Why You Should Add Fat to Your Smoothie

You aren’t doing yourself any favors by trying to make a low fat smoothie. In order for a smoothie to be super healthy, it must contain enough fat to satisfy your hunger and to aid in the digestion of vegetables and fruits.

Fruits and vegetables have fat soluble vitamins and minerals that require fat to be properly broken down and absorbed by your body. Without this fat, the fruits and vegetables will not yield as much of their nutritious goodness for your body to use.

Don’t fear adding fat to your smoothies. Smoothies with enough added fat will help ward off hunger for much longer than a low fat smoothie. If you have a smoothie for breakfast in the morning, it will need enough fat to not only satisfy your immediate hunger, but to carry you through a few hours until lunch. A high carbohydrate, low fat smoothie will not do this, but may contribute to weight gain and hunger.

The fat in a smoothie will not make you gain weight, but may actually help you attain a healthy weight, because it provides your body with energy that is much better to get from fats than from carbohydrates. Since you won’t get hungry as soon, you are unlikely to snack between meals, thus limiting how much you eat. This is counter to what has been taught for years, but new information is pouring in that shows the importance of healthy fats in our diets.

Fat is an important energy source. Many people think that eating fat makes you fat, but when the body burns fat as an energy source, it is typically burned off, rather than stored as fat.

A low fat diet does not necessary lead to weight loss. Low fat diets are usually high in carbohydrates and are more likely to lead to weight gain than eating fat is. This is because fats and carbohydrates are used differently by the body.

Low fat has been the dietary craze for years now, but scientists are learning that low fat is not really better; in fact it can have serious health consequences. Our bodies need healthy fats for a range of biological processes from breaking down nutrients to fighting off viruses. You may be surprised to learn that some fats even lower blood cholesterol.

As far as smoothies go, always make sure to include healthy fats. Here are some examples of what you can add to your smoothies to contribute to your health and keep you full longer.

Nuts and nut butters

Cocoa power

Hemp seeds

Flax seeds or flax seed meal

Sesame seeds

Avocado

Hard boiled egg

Full fat, plain yogurt

Coconut or coconut oil

Peanuts and peanut butter

Almonds and almond butter

Full fat, plain kefir

Walnuts and other nuts

Some people add raw eggs to their smoothies, but you have to be really careful with this, as they could contain salmonella. The best bet when eating raw eggs is to eat eggs from chickens that are free range and organic and the eggs have not been washed until ready to be eaten. This has to do with various factors, including the protective coating being intact on the egg just prior to eating, which guards against contamination. That being said, if you have eggs available that you believe to be safe, a raw egg can be an excellent addition to a smoothie for both fat and protein, plus they are highly nutritious.

Sometimes I use a non-dairy milk like hemp milk or coconut milk, but most of the commercially available brands I have found have carrageenan in them. Carrageenan is a natural product, but it’s not good for you and has been linked serious health concerns, therefore, I just plop a dollop of raw almond butter in most of my smoothies and it works the same as almond milk. If you really want a non-dairy milk in your smoothie, you could try making it at home

If you like coconut milk in your smoothie recipes, but are trying to avoid carrageenan and other ingredients, here is a recipe and video by Mama Natural that demonstrates the process of making coconut milk:

 

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Concepts: Smoothies should contain fat, Our bodies need healthy fats for proper nutrition, Fat makes smoothies more filling and keeps hunger away longer, Enough fat keep you from getting hungry too soon, Carbohydrates (carbs) and hunger, healthy breakfast

By Cynthia DeWitte

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