How Banana Helps You Lose Weight
According to Dietician and Nutritionist, Dr. Sunali Sharma, banana contains just 105 calories so it helps in both gaining and losing weight what matters is the quantity you consume.
Eating only one medium-sized or 5-inch banana a day helps lose weight. Also, it should be ideally eaten as a pre or post-workout meal, as it will build up stamina and will help the body recover after a rigorous physical activity, she explained and added that if you want to lose weight, instead of giving it up completely, have in limited portion.
So, we bring you some delicious banana-based drink recipes that will help you lose weight in the healthiest possible way. Lets check out!
Are Smoothies Good For Weight Loss
Smoothies are great as part of a weight loss diet because they make you feel like youre not restricting yourself, which is important for losing weight.
The smoothies featured in this blog post are made with whole foods, low in calories and nutrient dense.
They contain important nutrients like protein thatll help you boost your metabolism and keep you fuller longer, which contributes to weight loss.
Ultimately, dont just rely on smoothies to help you burn fat. To drop body fat and keep it off make sure youre eating fewer calories than you burn on an ongoing basis.
If you want a weight loss program, get my 6 weeks fat loss meal plan.
Protein Shakes Or Bars
Everyone knows protein shakes are popular with the body builders, but they are also great before workout foods for people looking to trim down!
All natural protein shakes and bard can help fuel your workout and help you shed fat faster! If youve been searching for what to eat before working out try one of these protein packed shakes below.
The Best Protein Powders for weight loss can be found HERE. Try adding some Flavorless Collagen to your coffee or tea in the morning if you have a hard time eating before a workout.
Try This Recipe: This protein packed pre workout drink will help you burn fat fast, and give you loads of energy for the gym!
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Metabolism Boosting Green Smoothie
This is a twist on a classic green smoothie recipe. Its a spinach smoothie recipe which blends perfectly with the delicious flavors of strawberry and oranges . Smoothies with spinach are some of my favorite green smoothie recipes.
The metabolism boosting secret is the almond milk, which contains extra protein and creaminess. Studies have shown that protein increases the thermic effect of food due to the extra calories required to digest it. This causes a rise in your metabolic rate .
How To Make A High Calorie Smoothie
Its pretty simple to get started. You just need to add a bunch of ingredients into a good blender. Experiment with what works best. Add more liquid if its too thick. Add more solid ingredients if its too thin.
Here are some basic ingredients to add to your high calorie smoothies:
Lets review some examples of what you add to a smoothie. Well end with some sample recipes to get you going! Keep in mind these are just some ideas.
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Why Drink A Pre
One question that many people have regarding exercise is whether its more beneficial to eat something before a workout or to exercise on an empty stomach. While doing low-intensity exercise on an empty stomach is A-OK and may even offer some benefits like enhanced fat loss, its in your best interest to eat something before performing moderate to intense exercise.
Consuming a well-balanced pre-workout smoothie before a challenging workout offers many benefits. These include:
- Increases energy: Food provides energy. Without consuming adequate food, you wont have enough energy, preventing you from giving your workouts your all. Inadequate food intake can not only lead to suboptimal results, but youll also likely feel fatigued more quickly and grow to dread exercise. Fuel = Energy.
- Prevents muscle breakdown. If you want to build muscle, consuming adequate protein and some carbs before working out is a must, as these two macronutrients play a key role in muscle retention and growth.
- Reduces stress load: Exercise, particularly high-intensity exercise, is a stressor. Some stress on your body is beneficial, however, your body has a limited capacity for stress. Fasting is another form of stress, so when you exercise on an empty stomach, youre essentially piling stress on top of stress. Adding too much stress to the equation can exhaust your body and increase your cortisol levels, which can make it harder to lose weight.
May Help Manage Blood Sugar Levels
Peanut butter is filled with protein, and heart-healthy fats, but doesnt contain much sugar or carbs, as long as you dont go for the added sugar varieties.
Natural peanut butter doesnt have much impact on your blood sugar levels. It can be a good option for people with diabetes as well.
Keeping your blood sugar in balance is key to losing weight!
Your blood sugar controls how much energy you have. It even dictates how hungry you feel. We feel and look our best when our blood sugar is balanced.
The glycemic index is a ranking of foods according on how they affect your blood sugar levels. Anything below a GI value of 55 is considered low. The GI of peanut butter is only 14!
Eating foods that are low on the GI may help you to stabilize your blood sugar, feel better, and ultimately lose weight.
Smoothies can be healthy, but this shouldnt be used as an excuse to add extra sugar or a spoonful of Nutella in it.
Choosing the right kind of ingredients is key. Its best to choose natural and organic ingredients that are low on the GI whenever possible.
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Vegan Berry Beet Smoothie
Why we love it: A true superfood smoothie with noticeable detoxing effects! Beets contain antioxidants like betaine and pectin, which help remove and clear toxins from the liver and body. There are so many delicious fruits and veggies here that provide vitamins and minerals for a healthy boost.
Key benefits: detox/cleansing
Metabolism Boosting Green Smoothie For Weight Loss
If youre not yet a smoothie lover, let this be the very first green smoothie you make and youll never look back.
Green smoothies are great for adding more leafy vegetables and essential nutrients to your diet. Its great for lowering your cholesterol and improving your overall health.
Also, this green smoothie is made with spinach, banana and loaded with metabolism boosting nutrients.
Its easy to make and will fill you up for longer so you can lose weight and keep it off.
Get the recipe from fitnessfoodrecipes
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Can You Lose Weight With Coffee
Coffee contains caffeine, the most commonly used stimulant on earth. When you look at most fat-burning supplements, you probably will find caffeine in them and thats for a good reason.
Caffeine not only wakes you up but also increases your metabolic rate as well. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories your body burns, and the easier it is for you to shed some pounds.
Studies show that caffeine can increase your metabolic rate by up to 11%. Depending on the individual, that is 79-150 additional burned calories a day!
There are a few downsides to caffeine as a weight-loss tool, however.
Over time, your body becomes tolerant of the effects of caffeine. It may therefore be best to cycle your coffee smoothie drinking habits to prevent a buildup of tolerance. One week on, one week off can be a good idea.
Also, dont overdose on coffee smoothies.
The recommended amount of caffeine is up to 400 mg per day for healthy adults. One coffee smoothie should contain roughly 100 mg per serving. One or two smoothies a day is all you need to experience the positive effects.
Replace your morning coffee with coffee smoothies, dont consume additional caffeine to avoid nasty side effects.
Is Drinking Your Calories Good For Weight Loss
Are smoothies a good way to lose weight? No I dont think so, if thats the only thing youre relying on.
Even though the general consensus is that you shouldnt drink any of your calories while trying to lose weight.
I dont completely agree with that notion because I believe you can still lose weight even if you drink this strawberry banana smoothie.
At the end of the day, its all about your overall calorie intake on an ongoing basis.
If you like drinking smoothies, limiting it completely from your diet can hinder you from sticking to your weight loss plan.
Just make sure you eat and chew most of your food while in a calorie deficit, and I think youll succeed.
Best Pre-Workout Smoothies for Weight Loss
Smoothies are great as a pre-workout because you can have something sweet before your workout and motivate yourself to go harder.
This strawberry banana smoothie contains fast digesting carbohydrates that you can quickly burn off during your exercise.
If you want a quick energy boost to power any workout, try some of these healthy pre-workout smoothies for weight loss.
Try any smoothies from the list below:
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Ingredients
This smoothie uses just 4 wholesome ingredients to bring its light and sweet taste to life.
- Strawberries: Do you like strawberries? Because I do. Strawberries are great for you and this smoothie would be incomplete without them.
- Skimmed milk: Most people dont like cows milk because of the whole plant-based movement but I do.
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Extra Breakfast Smoothie Ingredients
If youre looking to add in some protein powder, or superfood ingredients to your smoothie recipes, check out a list of my personal favorites:
The best smoothie add ins:
I like to add the protein, collagen, Maca, and flax seeds to the blender and blend them into the weight loss smoothies. As for the chia and hemp seeds, both go well on top, or inside your healthy breakfast smoothies for weight loss.
Get creative with your add ins, as long as youre not adding in sugar or processed foods, youll likely be making good choices.
If youre looking for Kid Friendly Smoothie Recipes, check out my article on Healthy Smoothies for Kids here:
Our Pre Workout Routine
Exercising is vital for general body health while mandatory for athletes and other fitness professionals to remain in shape. However, you need to have a practical workout routine that works to guarantee proper exercising. Before workouts, preparing your body for different types of exercises makes it easier and efficient. Things you do outside the gym and before exercises play a critical role in your training sessions. That said, here are our fundamental tips for a better pre-workout routine.
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What To Eat Before A Workout
Its all about balance. Ideally, your pre-workout snack will have a nice balance of carbs, fat, and protein. Heres why:
- Carbs. All carbs break down into sugar that your body can use for energy, called glucose. And having some waiting in the wings from a pre-workout snack may help you to feel more energetic or perform better. Examples of good carb sources for pre-workout noshing include whole-grain crackers, half a sweet potato, yogurt, fruit, or whole-grain toast.
- Protein. Protein its what muscles are made of. Protein in food is made from amino acids, and your body also uses amino acids to build new proteins . Protein can also keep you a bit more full because it takes your body longer to digest than carbs. Good pre-workout protein sources may include Greek yogurt, protein powder, egg whites, nuts and seeds, nut butter, or leftover grilled chicken from last nights dinner.
- Fat. If youre on keto, your body can use dietary fat for energy by converting it into ketones so you can skip the pre-workout carb. Good fat sources include avocado, egg yolks, nuts and seeds, nut butter, or full-fat dairy .
Strawberry Banana Smoothie For Weight Loss
Do you want a great tasting pre-workout smoothie?
This strawberry banana smoothie will give you the energy boost you need to power any workout. With 38g of easy digesting carbs and a little bit of healthy fats, youll have the energy to move mountains and turn your workout up a notch.
The high vitamin c content of this smoothie means youll develop a stronger immune system and maintain healthy bones and teeth.
And if you want to turn this smoothie into a post-workout drink, all you have to do is add 1 scoop of a protein powder of your choice and start building more muscle.
Get the recipe from fitnessfoodrecipes
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Faq Pre Workout Foods Q& a
What should I eat before I workout?
The best pre workout foods will be a healthy balance of carbs, protein and healthy fats. You need carbs for fuel, protein for energy, and healthy fats to tell you body to burn off fat. If you workout after breakfast- Try this Protein Oatmeal Recipe with Bananas and Almonds.
Is it OK to workout on an empty stomach?
Some will tell you that you can lose more weight by working out on an empty stomach. But the downfall in that is your body wont have the full it needs to keep going, and can lead to binge eating later. Try these 10 Healthy Pre Workout Foods instead!
What are good foods to eat pre-workout?
The 10 BEST Pre-Workout Foods 1. Nuts
Detox Smoothie Diet Plan
Detox smoothie diets have become very popular, and for good reason smoothies have a ton of nutrition. Find a guide to a perfect smoothie here.
All of these healthy breakfast smoothie recipes work well in a smoothie diet. You can use them anytime of the day. Check out the newest smoothie diet from Lose Weight By Eating.
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For A Longer Cardio Session
If you’re heading out for a sixty-minute run or longer, Davidson recommends that same amount of carbs as the shorter cardio workout, but with some protein added in. She suggests scrambled eggs and toast or something like a small bagel with cheese or peanut butter. A fruit smoothie with some protein powder could also be a smart option.
Nutty & Chocolatey Weight Loss Smoothies
Have you ever heard of the health halo? Its a term nutrition experts use to describe foods that use a healthy-sounding word like natural on their labels, or add ingredients that people think of as good for you , but which are really junk at heart.
These smoothies are the reverse of that theory. These drinks are tremendously nutritiouspacked with as much, or more, fiber, protein, and healthy fats as any other drinks in the whole book. But they seem like theyre bad for you. How can drinks that seem like they came right from the ice cream shop flatten your belly so effectively?
These are the drinks youll whip up on a night when you want something to satisfy your ice cream jones. Theyre the recipes youll lean on when your kids are complaining that they want something sweet for dessert. And theyre the drinks youll use to reward yourself after a hard day at work or in the gym. Deep, comforting, and delicious, these filling smoothies taste more like dessert than what they really arepowerful weight-loss weapons, compliments of the new book, Zero Belly Smoothies.
All recipes make one serving.
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What Should I Eat 30 Minutes Before A Workout
As mentioned above the two key macronutrients to consume pre-workout are:
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Foods: Bananas, berries, apples, dried fruits such as dates or apricots, sweet potatoes, or white rice. ***Slower digesting carbohydrates like whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, rolled oats, or steel cut oats, should be consumed around 1 hour before a longer or more intense endurance or strength workout as they provide longer lasting energy. |
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Foods: Protein powders, egg whites, 0% Greek yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, tuna, chicken breast ***Fat should be avoided less than 2 hours pre-workout as it takes a longer time to digest and can cause cramping, bloating, or sluggishness during your workout. It will also slow the digestion of the proteins and carbohydrates, which is why low fat or 0% yogurt or cottage cheese is recommended. |
Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
Who doesnt love the combination of strawberries and banana? This smoothie not only tastes so delicious, its healthy as well!
Berries are among the healthiest foods you can choose. Theyre full of nutrients and antioxidants that are good for you.
Replacing fattening foods with healthy smoothies is the perfect way to cut calories and fill your body with nutrients it desperately craves.
Theres no magic food or pill that can melt fat overnight, but a healthy diet supplemented with smoothies can speed up your weight loss journey and help you live a healthier life.
Ingredients:
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