are derived from the pigments.
- Hemp seed – for a healthy heart, just blend some into your drink. It is an excellent source of protein, omega 3 and 6. Its no mistake they are called “hemp hearts”.
What Defines A Great Smoothie Enhancer?
Although natural doesn’t always mean amazing if used inappropriately, it’s worthy to note that the best enhancers are all-natural. They are real, unprocessed, and give all the nutrients needed in high density as it is in its original form.
So, with the number of add-ins available as seen above, some qualities should not be negotiated. These are probably the main reason for needing them in the first place.
They must be:
- Readily available – there is nothing like having easy access to materials when you need it.
- Excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other vital nutrients.
- High in antioxidants and phytonutrients such as beta carotene, vitamins A and E.
- Helpful at reducing the risk of heart disease and other heart conditions.
In Conclusion
We cannot overemphasize the importance of eating right, or in this case, drinking right. It makes all the difference in the world. A detailed reference as seen at https://medium.com/alphagreen/superfood-for-everyone-food-of-the-21st-century-cb211133a4cf further goes to show that what goes into our bodies is very important.
So, smoothies are great and healthy for the body as it helps one stay off unhealthy alternatives like soda and other carbonated drinks.
Smoothies are amazing but smoothies with enhancers are even more amazing and show intentionality and deliberateness to achieve a goal. Be it keeping fit, shedding some weight, or just living healthy as a whole. To ensure you continue to enjoy the benefits they offer, keep all of the above in mind.
