Dangerous Smoothies

Smoothies are liquid meals made in a blender from various foods. They might be vegetarian (contain dairy and/or eggs) or vegan (only plant foods). There are endless recipes for smoothies and just because they are liquid meals doesn’t necessarily mean they are healthful.

I believe the most nutritious smoothies are made from whole plants. There is one common smoothie mistake that many people are making which turns a potentially nutritious meal into a dangerous one, meaning that it may sabotage personal wellness goals.

Here’s a true story from a client.

“About 4 years ago, I bought a Blendtec blender and was committed to adding smoothies to my everyday lifestyle. I was pretty faithful to it and added lots of great things that boosted my energy levels and gave me a general feeling of wellbeing for a while.

I actually taught people and shared my knowledge of what each fruit and vegetable could individually do for your body. I was so passionate that I began a smoothie club at my workplace and we put lots of wonderful foods in my blender. I just knew I was doing everything right until I got on the scale.

I remember feeling heavier when I would exercise and it seemed like I had lots of water weight that would just hang around making my legs feel bigger and my stomach just seemed bloated all the time. What was I doing wrong? I exercised…ate smoothies…and always watched my diet.

When I got on the scale, I was about 12 pounds heavier than my average weight. I am 38 years old and my weight has been the same since college. I have to say this didn’t put me in the overweight zone, but I know my healthy weight and what makes me feel good so I knew something was wrong.”

This is way too common! So many well intentioned people jump into the smoothie lifestyle only to have their wellness goals sabotaged. They gain weight, feel lethargic, and develop blood sugar imbalances. Many give up on smoothies and, sadly, many write off a plant-based lifestyle.

Back to the story….

“I have always followed Carla Golden because of a class we took together. Her knowledge has been intriguing and she exudes what a healthy person looks like. I watched her video on Fruit Til Five™ and decided that I wanted to try something different.

As I was doing the program (even for the week), I was learning about why it is important to keep fruit to itself when you eat meals. I learned that mixing fruits and fats could really confuse the digestive system causing fat storage overtime. After this information, I realized what I had been doing wrong when making my smoothies; I was adding lots of fruits along with fats (such as almonds, avocadoes, coconut milk, coconut oil, certain powders, etc.) in my smoothies and this was probably the reason for my weight gain.

While on Fruit Til Five™, I lost about 8 pounds in a week because my body was ready to get back to the weight that feels happiest. Therefore switching my diet even for a week solved this problem. Now when I make my smoothies, it is strictly fruit with spinach or kale. I feel so much better and I am back to my healthy weight again. Yay for Fruit Til Five™!” Jenn

The #1 mistake people make when creating beautiful smoothies with whole plant food: they mix fruit and fat. Fruit sugar and fat must be kept separate so that the natural sugar can be processed quickly by the body as it should for instant clean, pure fuel. If fat slows it down (which it will), the sugar will be placed into storage as fat.

If you’re trying to gain weight, this may sound like a good plan. However, my guess is that you’d rather gain muscle than fat. Rather than mixing fruit sugar and fat to gain weight, eat more whole healthful fats alone or with vegetables. High-quality nuts are a great protein and fat weight-gaining food!

Keep your smoothies nutritions, healthful, beneficial, and working toward your wellness goals rather than against them by either mixing fruit with veggies OR veggies with healthful fats. Do not mix fruit and fat…in smoothies or any meal.

For a deeper understanding of the fruit sugar and fat problem, join me for a free session of Fruit Til Five™! Learn more and sign up HERE.

Additional Resources:

• Fruit is NOT Your Sugar Problem

• The Problem with Fruit

• Fruit Til Five™ – free week-long monthly sessions

• Blendfresh raw, whole plant-food powders – make eating better easier!