Liloan, Cebu – Smoothie is a growing wellness trend nowadays. This is often marketed as a health food. This adaptable beverage is portable, family-friendly, and can be customized to suit any taste or dietary preference. They are simple to make at home or you can buy them fresh or bottled at specialty cafés or in major grocery stores. When preparing smoothie at home, all you need is a blender, some fruit, and a liquid base like water, milk, or yogurt. Making your own drink is the best way to know its content. It will also help prevent your stored fruits from going to waste.

Smoothies made from fruits and vegetables is an easy way to supply the essential nutrients needed by your body. Here’s a list of some health benefits of a fruit or vegetable smoothie:

For hydration. The recommended 6-8 glasses of water per day can seem challenging, but with smoothies, you're already halfway there. You can get some of your water need from food, including smoothies because many fruits and vegetables are high in water.

Having a longer period of feeling full. If you snack because you never feel full, the fiber in fruit or vegetable smoothies could be your new best friend. Avocado is one example of a smoothie that will keep you full until lunchtime and reduce your desire to snack, and you only need half an avocado to reap the benefits. You'll get a thick and creamy smoothie full of healthy fats, fiber, and protein. What will be the result? You'll be stuffed all day long.

Improve digestion. Have you tried the "Green smoothies" smoothie? They are smoothies made from fresh leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, or celery.   Because these greens are alkaline, they are your best bet for relieving the discomfort of acid reflux and heartburn.  To maximize its health benefits, include other alkaline foods like carrots, strawberries, and blueberries.

Abundant in antioxidants. Fruits are high in antioxidant content which are associated to lower your risk of chronic oxidative stress-related diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and deaths from all causes.

Increases fiber consumption. Fiber aids digestion and may lower the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, pears, apples, bananas, dark leafy green vegetables, chia seeds, sunflower kernels, ground flaxseed, and almond butter are some high-fiber foods to include in smoothies.

Smoothies are popular meals and snacks that can be tailored to almost any taste or dietary requirement. Their nutritional value is largely determined by the ingredients you used. Smoothies made with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and healthy fats are more nutritious. Smoothies high in protein and fiber may even help you lose weight. Smoothies may be the way to go if you're looking for a creative way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. However, you need to be watchful as commercially prepared smoothies maybe laden with sugar that will predispose you to diabetes mellitus. // ND II Geraldine Mae S. Pausanos, RND