The 12 Best Smoothie Ingredients

You can boost your brain, build muscle, burn fat, and help your heart in less than one minute: Just mix up a smoothie and slurp. It's that simple—if you include these twelve ingredients they not only pack health benefits, but also make your shake taste even better.

Peanut Butter

Packed with protein, manganese, and niacin, peanuts can help stave off heart disease and, when eaten in moderation, promote weight loss.

 

Fat-Free Milk

All the calcium and protein but none of the fat.

Blueberries

The huge amounts of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, in blueberries have been shown to slow brain decline and reverse memory loss.

Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt

A cache of calcium and digestion-aiding probiotics in every scoop.

Raspberries

An antioxidant powerhouse bursting with fiber, manganese, and vitamin C, these berries will keep your heart and brain in top shape.

Fat-Free Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

Calcium, phosphorus, and none of the guilt.

 

Pineapple-Orange Juice

OJ has vitamin C, and pineapples contain bromelain, a cancer-inhibiting, inflammation-reducing enzyme.

 

Cherries

In addition to their vitamin C and fiber content, cherries have been linked to reducing arthritis pain.

Bananas

Heavy on potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6, bananas do wonders for your heart and provide good carbs to keep you full and energized.

Whey Protein

It’s essential amino acids help pack on the muscle—making whey the best friend of athletes and gym rats.

 

Frozen Mangoes

To their stock of vitamins A and C, mangoes add a healthy dose of beta-carotene, which helps prevent cancer and promotes healthy skin.

Ice

A little H2O never hurt anyone.

Article source http://www.menshealth.com/ mhlists/best-smoothie-ingredients/

Fiber And Weight Management

Much of the more recent buzz about fibre relates to its potential role in facilitating weight loss. Research suggests that high-fibre diets are linked to lower body weight through the effects of fibre on satiety and the digestive tract.

Fibre and Satiety
Foods high in dietary fibre are considered to be more satiating than low-fibre foods. Satiety is a feeling of fullness after eating that suppresses appetite and inhibits the desire to eat more. Fibre is thought to affect satiety through several different mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Certain fibres, namely those that are soluble in water and form viscous solutions, bulk up foods, slow gastric emptying, and are digested more slowly. While foods high in fibre enhance satiety, research results on the effects of fibre alone and high-fibre foods on appetite and calorie intake are inconsistent. Fibre-containing foods may be more satiating than foods with added fibres – one study found people cut calories more after eating a whole apple than after getting the same calories and fibre from apple sauce or fibre-fortified apple juice.
Fibre and Weight
Foods rich in fibre help lower calorie intake by displacing higher calorie foods, requiring more chewing and therefore taking longer to eat, and affecting absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. However, evidence supporting the relationship between dietary fibre and obesity is somewhat limited. In the Nurses’ Health Study, women whose diets were highest in fibre had lower body weights.
A 2009 prospective cohort study investigated the role of fibre consumption in the prevention of weight gain in a group of 252 women. Over the 20-month study period, participants lost 0.5 lb for each additional gram of fibre consumed per 1,000 calories and gained 0.5 lb on average for every 1 gram reduction in fibre. In a 2010 study, total fibre and cereal fibre intake were inversely associated with weight loss and waist circumference. These studies support a beneficial role for dietary fibre in general and cereal fibre in particular in the prevention of weight gain; however more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Bottom Line
While a large body of consistent data supports the role of dietary fibre in weight management, more studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms by which fibre may help people feel fuller, eat less, and lose weight. Eating fibre-rich foods – legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits continues to be a sound practice for weight management and overall health.


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