Think Smoothies aren’t for you?
Most Smoothie Shops offer ‘WELLNESS’ smoothies made with High Glycemic fruits like bananas, apples, peaches, mango, pineapple, etc.
For instance, there’s a drink at Smoothie King called ‘The Daily Warrior’ made with Bananas, Blueberries, Apple Blueberry Juice Blend, Dates, Peanut Butter, Almonds, is 680 calories and 98 carbs! How in the HELL that is healthy for anyone other than Michael Phelps is beyond me…its BS, and so is the ‘Blueberry Heaven’, which is only 260 calories, but 57 carbs-45g of coming from SUGAR.
Smoothies like these over-tax the average Joe/Jane’s system, and instead of feeling a gentle wave of sustained energy, we get a severe spike, and are hangry 20-30 minutes later.
Whether you’re dealing with weight loss, diabetes, prediabetes, want a pick-me-up or just something to help fight a sweet craving, focusing on foods that have a low glycemic index are the key.
The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement of how much a carbohydrate-containing food will raise blood glucose levels. The American Diabetes Association labels any food with a GI of 50 or lower as a ‘low glycemic food’, which means that it won’t spike your blood sugar as much as a medium or high glycemic food might.
The reason low GI foods are so beneficial is because they’re digested slowly, which means glucose levels and nutrients raise over time (instead of rapidly), allowing for sustained energy.
According to a MensHealth article on ‘The Most Addictive Foods’:
The most habit-forming foods typically had two things in common—a high fat content and a high glycemic load, meaning they spike your blood sugar quickly after ingestion. Foods with a high glycemic load tend to be rich in sugars and refined carbs.
This is why many people dealing with blood sugar issues think they can’t enjoy smoothies!
See all of our delicious (and healthy) collagen smoothie & shake recipes
But the GREAT NEWS is that’s not the case! We just have to flip the script on how they are made!
This CB Supplements Chocolate Cherry Shake offers moderate 237 calories and a balance of Macronutrients: 26g protein, 6g healthy fats, 7g fiber, and 18g net carbs — and ALL amazing recovery benefits of collagen that gives your body what it needs to repair the damage from an intense workout, or even just the daily grind of everyday life!
This one has just a bit of sweetness and keeps the GI LOW and the flavor, protein and amino acids from collagen HIGH.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Blend Time
60 seconds
Total Time
6 minutes
Yield
About 1 Servings
Ingredients
This recipe can be modified in a lot of different ways to get a variety of tastes.
- 1-2 heaping scoops of unflavored multi collagen powder
- 1 Serving Chocolate Protein Powder (I like Optavia)
- 1.5 Cups Spinach
- 6-8 Pitted Cherries
- 1 TBSP Hulled Hemp Seeds (adds fiber and thickens the smoothie)
- 2 cups Unsweetened Nut Milk (or water)
- 1.5 cups Ice
Instructions
- Throw all ingredients in a blender and blend!
Recipe Tips
- Add Avocado for extra protein and healthy fat, or switch out the hemp seeds for chia or flax seeds for a higher fat and fiber content
- Or, add PB2 to make this smoothie taste like a PB&J
