4 Metabolism-Boosting Smoothies You Should Make

Written by Liv on the Monday August 2, 2021

Smoothies can be a delicious and simple way to get all the nutrients you need, especially on the go. If you blend up the right concoction of ingredients, you could create a perfect combo to boost fiber consumption, aid digestion and even benefit weight loss.

While some types are full of all the good stuff, others may not always be the healthiest drink. Some smoothies can be packed with sugars which can almost defeat the point.

Here at Hourglass Fit, we know how hard it is to make a healthy choice when it comes to nutrition – junk food cravings might be constantly calling or you just don’t have the time to make a healthy breakfast. So, knowing what to toss into your food blender can help you create a nutritionally balanced and quick breakfast. What’s more, you could even reach your weight loss goals a little quicker by kickstarting your metabolism.

In this article, we’ve put together four metabolism-boosting smoothies you can try today. Give them a go and get your metabolism back on track!

Your metabolism and weight loss

The word ‘metabolism’ often gets thrown around a lot when talking or reading about weight loss. But why? And does it really matter in weight loss? Well for starters, your metabolism refers to the rate at which your body expends energy or burns calories[1].

Even at rest, your body is constantly using energy for all its background functions like circulating blood and breathing.

The fuel for your metabolism comes from calories in the foods you eat and beverages you drink. And as we all know, the key to losing weight is to balance the calories you take in against the calories you burn. That means burning more calories than you consume (or eating less) to create a calorie deficit.

There are ways to give your metabolic rate a boost and aid calorie burning.

One way involves fueling your body with certain nutrients and ingredients that may provoke thermogenesis – a process that involves heating up your body. To produce this extra heat, your body needs to burn additional calories. By pushing your body into a state of thermogenesis, your metabolic rate is raised, and you should burn more calories than you normally would.

These recipes below include a variety of thermogenic compounds, protein and antioxidants – all of which play a role in weight loss.

4 metabolism-boosting smoothies

1. Green Smoothie

Blend these natural ingredients together to create a tasty concoction that works to increase your metabolism and burn fat. The secret in this smoothie is the cayenne pepper – a known thermogenic which contains capsaicin. Capsaicin has metabolism-boosting properties which can help to increase the amount of heat your body produces – increasing calorie burn[2].

Ingredients

1 cup baby spinach

2 tbsp cup fresh mint leaves

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 cup brewed green tea, cooled

1/2 large grapefruit, peeled and seeded

1 cup pineapple chunks, frozen

1/4 large avocado

Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

Method

Place spinach, mint, celery, and green tea into blender.
Puree until smooth.
Add remaining ingredient, blend again and serve chilled.

2. Peanut Banana Cinnamon Smoothie

If you’re a fan of peanut butter, this smoothie is for you. The dash of cinnamon should also help with your weight loss goals. The tasty ingredient is said to increase insulin sensitivity and decrease blood sugar – both key factors for losing weight[3]. Peanut butter also provides a generous dose of protein – with 2 tbsp containing eight grams of protein[4]. This macronutrient is essential for muscle growth and fat loss, since it’s a highly thermic food. This means your body uses a great deal of energy to digest it. Studies suggest eating protein can boost your metabolic rate by up to 30%![5]

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla soy milk (or skim milk)

1 large banana (peeled and cut into chunks or use a previously frozen banana)

2 tablespoons peanut butter (preferably natural)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (plus more for sprinkling)

Optional: 1 teaspoon honey (or turbinado sugar)

3 ice cubes

Method

1) Pour the milk into the blender and add banana, peanut butter, cinnamon, and honey (if using).

2) Puree until mixture is smooth.

3) Add the ice cubes and pulse just until the ice is crushed. Pour into a glass and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

3. Matcha Green Tea Smoothie

Packed with amazing antioxidants and other nutritious elements, this matcha green tea smoothie can benefit your health goals and help to keep you trim. Matcha is an important ingredient which has been shown to reduce body fat and reduce appetite[6] [7].

Ingredients

1 large mango (fresh or frozen)

2 frozen bananas

2 large handfuls baby spinach

2 tsp matcha green tea powder

1 cup (240ml) light coconut milk

Method

1) Pour coconut milk to your blender jug, followed by the matcha green tea powder and spinach and blend.

2) Add the mango and frozen bananas and blitz until creamy and smooth.

4. Chia seed ‘piña colada’ smoothie

Get that summer feeling with this nutritious tropical blend. Chia seeds are great for slimming down or maintaining a healthy weight. These tiny black seeds are high in antioxidants[8], fiber[9] and good quality protein[10] – all of which play a role in successful weight loss.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Chia seeds

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon flaked coconut

Method

Place the ingredients into a blender.
Pulse until smooth and serve immediately.

Summary

If you’re looking to lose some extra pounds or boost your intake of essential nutrients, smoothies can play a crucial role. Choosing the right ingredients, especially ones that score highly on the satiety index measure or pack a powerful thermogenic punch can boost your fat loss efforts.

These four metabolism-boosting smoothie recipes should become a staple part of your day and may keep your fiber and protein consumption levels in check too.

It’s important to note that smoothies can’t magically make you drop the pounds. If you want to trim that waistline, you should focus on a range of factors that play important roles including good sleep, regular exercise and stress levels – to name a few.

Once you have these on track, a smoothie is a great way to get a nutritious boost, raise your metabolism and enhance your weight loss.