Meal Replacement … Smoothies

I don’t know about you, but if you’re anything like me or my clients, finding, preparing, and eating nutritious meals at EVERY meal can be tricky to say the least.  But I want to share some great news with you: Not ALL of your meals have to be food meals.

In fact, healthy eating may not get any easier than the secret weapon that I’m about to share with you: A metabolism-boosting protein smoothie!

That’s right, you can enjoy delicious and nutritious smoothies, packed with metabolism-boosting protein, healthy fats, fresh fruits, and even vegetables, which provide fiber and all-important, health-promoting micronutrients.

In fact, nearly every one of my clients drinks 1 – 2 tasty, easy-to-make metabolism-boosting smoothies per day as a meal replacement.

In a recent randomized control trial published in the Nutrition Journal, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago found that overweight women who combined two metabolism-boosting protein smoothies just like I’m talking about along with a balanced dinner each day for 8 weeks lost 56% more weight and TWICE as much belly fat as women who followed a standard food-based reduced-calorie diet.  Amazing!

Unfortunately, most smoothie-shop smoothies are a health and weight loss nightmare.  They contain way more calories than you expect, and they’re loaded with sugar, which is linked with obesity, weight gain, and health complications.  Would it surprise you that these smoothies contain as much as THREE TIMES more sugar than a can of soda and the equivalent of 25 teaspoons?

They are barely different than a fast-food milkshake!  On top of that, they generally void of both fiber and protein.

You see, protein revs up your calorie-burning metabolism, helps keep you feeling fuller longer, reduces appetite, fights cravings, improves blood sugar, and accelerates fat loss while building sexy, toned muscles.

So, how do I go about making these metabolism-boosting protein smoothies?  Great question!  Here’s the exact template that my clients and I use:

• • 2 – 3 scoops of high-quality protein (providing 25 – 30+ grams of protein)
  • 2 fists full of veggies (I use spinach; I promise, it’s tasteless!)
  • 1 – 2 cupped handfuls of carbs (e.g., berries, banana, oats)
  • 1 – 2 thumb-sized portions of fats (e.g., mixed nuts, avocado, coconut oil)
  • Liquid (e.g., water, unsweetened almond milk or skim milk)
  • Ice (more ice for a thicker shake, less for a thinner one)

That’s it.  Just put all of the ingredients in a blender and enjoy!  It only takes a few minutes to put together, yet it keeps your appetite and cravings at bay for hours all while giving you sustained energy.

In our house both my wife and I enjoy protein smoothies… here are two examples of our favorites.

My Wife’s Favorite – 2 scoops of vanilla protein, 1 cup of blueberries, add in some skim milk and a few ice cubes … blend and enjoy!

My Favorite – 2 scoops of chocolate protein, 1 banana, small spoon of peanut butter, add in some skim milk and a few ices cubes … blend and welcome to what I call the peanut-butter cup shake!

My Bulletproof Fat Loss Plan simply involves drinking two of these metabolism-boosting protein smoothies each day along with a balanced meal (e.g., dinner) containing some high-quality protein, plenty of veggies, a moderate portion of smart carbs, and some healthy fats.  That’s all there is to it.  My clients love it because it simple to follow, the smoothies taste amazing, they are able to eat the foods they enjoy, and best of all, IT WORKS.

To Better Options,

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