Smoothie-related stories
Smoothies are a Dessert - Not a Gym Snack!
Fit Kicks Videos, Nutrition & Supplements
I cringe each time I pass the smoothie cafe at the gym. Since I've spent my professional life trying to help people figure out the right way to lose weight and become fit, the smoothie sensation -- which usually takes people far away from their physical goals -- drives me nuts. Consuming a smoothie packed with fresh produce and not much extra nonsense is fine if you choose it as a healthier alternative to dessert or an occasional meal replacement. It is not however, some sort of miracle weight loss potion one should indulge in after every workout. This video explains it all.
For innovative training videos, cooking tips and great advice from legitimate experts in the field of health and fitness, visit SportsHealthExercise.org.
Jamba Juice Smoothies - How Many Calories
We've all been there -- we're in a hurry, but we need energy right freaking now and we just don't have the time to do the whole sit-down-and-eat routine. I don't know about you, but when I'm running around, a smoothie is the perfect fix. They require one hand and absolutely zero concentration -- you can down one on the bus, while you're driving or even while you're walking to your next appointment. And, considering smoothies are usually made with some sort of fruit, they tend to be healthy, right?
What do you think?
Acai - Like Red Wine and Chocolate?
Hurry, Quick. Get yourself some acai berries. I hear they taste just like a combination of red wine and chocolate (Family Circle, February 2009 tells me so). They also happen to be chock full of disease-fighting antioxidants so apparently, you just can't go wrong with this superfood. Not familiar with anything acai? Give this superfruit smoothie a try.
In a blender, combine one and one-fourths cups plain soy milk, one cup acai juice (available in natural food stores), one-fourth cup orange juice, one large mango (peeled and cut into chunks) and one cup frozen blueberries. Blend well. And drink. Detect any red wine and chocolate in there?
A Healthy Waste of Time
Do you have a few minutes to waste? I know, I know ... you're busy. But everyone deserves a few minutes just to relax, right? Check out this new game on Shockwave.com. The Wonder-Juice Machine is a fun way to give your brain a little challenge. A minor mental workout like this is a great way to take your mind off of your troubles for a few minutes and relieve a little stress.
As as added perk, the game includes actual recipes for nutritious smoothies that you can try at home. And keep your eye out for the health tips about different fruits and vegetables. Who knew a game could include such handy health advice?
Giveaway: Boost your metabolism with Smoothie King's Berry Stimulating Maté
Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements
If you're a fan of smoothies and happen to have a Smoothie King location nearby (check here to find out), you might be happy to know that a new treat has been added to the smoothie line-up: The Berry Stimulating Maté.
Made up of a combination of blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, Guayaki organic yerba maté, turbinado (save on calories and carbs and make your smoothie skinny by leaving this ingredient out) and nonfat milk, this smoothie is sure to please. Yerba maté (pronounced YER-ba MA-tay) boasts a host of health attributes -- it aids in weight control and digestion, increases metabolism, induces mental clarity, sustains energy, and lessens the effects of allergies and diabetes.
Gotta try one? Leave a comment below telling us why you love smoothies, and we'll randomly choose five of you as winners. Each winner will receive five Smoothie King gift cards, each one good for one free 20 oz. smoothie, valued at $5 each. Giveaway details follow.
- To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us why you love smoothies.
- The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Friday, November 7, 2008.
- You may enter only once.
- Five winners will be selected in a random drawing.
- Five winners will receive five gift cards each. Each gift card is good for one free 20 oz. smoothie (each gift card valued at $5; total five-pack of gift cards valued at $25).
- Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia who are 18 or older.
- Winners are notified by e-mail and will be announced via a post.
How Many Calories ... in a Booster Juice smoothie?
How Many Calories?, Nutrition & Supplements
Smoothies are all the rage these days. Forget meals -- you can get all your nutrition in liquid form, served in a handy to-go cup. Not that there's anything wrong with giving in to the smoothie craze -- I myself have forgone the traditional meal in favour of a quick energy fix from the nearest smoothie vendor.
And there are smoothies to fit all needs -- whether you're looking to bulk up on protein, trim fat, get as many antioxidants as possible or fulfill all your daily fruit and veggie requirements in one drink. All that and they're usually absolutely delicious.
But conventional wisdom tells me that when something tastes good, it probably has lots of calories. Still, how many calories can there be in fruit juice and yogurt? What do you think?
5 ways to get your kids to eat their veggies
Healthy Kids, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
Getting your kids to eat their veggies is like trying to give a cat a bath -- sometimes it works out OK but most of the time, it is just not going to happen without a fight. eDiets recently addressed this problem and offered five interesting solutions:
- Force feed your kids by pureeing veggies into a turkey baster and injecting them into their mouth
- Give your kids veggies hidden a familiar form, like veggie burgers (which don't actually have many veggies)
- Disguise veggies to look like meat by soaking them in food dye
- Bribe them with toys and money
- Surround him with other kids who eat their veggies -- them he will see they are 'cool' to eat.
Hmmm ... not sure this is the most effective advice I've ever heard -- I'm more of a fan of the 'add veggies to the fruit smoothie' tactic, but whatever works, I guess!
How do you get your kid to eat veggies?
Slim-down smoothies
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Let's face it -- who doesn't want a flatter belly? Even super-skinny celebs probably look at their profile and see a bit of a paunch. But the secret to slimming your Buddha doesn't lie in slimming panties or crash diets or magic pills. According to Prevention Magazine, flat bellies come from MUFAs -- mono-unsaturated fatty acids.
But it's not like you're going to drink fish oil. You need tasty, healthy ways to get your MUFAs. Luckily, Prevention put together a list of 10 smoothies that are low in fat, calories and sugar, and high in MUFAs and taste. Click here for the recipes.
Other tips for a flat belly? Cut down on sugar and sodium, and make sure you're getting your fiber.
But it's not like you're going to drink fish oil. You need tasty, healthy ways to get your MUFAs. Luckily, Prevention put together a list of 10 smoothies that are low in fat, calories and sugar, and high in MUFAs and taste. Click here for the recipes.
Other tips for a flat belly? Cut down on sugar and sodium, and make sure you're getting your fiber.
Nutritious smoothies for back-to-school
Healthy Kids, Nutrition & Supplements
Across the country this morning, kids are heading off to their first day of school. Hopefully, they're hitting the books with a solid, nutritious breakfast in their stomachs. Research shows that not only do breakfast eaters tend to eat fewer calories overall during the day, but kids who eat breakfast are more alert, do better academically, and feel better all around.Not everyone is a morning person, however, and not everyone is a breakfast eater. That can make getting a good breakfast into a child or teen challenging. One way around a reluctant eater is the smoothie. Smoothies can pack an enormous nutritional punch, are easy to make, and are simple for kids to grab and go.
Diet-Blog has the basics on smoothie-making for beginners, as well as a few easy recipes. Once you get the hang of making smoothies, it's easy to play around with flavor and ingredients. You might even be able to turn a tween or teen on to the process, and before you know it, they'll be whipping up their own smoothies!
If cleaning a blender scares you off of smoothies, consider a product like the Shake and Take blender, which allows smoothie-lovers to mix up a single serving smoothie in a grab-and-go cup with straw and lid.
And the Smoothie King winner is ...
Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements
Congratulations to Rosie, the lucky winner of a $100 Smoothie King gift card. Rosie, who now gets to cash in her prize in a store near her, entered our giveaway contest by sharing that her healthiest and tastiest smoothie would include: vanilla yogurt, pureed peaches, strawberries, and pineapple juice. Sounds yummy to me.
Thanks to all 29 of you who shared some pretty scrumptious smoothie creations. Some of my favorites:
- raspberries, strawberries, banana, apple juice, and cranberry nectar
- strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, vanilla yogurt, and flax seed
- strawberry, vanilla protein blend, chocolate whey, and almonds
- ice, mangoes, strawberries, bananas, fresh squeezed Orange Juice, a sprinkle of flax seeds for omega-3s, and a tsp of Agave Nectar as a natural sweetener
Smoothie King Giveaway: A reminder & a clarification
Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements
Here's a reminder: My Smoothie King post published on Tuesday, and I'm pleased to report we have 17 comments already -- that's 17 people who've put their name in the hat for a drawing that will take place today after 5 PM. You know what that means? You still have time to leave a confirmed comment here (if you have not already left one), which will enter you in the contest to win a $100 gift card. Just describe the tastiest and healthiest smoothie you'd create if you could. That simple. Oh, and by the way, we're not actually using a hat. The drawing will be done via a computer software program and in only the most random of ways.Here's a clarification: One reader was confused by the whole "skinny" smoothie thing. Here's what the Smoothie King experts have to say about their skinny offerings:
For those Smoothie King smoothies sweetened with turbinado (raw cane sugar), guests can choose to make them "skinny" by leaving out the turbinado and adding an alternative sweetener or the option of no added sugar at all. So, if a smoothie says it contains turbinado, it will only be made skinny once the turbinado is removed ... and that is when the 20-ounce smoothie will decrease by 99 calories and 23 carbs.
There you have it: The skinny on the smoothies you could be enjoying with that gift card you just might win.
Smoothie King Giveaway: $100 could be yours
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
You'd be hard pressed to find a Smoothie King smoothie that isn't both tasty and nutritious. Delicious flavors like Angel Food and Caribbean Way are packed with fresh fruit and nutrients, and you can actually make them even healthier. Simply ask for your smoothie to be "made skinny." "Skinny" smoothies have no turbinado (raw cane sugar) and contain 99 less calories and 23 less carbs than their counterparts. Smoothie King offers more than 30 smoothies under 300 calories after being rendered skinny. The Slim-N-Trim, for one, is a low-calorie treat used by many as part of an overall diet and training program geared toward slimming down.
Smoothie King also offers 50 smoothies with ingredients that meet customers' nutritional and dietary needs. There's The Hulk, with lots of calories and lots of nutrients, for chemotherapy patients who need a boost. There's The Gladiator for individuals who have undergone gastric bypass surgery and need essential vitamins and protein for recovery. And others can be formulated to jump-start energy and immunity; address stress relief, joint, and tissue repair; and build muscle.
Not all smoothies are created equal, say Smoothie King founders Steve and Cindy Kuhnau, who are proud to be the originators of the nutritional, fruit-based smoothie. Want to taste what they're talking about? Consider this:
Smoothie King will award one lucky reader with a $100 gift card, good for use in any one of their stores -- click here to find a location near you.
To enter to win, just leave a comment below before 5 PM Eastern on Thursday, June 12 describing the tastiest and healthiest smoothie you'd create if you could -- we want our mouths to water so make it good. Feel free to go to www.smoothieking.com for inspiration. Click on "Find Your Favorite" under the "On The Menu" category and you'll find bunches of possibilities. We'll randomly choose one winner amongst the eligible entries and announce the winner on Friday, June 13. Some other important details:
- To enter, leave a confirmed comment below describing the tastiest and healthiest smoothie you'd create if you could.
- The comment must be left and confirmed before 5 PM on Thursday, June 12.
- You may only enter once.
- One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
- One winner will receive a $100 gift card for the purchase of Smoothie King smoothies.
- Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
How do you eat bananas?
Vegetarian, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
Here's an interesting tidbit I learned from Fitsugar today: Bananas have the highest concentration of antioxidants when they're at their most ripe, meaning when they're just starting to turn a bit brown. Now, I have to admit, I'm much more of a non-ripe banana eater--I prefer them when they're just past being green. Otherwise they're too mushy for me. You too? Here are some healthy ways to stomach the mushy banana:
Afraid of bananas? Don't be--they have plenty of heart-healthy nutrients and aren't too high in calories either -- a medium one has 103 calories.
- Throw it in a smoothie. Browning bananas are much better-tasting in a smoothie than green or yellow ones. I throw it in with some vanilla yogurt and a touch of chocolate sauce -- it's oh-so-delicious.
- Slice it and have it with some granola or cereal.
- Much it up and spread it on toast, with some peanut butter if you like.
Afraid of bananas? Don't be--they have plenty of heart-healthy nutrients and aren't too high in calories either -- a medium one has 103 calories.
A smooth(ie)er boost
Need a nutritional boost? The Boost brand nutritional supplement drinks have been on the market for years. But they've just released a new line of flavors. Smoothies -- in strawberry, raspberry, and peach. These shelf-stable drinks provide 9 grams of protein, 22 vitamins and minerals, and calcium. And they sound quite yummy to boot. These drinks are excellent sources of nutrition for people who are unable to consume solid foods for nutrition. But for most of us, they're a bit unnecessary. If you're in a pinch, it's a fine choice. But keep in mind these drinks aren't giving you anything you can't get from a nutritious, healthy diet. Well, there is one thing these drinks will give you that fruits, veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein can't provide... 36 whopping grams of sugar per serving.
Awesome smoothie recipes perfect for the fall season
Now you may think the words "smoothie" and "october" don't exactly go together, and although I do agree that they're mostly a summer food I don't agree that that means they can't be enjoyed at other times of the year also. The trick, for me anyway, is to switch up ingredients for something fresh and new and seasonal. There are several good recipes over at Mother Earth Living, including one based on tomatoes, one based on blueberries, and even one focused for flu-fighting. Now if that isn't season-specific I don't know what is!I'm thinking I'll be trying the "Zippy Tomato" first.
