Do you want to make a next level smoothie? A smoothie that will provide enough
protein, fiber, and antioxidants to get you through your morning?
You don’t want just any smoothie… You want one that tastes like the ones you buy at
Cocobeet or your favorite health food store. Often times, these smoothies are mostly
fruit, which will raise your blood sugar levels quickly – but that also comes with a
blood sugar crash.
I’ve come up with a smoothie based on balancing blood sugar levels that will also
provide satiety. Stabilizing blood sugar is the key for a healthy, balanced, and
nourishing life. It is the key for regulating the hormones controlling your weight,
triggering your body to burn stored fat and critical for overall wellbeing.
First and foremost, I want to explain blood sugar levels and how they affect weight
and hunger. When we consume carbohydrates (pancakes, fruit-heavy smoothies,
oatmeal, etc.), our bodies metabolize these carbs into glucose (blood sugar). Glucose
is utilized by both our brain and muscles. Insulin is the storage hormone released by
the pancreas when we eat carbs, and it allows glucose to move from the
bloodstream to the cells for energy. It’s insulin’s job to ensure that our blood sugar
levels remain between 70mg/ml and 120mg/ml, and that the necessary amount
enters our cells.
Some of the glucose we eat is stored by the liver (as glycogen) for later use. The liver
can store up to 250-500 calories of glucose before it reaches capacity. Our muscles
store and process glucose, but they can store more glucose – about 800-2,000
calories – before reaching capacity. When your muscles burn all their glucose, they
will need more – either what has been stored by the liver or from eating more carbs.
Insulin will then be released again.
Insulin is the storage hormone released by the pancreas when we eat carbs, and it allows glucose to move from the bloodstream to the cells for energy.
When we continually eat a diet high in starchy and simple carbohydrates, then we
are continually releasing insulin. On a high carb diet, our muscle cells can eventually
become resistant to the signal from insulin to accept glucose. This is referred to as
“insulin resistance,” and leads to high blood glucose levels. The body needs
homeostasis, so it finds another way of dealing with the high blood sugar levels. It
will convert glucose into free fatty acids and store them in fat cells as triglycerides.
Now it has been converted to fat, and our fat cells have an unlimited capacity for
storage.
So, you can see that when we do not exercise (or limit our exercise) and have a high
proportion of simple carbs, the body will convert the excess into fat.
This is why my smoothies are not just loaded with fruit, but instead are made with
greens, protein, a LITTLE fruit, healthy fats, and some super foods for an extra boost
that will balance out blood sugar levels. Protein is going to help manage blood sugar levels, the healthy fats will provide sustained satiety, and the greens are important
for vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
The body needs homeostasis
Nourishing Lab Super Smoothie
-1 scoop protein powder
– 2 tbsp almond butter
– A handful of spinach
– 2 tbsp chia seeds
– ¼ cup mixed berries
– 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
Give this healthy, satiating smoothie recipe a try. It will provide the benefits of many
store-bought smoothies, and so much more. Who knew something delicious and
filling could also help regulate your blood sugar?
