I am a self -professed smoothie lover!
I start almost every day with a smoothie and encourage others to do the same. Smoothies are a great way to pack a lot of nutrition quickly before heading out the door in the morning – plus the combinations of flavour are endless.
They key to a balanced meal is ensuring you have all the key macronutrients. Macronutrients are your carbohydrates, proteins & fats.
Carbohydrates – We all need carbohydrates to keep our brain and muscles working at optimal levels. We just need to ensure that we are having healthy sources of carbohydrates. Vegetables & fruits are actually carbohydrates
Proteins – Protein is used to make essential hormones and enzymes throughout our body and also helps to repair tissue. We need protein to help us balance blood sugar and to build muscle. Many people struggle to get enough protein in their diet each day.
Fats – We need fat for our body to function properly. Healthy fats help with vitamin absorption and some fats are “essential” – meaning we cannot produce them and have to get them from our food.
When I make smoothies I always ensure that they have all 3 macros and some fibre. Fibre aids digestion, helps the body get rid of toxins, keeps us feeling full longer, helps balance blood sugar and more.
Here are some tips for how to make the perfect smoothie! I like to use a pick 4 method. Pick a base and then choose something from each of the 4 categories – carbohydrate, protein, fat & fibre. Below are my top choices for each category.
Base
Water or unsweetened almond or coconut milk (about 1 cup)
Carbohydrate
Greens – kale, spinach
Fruit – ½ cup frozen berries, pineapple, mango, kiwi, ½ banana
Veggies – frozen cauliflower or zucchini
Protein
Protein Powder (my go to flavour is vanilla)– Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Proteins, Designs for Health Pure Pea, Designs for Health Pure Paleo
Fat
1 tbsp. nut butter, ¼ avocado, 2 tbsp. hemp hearts
Fibre
2 tbsp. chia or flax seeds
Here’s how we can put it all together;
Base – 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Carbohydrates – ½ cup frozen blueberries, 1 handful of baby spinach
Protein – Vanilla Protein powder (1 scoop)
Fats – 1 tbsp. almond butter
Fibre – 2 tbsp. ground flax seeds
Add In – cinnamon
A smoothie should keep you satisfied and feeling full until lunchtime!
If you are looking for more recipes and tips on how to live your best life head over to Facebook and join my new group – Vitality & Wellness Collective.
The Vitality & Wellness Collective is a free and will walk you through 4 key pillars to create habits that will allow you to live your life with vitality.
1. Healthy Balanced Nutrition – If you don’t put the right fuel in your body you won’t have the energy to live with vitality
2. Sleep – Create positive sleep routines & habits for energy and disease prevention
3. Movement – Incorporate daily movement so you can make it a habit and stick with it
4. Mindfulness – Stress management and gratitude practices that are essential to your wellness
This group will give you the tools you need to establish these habits – trackers, challenges, tips & recipes will be included. I will also be in the group to answer any questions you have. Click below to join now – I look forward to seeing you and supporting you there.
Vitality & Wellness Collective
In health,
Allison
Allison Madigan, Holistic Nutritionist
Allison graduated from Queen’s University with a BAH in Economics and started a career in the marketing world. Nutrition and wellness were always at the forefront of her thoughts. After 15 years in the industry she decided that it was time to follow her passion and go back to school. She took a leap of faith, resigned from work, enrolled at the Edison Institute of Nutrition and hasn’t looked back. She has been working in the field for 2 years now and loving it.
She has a strong belief in the power of food and proper nutrition to keep us healthy and prevent disease. Her mission is to empower people to make healthy and mindful decisions for themselves to achieve their optimal health and wellness.
Allison has a keep interest in hormone balance, food sensitivities, stress and digestive health. She works with her clients to formulate a plan that will work for them. Her plans will include diet modifications, lifestyle and supplements suggestions as well as some mindset work.
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