Reasons why a fruit smoothie might not be the best way to start your day

Having a smoothie as breakfast has become a popular choice for breakfast in recent years. However, not all smoothies are made equally and, depending on what you put in your smoothie, it can end up playing havoc with your blood-sugar levels and energy levels which can have a knock-on effect on appetite and cravings later in the day. 

Reasons why a fruit smoothie might not be the best way to start your day.

1). When you juice fruit you remove all the fibre, meaning the fruit sugars left behind are released more quickly into the blood-stream, meaning you will get a surge in blood-sugar followed by a fast rise in insulin secretion.

2). This will be followed by a dip in blood-sugar, which can cause the body to go into the stress response. High levels of cortisol and insulin can negatively impact female hormonal balance and are associated with weight-gain and/or difficulty losing weight.

Ways to make your smoothie more balanced:

• Add some protein to your smoothie, such as live yoghurt or hemp seed protein powder. 

• Add some good fats in, such as ground flaxseeds or walnuts.

•  Leave the fruit more chunky, so as not to remove all the fibre. 

• Make your smoothie more filling by adding in some slow releasing carbohydrates, like oats. 

• Add in some vegetables, such as cucumber, to reduce the sugar-load.

You may also find that a more filling breakfast such as eggs on pumpernickel rye bread, overnight oats or chia seed pudding set you up better for the day.