When it comes to boosting your metabolism, breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to balance blood sugar, replenish energy stores and decrease mindless snacking throughout the day.
But if you’re like me, eating breakfast is a whole lot easier said than done. So on days when you can barely find the time to eat, much less fit in a 30-minute workout, this super simple 4-ingredient smoothie will jump start your metabolism and keep you burning calories all day long.
Metabolism-Boosting Smoothie Recipe
This smoothie is chock full of ingredients that boost your metabolism:
Greek Yogurt
Loaded with tons of calcium, protein, healthy fats and gut-healing probiotics, Greek yogurt helps to keep digestion humming, makes you feel full longer and speeds up weight loss. If you’re unable to eat cow’s milk yogurt, feel free to substitute with a goat’s milk kefir or full-fat coconut yogurt instead. That way you’re still getting plenty of healthy fats and probiotics without the potential allergens found in cow’s milk.
Low-Sugar Berries
Berries are high in fiber and Vitamin C, which helps reduce blood sugar spikes and limit insulin-induced weight gain. Blueberries and raspberries in particular have been shown to reduce belly fat, lower cholesterol and decrease appetite. In addition, berries give this smoothie a rather tart flavor which primes the digestive tract and improves overall digestion.
Hemp Seeds
One of the newest superfoods making the rounds, hemp seeds are packed with essential fatty acids, protein and nutrients. They’re also rich in insoluble fiber which cleanses the digestive tract and reduces sugar cravings.
Green Tea
Green tea is your weight loss secret weapon. While it’s high in free-radical fighting antioxidants and nutrients, green tea’s super power actually comes from a compound called EGCG. EGCG is an antioxidant that has been shown to have a thermogenic effect on the body which helps increase fat burn in the liver and makes you feel less hungry.
To get the most bang for your buck, strive to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up to maximize the metabolism-boosting effects. The need to eat so soon after waking stems from our early days as hunter-gatherers when our bodies were used to living in feast or famine conditions.
By eating an early breakfast, you’re signaling to your body that you have enough food and don’t need to conserve as much energy (in the form of fat) to make it through the day. In other words, breakfast literally tells your body to start burning calories.
To make this smoothie even easier, try making it ahead of time and freezing it in ice cube trays. Then when you’re ready to eat, simply toss a few cubes in a blender, add a little extra green tea and blend away!
Green Tea + Berry Metabolism-Boosting Smoothie
Equipment
- High-speed blender
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chilled green tea
- 1 3/4 cups frozen mixed berries
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- Optional: banana or raw honey for sweetness
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in the base of a blender and blend until smooth. While I prefer my smoothie on the tart side (for the digestive benefits), if you prefer yours a little sweeter you can add banana or raw honey to taste.
- Garnish with hemp seeds and extra berries and serve immediately.
Yummy! This Metabolism-Boosting Smoothie recipe looks is Really Great! My favorite smoothie material is fruit! all kinds! I personally love either bananas or strawberries! This recipe gives me an excuse to trying it! Thanks for share…