These days we are all trying to make changes to our lives which help us save time. If it's a shorter but more effective exercise routine we'll do it, if it's a quicker healthier meal plan we'll try it. The list is endless... One of these new things to do is replace a meal a day with a smoothie or fresh juice. There are great blenders you can buy now which makes you a individual drink you can pop in your bag and take with you to save you time. I guess if this is the only way you were going to consume any fruit or vegetables it's better than not having any at all but of course there is a downside to this.
The one clear downside from drinking fruit and vegetables compared to eating them is the loss of fibre and other nutrients found in the skin and pulp. These drinks are also not as filling as it would be to eat a bowl full of fruit or a leafy salad.
You could also be consuming a lot more fruits in a day than you usually would with a high sugar content.
Chewing your food alerts your brain and stomach that food is coming. Your saliva mixes with the food you chew and it contains enzymes that contribute to the chemical process of digestion. Some of the first stages of digestion are started in the mouth, you make the enzyme lingual lipase by glands located at the back of your tongue and this starts to break down fats on the way to stomach.
Some people can complain of cramps and bloating after drinking their smoothie/juice and this can be from your stomach not being able to make the digestive enzymes as your brain hasn't registered that food is on its way.
If you are looking for a healthy snack to stop yourself having that sugary treat, I think its a good idea to make yourself a smoothie. This way you know exactly what the ingredients are and your not replacing your meals.
My name is Blair Harvey and I have had the pleasure of working at one of Australia's best Health Retreat's for the past fourteen wonderful years. Over those years I have had the delight of working with a spectacular kitchen team, we all have an immense passion for cooking good healthy food that is unique and tantalizing to your taste buds. Together we have not only developed our skills in cooking wholesome, nourishing and out right delicious foods, but we have been committed to broadening our knowledge of healing with whole foods and exploring the beauty of healthy living. Because of our enthusiasm in the benefits of foods and there healing properties I developed a blog to help us SHARE what we have learnt with the rest of the world.
You will find tasty gems of wisdom on health, food and healing, helping to expand your mind and revitalize your knowledge of healthy eating.