Green smoothies for weight loss recipes at home

The question “how to lose weight” will probably always be relevant. It’s understandable – a sedentary lifestyle, uneven nutrition, stress. But we also need to be dumped without harm to health . Of course, you can sit in the gym for hours, but if you continue to eat fast food, it will be of little use. Starving is also not an option , as it is psychologically difficult and can lead to loss of strength and loss of immunity. Green smoothies will help you avoid all these problems .

Why green smoothie?

Why green and not red, white or orange cocktail? The answer is quite simple: the main ingredient of this drink is greens. It is prepared on the basis of low-calorie kefir, natural yogurt or vegetable juice without preservatives.

As additional ingredients, you can add fruits, vegetables, berries, roots, including ginger, flax seeds, nuts, dried fruits, and oatmeal to the greens cocktail. Drinks with the addition of wheat sprouts, flax, and buckwheat are beneficial.

Greens are rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements and fiber, so any green “herbs” can be added to the drink:

• Parsley,
• Thyme,
• Basil,
• Dill,
• Celery,
• Different types of green salads,
• Beet leaves,
• borage leaves,
• nettle,
• Tarragon (tarragon),
• Calendula leaves,
• Spinach,
• Clover flowers, etc.

This list can be supplemented with wild medicinal herbs and plants.

Green smoothies for weight loss and cleansing the body: 14 recipes, tips

Green smoothies are thick cocktails made from fresh vegetables and fruits, mostly green in color: cucumbers, different types of cabbage, celery, apples, limes, kiwis, avocados. They often include greens and bananas. Sometimes green smoothie recipes include red berries, but in small quantities, and most often such drinks have a less harmonious taste than those made without red berries.

Green smoothies are considered the most healthy and suitable for weight loss, as they help cleanse the body of waste and toxins, while simultaneously saturating it with a lot of valuable substances. Below you will find information about why nutritionists recommend including green smoothies in your diet, and how to properly use these drinks for weight loss. Also, for readers of the online magazine “The Beauty is in You,” we have prepared a selection of 14 of the best recipes for green detox cocktails, including the famous Glowing Green Smoothie from Hollywood nutritionist Kimberly Snyder.

How to choose the right one

When choosing greens for cocktails, you must remember that the most useful are young shoots. More mature leaves are stiff and fibrous. Nutritionists advise eating greens “from the garden,” and not those sold in the supermarket.

Not everyone has the opportunity to grow parsley in their own garden, but planting the herbs in a pot and cutting fresh shoots is the best option. Remember that lettuce and other green crops lose up to 70% of vitamin C after being cut. And in bunches of greens stored on store shelves, there are even fewer nutrients.

The second thing you should definitely pay attention to: greens are stored in the refrigerator in special compartments at a temperature of about +4 °.

Benefits of green drinks

Greens are a wonderful, healthy, low-calorie food. But it is impossible to eat it in large quantities. But by grinding it in a blender, you can drink up to two or more liters a day.

Benefits of green drink:

• Green smoothies contain a large amount of fiber, which helps cleanse the intestines well,
• Herbs contain a large amount of antioxidants - this means beauty and glowing skin, good vision, normalization of metabolism and loss of extra pounds,
• Greens are rich in vitamins B, A, E, C, K. These are folic acid, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sodium. These substances have a general strengthening and rejuvenating effect,
• Green crops contain protein (in large quantities in spinach), this is the “building material” for our cells, this is a beautiful body contour, this is sexuality and high-quality sex.

  

Green drinks help you consume fewer calories while still getting enough of the most important nutrients. But it is worth remembering that a drink based on greens has contraindications.

Green smoothies: benefits and harms

The beneficial and harmful properties of any green smoothie depend on their specific composition, since all vegetables and fruits, as well as greens, have a unique vitamin and mineral composition. However, it is absolutely obvious that all green cocktails have common properties, which allow them to be classified as a separate group of drinks.

Green smoothies, regardless of the exact composition, almost always have the following valuable properties:

• they are a source of chlorophyll, which is essential for plant life. For humans, this substance is not vital; it is not produced in the body. However, once in the body, it exhibits its antioxidant and anticancer properties;
• all green fruits and vegetables contain a significant amount of ascorbic acid and other vitamins, and in terms of the concentration of microelements, greens are superior to any other products. Thanks to this, drinks made from them can strengthen the immune system, improve the condition of the skin and hair, prolong youth, and energize. The body especially needs such a natural supplement during periods when a person experiences vitamin deficiency, increased mental or physical stress, or is on a diet;
• greens, vegetables and fruits contain a lot of fiber, thanks to which smoothies help cleanse the body of waste and toxins.

The harm of green smoothies

Like any dish, smoothies with greens may be contraindicated for some people. Each herb has its own indications and contraindications. This must be taken into account.

Which herbs are contraindicated for whom?

1. Expectant mothers should be especially careful when choosing herbs. Some greens can provoke an increase in uterine tone,
2. Green smoothies are contraindicated with a diagnosis of phosphaturia,
3. For cancer, take coriander greens carefully (no more than 30 grams per day),
4. Monarda, although useful, is contraindicated for problems with the thyroid gland and during pregnancy,
5. Oregano can cause allergies, it is not recommended for high acidity, high blood pressure, pregnancy, if you are prone to irritation of the mucous membranes,
6. Thyme (thyme) is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, not recommended for pregnant and lactating women,
7. Sorrel should not be consumed if you have kidney failure or problems with the gallbladder.

   

When choosing greens for weight loss cocktails, you should carefully study what contraindications a particular herb has. If you have any health problems, you need to study each ingredient in the drink with particular scrupulousness.

Popular recipes for green smoothies based on vegetables and fruits for weight loss

To get a slim figure, we often resort to diets and grueling physical activity.
Along with being slim, we get a whole bunch of problems: frayed nerves and dietary depression, disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system, dental problems, etc. It is known that diets for weight loss negatively affect the functioning of the liver and kidneys; our body does not receive the necessary vital substances. After good results in losing weight, fat begins to return again with triple force. Green smoothies can help you avoid these problems and lose weight without harming your health.

How to use

For every product and dish there should be a measure; healthy smoothies with herbs are no exception.

• Quantity. You shouldn’t immediately “go on a diet” of green smoothies alone. A few glasses of the drink a day can do more harm than good. It is unknown how your body will react to this change in diet. Abuse can lead to indigestion.
• Gradual increase in quantity. To start, drink just one glass (250 ml) of the cocktail per day. After two weeks, you can increase your drink intake to two glasses or more.
• How to drink correctly. Nutritionists recommend eating this cocktail with a spoon, slowly, and not drinking in large sips. Taking it slowly will help you feel full faster and you won't feel hungry.

  

When is the best time to drink green smoothies?

The best time for vitamin cocktails is in the morning, during the day or before each meal. Drinking the drink on an empty stomach activates the digestion process. These cocktails can be taken in different ways:

1. First option. Prepare 1.5 liters of the drink in the morning and drink it in small portions throughout the day when you want to eat.
2. Second option. Drink 0.5 cups before the main meal.
3. Third option. For those who want to lose weight, you can “eat” 1.5-2 glasses of cocktail instead of dinner, but not immediately, but spread out the meal over 1.5-2 hours.

If you plan to drink the cocktail in the evening, it is not recommended to add fruit to the drink.

Why does this drink help you lose weight?

The biological substances present in the drink stimulate metabolism, which leads to increased use of accumulated resources, i.e. burning fat. However, drinking green tea for weight loss is effective due to the fact that:

• it provides a diuretic effect, and thanks to this, excess fluid is removed from the tissues;
• polyphenols increase heat exchange in the body, this leads to the fact that fats accumulated over years of inactivity “melt” literally before our eyes;
• the active ingredients of tea reduce the concentration of sugar in the blood, preventing overeating dictated by physiological reasons, in particular, a sharp change in the proportion of sugar.

Losing weight with green tea becomes a reality if you follow the basic rule: you need to drink at least 1 liter of the drink per day (or better yet, more) without sugar. Due to the fact that the drink is a mild diuretic, in order to prevent dehydration you should not completely refuse to drink drinking water.

How to cook

Although green smoothies are healthy, not everyone likes them, the reason is the inability to prepare them correctly. Here are a few secrets on how to make the drink delicious.

• We choose exclusively fresh ingredients. The twigs and leaves should be tender so that after stirring in the blender, hard, poorly ground stems do not stick out of the glass.
• Try to stick to the recipe; too much greens will make the cocktail concentrated and unsafe for the stomach.
• Prepare the drink in a blender, then you will get a mixture of uniform consistency.
• Choose meaty vegetables, fruits or fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt) for the base of the cocktail. This drink will be mushy, and the greens will add piquancy. The taste of the cocktail depends on the main ingredient. The base is banana, the taste will be banana.
• If you are not a fan of herbs, choose greens with a neutral taste and aroma; spinach, lettuce leaves, and nettle are suitable. But sorrel adds a pleasant sourness to the drink.
• Herbs that are too aromatic (arugula, cilantro, basil, mint leaves) must be added with caution.
• It is better to add one or two fruits or vegetables and no more than 3 types of herbs to the cocktail.
• Change the composition of cocktails, experiment with new combinations, then you won’t get tired of this food.

  

By following these rules, you can prepare a tasty and healthy vitamin drink.

Recipes for vitamin green smoothies

There are many recipes for making a tasty and healthy green drink. There is no strict recipe here, it all depends on personal preferences. We have prepared a selection of the most interesting and easy to prepare drinks.

Recipes for green smoothies with fruits and berries

Banana:

• For 400-500 ml of water we take 2 bananas, 3-4 sprigs of parsley and dill, 4-5 sorrel leaves and a pinch of dry kelp. The drink will turn out yellow. Yield: 1.5-1.8 liters of cocktail.

  

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Classic with celery:

• Take 2 bananas, a bunch of parsley, dill, 2 large stalks of celery, 1 tsp. wheat sprouts. Whisk everything with 500 ml of water.

Fruit smoothie:

• Base: apple, orange, banana. From greens: small bunches of spinach, 6-8 lettuce leaves. You can add dried seaweed or wheat germ (about 1 tsp). Spirulina can be bought at pharmacies or organic food departments.

Peach:

• 4 peaches, 350-400 ml of water, a bunch of sorrel, a bunch of spinach. If desired, you can enrich the cocktail with wheat sprouts or dry kelp (1 tsp)

Evening dessert:

• It is prepared on the basis of kefir or unsweetened yogurt with the addition of berries. One glass of any berries, you can even take frozen ones, add a few mint leaves, honey if desired and season with cinnamon.

Ginger aperitif:

• 250 ml of water, freshly squeezed lemon juice of one lemon, 30 grams of dry or freshly grated ginger root. Take a few sips before meals.

  

Strawberry Banana Dessert:

• Two bananas, 8-10 strawberries, 4-5 pcs. lettuce leaves, 150-200 ml of water.

Duchess:

• 2-3 pears, 4-5 lettuce leaves, a sprig of mint, 250 ml of water.

Carrot-orange heaven:

• Orange, two medium carrots, 0.5 tsp. grated ginger, 5-6 lettuce leaves, 300 ml water.

Amateur cocktail:

• 5-8 pieces of sweet plums, banana, sprig of green or purple basil, 150 ml of water.

Green fairy:

• You can make a green smoothie with added alcohol. This will no longer be the same vitamin drink; it contains alcoholic ingredients and energy drinks. All ingredients must be cooled in advance. The bohemian drink is prepared from: vodka, tequila, white rum, absinthe, liqueur with melon flavor (all taken in 15 ml). Add 10 ml of Blue Curaçao liqueur and 30 ml of lime juice. Everything is mixed with 100 ml of any energy drink. Ice cubes and a liqueur cherry are added to the glass.

  

Vegetable-based green smoothies

Cocktail “Carpaccio”:

• Base: 3 large fleshy tomatoes, 1 red or yellow pepper, 500 ml water. From the greens we take a stalk of celery, a small bunch of parsley and dill. For spiciness and piquancy, you can add chili pepper and ground black pepper. Salt to taste.

Cucumber freshness:

• Prepared on the basis of cucumber (4 pcs.), add 2-3 stalks of celery, 4-5 sprigs of dill and parsley, 8-10 medium-sized spinach leaves, 1 tsp. wheat sprouts. Mix in a blender with 500 ml of water. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato:

• 4-5 medium fleshy tomatoes, any greens to taste (5-7 sprigs), 1 clove of garlic, salt, ground pepper, water 150 ml.

  

Tea recipes: aromatic pleasure

To speed up the weight loss process, tea can be combined with a variety of spices, seasonings, herbs and metabolism-boosting foods.

With milk for weight loss

This is an ideal combination that guarantees rapid weight loss. If you follow a special drinking regime for 1 day (once every 7-10 days), the basis of which is milk tea, then in 1 day you can get rid of 1-2 kg!

How to prepare and drink green tea with milk for weight loss:

1. 1 liter of skim milk is brought in a water bath to a temperature reaching 90C (beginning of boiling) and add 2 tbsp. high-quality loose leaf tea, keep for 15-20 minutes over low heat, and after straining, take 200 ml every 2-3 hours;
2. 1 liter of chilled milk is combined with the same amount of prepared green tea, drinking these 2 liters of the prepared drink per day.

With added lemon

Lemon enhances the effect of green tea, but in addition it promotes faster and better breakdown of fats, and also provides the body with a “horse” dose of vitamin C. As a result, a person spends much more energy than usual, which leads to the loss of extra pounds. People with chronic gastrointestinal diseases should not drink green tea with lemon for weight loss, since the presence of lemon can irritate the gastric mucosa and provoke an exacerbation.

You need to cook like this: 1 tsp. loose leaf tea is poured with hot water brought to 90C, left for 5-10 minutes and a slice of washed (and treated with boiling water) lemon is added.

Tea is taken warm, after every meal. If you add exercise and slightly limit the calorie content of your usual diet, you can quickly and painlessly get rid of a couple of folds of fat.

With a spoon of honey

The classic taste of tea with honey is familiar to almost everyone. The drink provides the body with energy, nourishes the body, breaks down fats and suppresses appetite.

Green tea with honey for weight loss is prepared according to the following scheme: 1 tsp. Leaf tea is placed at the bottom of the cup and filled with hot (90C) water. After 10-15 minutes of infusion, you need to add honey (tsp), stir thoroughly and drink.

With a pinch of cinnamon

Cinnamon improves digestion, speeds up metabolic processes, and promotes weight loss. When combined with green tea, this seasoning provides amazing results, helping to detoxify the body and lose a few pounds.

Most often, green tea with cinnamon for weight loss is prepared as follows: 1 tsp. tea combined with ½ tsp. crushed cinnamon and pour hot water (no more than 90C). After infusion, you can add honey, a ginger stick or a slice of lemon for taste and to speed up weight loss.

How and why to take green tea extract when losing weight

Available as a dietary supplement, made in the form of tablets or capsules. Used to normalize body weight, increase performance, and maintain the body during periods of increased physical activity or stress. Take according to the regimen indicated on the package. It is recommended to drink green tea extract for weight loss as an adjuvant while working on losing weight.

Reviews

Green smoothies are a great drink for those who want to lose weight. Girls who care about their figure and care about their health often share recipes in their reviews.

Ekaterina “I really love such cocktails, I prepare not only vitamin green drinks, but also kefir drinks with dried fruits. My favorite is with prunes. For a glass of kefir I take 3-4 pieces of prunes, previously scalded with boiling water. I can add a handful of any fresh berries. This drink cleanses the intestines well, and is also very tasty, I recommend it! But don’t “overdo it” with prunes to avoid upset.”

Mila “I’ve been getting into fresh cocktails for a while now. I don’t really like them with greens; I prefer neutral ones in taste, for example, I combine cucumber with spinach with the addition of kefir. But I really like fruit and berry ones. I take whatever fruit is in the refrigerator (which is in season), add homemade yogurt, ginger root, and a couple of mint leaves. Just what you need for a snack!”

Nastya “I lose weight with such cocktails, the effect is amazing. But you just need to follow one rule: in the morning and at lunch you can drink vegetables and fruits, and in the evening only vegetables and herbs. It’s very good to lose weight with cocktails with celery and cucumber.”