Smoothies: Friend or Foe?

Smoothies seem like the perfect food.  It is a meal in liquid form.  Liquefied food is easier to digest, so it can be absorbed by the body better.  Ayurveda recommends making one of your meals liquid once a week as a way to lose weight and purify.

In Ayurveda, food should be in a pure and natural form.  Pure and natural are thrown around on food packages, but in Ayurveda it means being chemical free and closest to its original form.  For example, soy beans are a great source of protein and fiber.  Food manufacturers want to use the soy bean to make their cereal or granola bar product healthier with its low fat protein and fiber.  They don't really use the soy bean.  Instead, they process it with a genetically modified soy bean which is cheaper and extract the protein in a chemical process that forms soy protein isolate which is not readily digestible for the human digestive system. Moreover, a recent study found genetically modified corn to be contain less calcium, potassium, magnesium and manganese than real corn.  I am sure other genetically modified products have similar nutritional deficits.

If the" food" we eat does not have the same nutritional value in its calories, then our bodies cannot really be satisfied by it.  Food is energy.  If our energy source is substandard, we may look for more food to fill the gap.  This can be a cause to overeat and gain weight.

Back to smoothies.  If your smoothie is made from ice cream, added sugar and a "soy" protein powder, then it cannot be considered a true liquid meal.  It is a calorie filled drink with little nutritional value.  Make your smoothie from hemp or chia seeds, veggies, nut butters and fruits, and you will have a real meal.  Alternatively, soups are a great liquid meal if they have veggies, whole grains and legumes.  Cheers!

Stay healthy & well,
Lisa