Smoothies are simple to prepare and taste delicious. However, the Smoothie Diet has its own restrictions, benefits, and disadvantages. This article takes you through everything you need to know about this diet, including the foods to include and avoid, sample diet plans, and the potential side effects of the diet. Continue reading.
What Is The Smoothie Diet?
The smoothie diet is a 21-day plan that aims to help people quickly lose weight in a supposedly healthy manner. It falls under the body reset diet plan that promotes better metabolism and reduces fatigue. The smoothie diet encourages an individual to replace two of their daily meals with fruit and vegetable smoothies. Drew Sgoutas, the founder of the diet, is a self-proclaimed nutritional expert who advocates this diet for a healthy lifestyle. His plan is available as an e-book that includes the 21-day program for weight loss, over 36 recipes, and ingredient lists. While smoothies are healthier than processed foods, this diet has no scientific backing and most health experts consider it a fad. However, some believe that the smoothie diet offers certain benefits. Explore more in the coming section.
Potential Benefits Of The Smoothie Diet
Drew Sgoutas claims on his website that weight loss is only one of the numerous other benefits of the smoothie diet. He insists that consistently following the diet can offer other advantages like:
Clear skin Better sleep Stabilized blood sugar levels Sharper thinking More energy
However, these are all unsupported claims. The smoothie diet has no scientific backing. Some research even points to the contrary. For instance, research shows that liquid-like and low-viscous food choices are less filling than solid foods (1). Such foods, like smoothies, may instead elevate your cravings. That said, smoothies as a late morning or afternoon snack may have potential benefits as they help add more fiber to your diet. Adequate intake of soluble fiber may improve your body mass index and reduce body weight and fat (2). It may also help lower total and bad cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of NIDDMi Also called Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, it is a medical term for type 2 diabetes that is characterized by high blood sugar levels. (3), (4). Fiber intake may also improve your heart health, bowel habits, and immune function (2). Additionally, the ingredients in these smoothies are primarily fruits and vegetables. They supply vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicalsi Chemical compounds in foods that may prevent cell damage and eliminate the risk of health conditions such as cancer and heart attack. that help fight free radicali Unstable oxygen-containing molecules that may harm cells, cause premature aging, and trigger chronic diseases. damage (5). The benefits of smoothies largely depend on the intake frequency, and, more importantly, the ingredients used. In the following section, we discuss the foods to consume and avoid on the smoothie diet. Take a look.
Foods To Eat And Avoid On The Smoothie Diet
The smoothie diet encourages the intake of nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables and limits processed meats, refined grains, and baked foods. Here is a list of foods you can eat and avoid on the smoothie diet plan: Recipes for the smoothie diet can comprise any of the ingredients allowed above. You may plan them ahead of time with simple meal plans provided in the following section.
Smoothie Diet Plans
The smoothie diet can be restrictive. However, you can still check out the meal plans to further understand this diet.
7-Day Smoothie Diet Plan
21-Day Smoothie Diet Plan
30-Day Smoothie Diet Plan
7-Day Smoothie Diet For Weight Loss
While the official diet plan uses 36 specific recipes provided in The Smoothie Diet (the ebook available on the diet’s official website), you can always make your own recipes by including simple fruits and vegetables. Check out the next section to learn some recipes to make healthy and mouth-watering weight-loss smoothies!
Smoothie Diet Recipes
Avocado And Kale Smoothie
Ingredients
75 g of avocado 3-5 kale leaves 1 banana 200 ml of water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 3-4 ice cubes
How To Prepare
Mango And Yogurt Smoothie
Ingredients
1 mango 100 g of low-fat Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon of honey (optional) 200 ml of plant-based milk 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 3-4 ice cubes
How To Prepare
Coffee And Chocolate Smoothie
Ingredients
200 ml of plant-based milk 100 ml of brewed coffee 1 banana 1 scoop of protein powder 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, unsweetened 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (optional) 3-4 ice cubes
How To Prepare
Passion Fruit And Pineapple Smoothie
Ingredients
1 passion fruit ½ cup of pineapple, chopped ½ cup of blueberries 200 ml of water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 3-4 ice cubes
How To Prepare
Golden Turmeric Smoothie
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of organic turmeric powder 1 banana ¼ tablespoon of ginger powder ¼ tablespoon of cinnamon powder 200 ml of plant-based milk 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 3-4 ice cubes
How To Prepare
Beetroot And Spinach Smoothie
Ingredients
2 cups of spinach 1 apple 1 beetroot 200 ml of water 1 scoop of protein powder 3-4 ice cubes
How To Prepare You can easily add other fruits and vegetables to these smoothies to come up with personalized recipes. But before you do that, you also need to be aware of the adverse effects of the smoothie diet. Check out the next section.
Side Effects Of The Smoothie Diet
May Increase The Risk Of Nutrient Deficiencies
According to a study published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, selective diets may cause a deficiency of nutrients, including that of vitamin B12 (6). The smoothie diet replaces two of your meals with smoothies and excludes specific food groups from your diet. This approach may keep you from meeting your macro- and micro-nutrient requirements. Protein intake is essential for the optimal development and health of humans (7). However, some smoothies made merely of veggies or fruits cannot meet all your protein needs. This can result in undernutrition, physical weakness, and weakened immunity.
May Result In Rebound Weight Gain
Swapping some of your meals for smoothies may lead to weight loss. However, such a meal-replacement diet is tough to stick to in the long run as it cannot keep you satiated. This may lead to overeating and eventual weight gain.
May Be Dangerous For Those With Underlying Conditions
The smoothie diet is not a balanced diet. Anecdotal evidence suggests it may be dangerous for people with underlying health conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Smoothies are often made of fruits that are high in sugar content. Some smoothies may also contain added sugars that could cause issues. Daily intake of sugar-sweetened beverages was found to increase the risk of hypertension by at least 6% (8). Excess sugar intake is also linked with diabetes, fatty liver, and cardiovascular disease (9). If you really have to follow the diet, ensure your smoothies contain a mix of macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, and are devoid of excess sugar. More importantly, listen to your body for the first few days to determine if the diet is ideal for you. Can I drink two smoothies a day to lose weight? Yes, you may drink two smoothies a day to lose weight as long as you have a well-balanced diet. It is not advisable to replace all your meals with smoothies. Can I drink smoothies on a diet? Yes, you may drink smoothies on a diet. However, ensure they are made of healthy ingredients like fresh fruits and vegetables and are free of added sugars. Is it okay to just drink smoothies every day? It is not okay to only drink smoothies every day as they may not contain all the nutrients your body needs. For instance, green smoothies made from kale, banana, mint, lemon, and coconut water lack enough protein. Trying to live on such smoothies regularly can cause protein deficiency and possibly lead to physical weakness and edemai A medical term for swelling that primarily occurs in the legs and feet and is caused by excess fluid trapped in the body’s tissues. (7).
Illustration: Smoothie Diet: Benefits Foods And Side Effects
While consuming smoothies can be a delicious way to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, they may not be sustainable in the long run. Is replacing two of your daily meals with smoothies really the right way to lose weight? Check out this video to find out.
