4 Healthy Protein Smoothie Recipes To Improve Your Workout Results

As we discussed last week, a protein shake or smoothie can be a great way to get the protein you need to support your fitness and workout goals. This week, we've got 4 tasty recipes to share with you, but first, when should you drink your protein smoothie?

Some people like to consume their smoothie in the morning. This can be a great idea if you generally don’t feel hungry in the mornings. A protein smoothie can provide a boost of energy to get you started for the day if you also feel tired.

Generally, a smoothie that is consumed pre-workout (before the workout) can generate the best results due to the high amount of natural sugar carbs and fast release energy that can increase performance during workouts.

And, of course, a protein shake can be great after workouts to aid in muscle recovery. Here are some tasty options to try.

4 Protein Powder Smoothie Recipes

1. Banana-Oat Protein Smoothie

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bananas are essential sources of potassium that aids calcium absorption and protects the heart. This is the ideal drink before a strenuous workout - it will sustain your blood sugar and prevent muscle cramps.

Ingredients:
1-2 scoops / 25-50 grams (depending on your protein goals) of organic whey protein powder
2 scoops / 50 grams of oats / Instant Oats
1 & ½ half bananas
1 & 1/2 half cups of low or non-fat milk

2. Tropical Breeze

With a range of healthy fruits the tropical breeze is a healthy nutrient and protein filled smoothie that will provide excellent results when consumed.

Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
1 cup pineapple
1 teaspoon fresh shredded coconut (no sugar added) or coconut milk
1/2 cup blueberries (get frozen when out of season)
1 scoop of organic whey protein powder (unflavored or vanilla flavored)

3. Blueberry Blast

With the various micro nutrients packed into blueberries it means that not only are you benefiting from all the pro’s already outlined but you are also becoming healthier all at the same time.

Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1 scoop organic whey protein powder (unflavored or vanilla flavor, but, watch the sugar content on the package)

4. Banana Bread Shake

Another excellent source of energy and potassium from the bananas along with the slow release energy from the oatmeal and bran flakes to keep you going throughout your workout and your entire day!

Ingredients:
1- 2 Scoops / 25-50 grams (depending on your protein goals) of organic whey protein powder
1 banana
½ cup of Oatmeal
3/4 cup bran flakes
1 bottle of water
Sweetener to add taste (be sure to use honey or stevia - not an artificial sweetener)


Try These High-Quality Organic Protein Powders:
   

Want To Lose Weight? Watch What You're Drinking!

Everyone knows that losing weight means cutting down on your calorie intake and burning more calories through exercise. However, many people fail to consider the impact that their drinks have on their weight loss goals. Drinks contain calories just like food, but some drinks can even hinder your weight loss efforts in other ways. Here's a quick guide to the main drink categories you need to watch while losing weight.

Alcohol

Beer (Photo credit: RaeAllen)

Many people are good at looking at their diet and knowing what they should and shouldn't eat, but don't take time to look at their alcohol consumption in the same way. Alcohol should be accounted for as part of your daily calorie allowance, so a couple for drinks a day will soon add up!

And they don't call it a "beer belly" for nothing: research has shown that alcohol can actually reduce the rate at which your body burns calories! It can also lead to some pretty unhealthy cravings, so it's important to be careful, and reduce your alcohol intake if your goal is weight loss.

Coffee, Tea and Weight Loss

Some other drinks that many of us have every single day include coffee and tea. But are these helping or hindering your weight loss efforts? Studies have shown that any drinks containing caffeine can interfere with weight loss. The stimulation that occurs after you drink caffeine, whether from coffee, tea or even soda, really isn't good for cravings!

Many of us also even link the drinking of tea or coffee to eating a snack. In this case, even if the coffee itself isn't doing you any harm it's still encouraging your snacking habit, which obviously isn't going to help you lose weight.

Many people drink green tea for weight loss. There's been a lot of hype over this drink in recent years, and studies have shown that green tea extract may help you to lose weight. However, drinking too much green tea means you'll still experience all the negative effects of caffeine listed above. If you want to drink green tea, be sure you do so in moderation, and use a natural non-sugar sweetener like stevia to avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes, which increase snacking.

Juicing (Photo credit: bertholf)

Juice

Many people switch their unhealthy sodas for juice when trying to lose weight, on the assumption that this is "healthy". While it's true that fruit juice does come with more health benefits than sugary drinks, you still have to be careful about how much you're drinking. Make sure you choose juice without added sugar and include the calories within your daily allowance. Try not to have huge amounts in one go, as you'll want to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Fresh-squeezed juices made yourself, which include more fiber and less sugar, are always better. Also opt for juices that contain vegetables as well as fruit - for more health benefits and less sugar.

Water

When you're trying to lose weight, it's vital that you drink enough water. Not only will you need this to keep you hydrated while you're working out, you'll also want to use it as a way to make losing weight easier. There's no miracle substance for losing weight, but water comes pretty close.

Did you know that what you think is hunger is often thirst? Drinking more water every day can reduce those cravings that encourage you to overeat. And drinking a couple of glasses of water before each meal can help fill you up to prevent overeating. This makes it a lot easier to reduce your portion sizes!

The truth is that water is always best. If you're used to drinking coffee, sugary drinks, alcohol and soda, then gradually replacing them with water will help your weight loss efforts, even if you do nothing else - although of course we don't recommend that!


Other Helpful Resources:
http://www.newholisticliving.com/1/post/2013/09/the-weight-loss-secret-that-doesnt-exist-part-1.html
http://www.newholisticliving.com/1/post/2013/10/the-weight-loss-secret-that-doesnt-exist-part-21.html
http://www.newholisticliving.com/fun-ways-to-exercise.html