10 FAQ's about Smoothies and Eating To Feel Amazing!

​Hi Wellness Warrior,

Here are some questions I’ve been getting recently that I wanted to share with you.


1 - The problem I have with smoothies is that I seem to only have time to do one a day. So when should I do this? Breakfast? Lunch? Snack?


I only have one smoothie per day. Ideally breakfast or lunch is best BUT if it means you not getting a smoothie in your day then have it for dinner instead.

2 - Is the smoothie there to replace a meal or tide you over? How much is enough? How long can you leave it in the fridge before it goes off? (I.e.: make one for tomorrow too)
Ideally as a meal replacement. If you’re still hungry afterwards then have something more. I drink ¾ of a mason jar… About a pint. Sometimes less if I get full. Sometimes I have half now and half later.
 
You can make it up the night before, for sure! And then keep it in an airtight container (like a mason jar, not in just a glass or the oxygen will make it go off) and put it in the fridge.
 

3 - Some smoothies have unusual ingredients that we just can't get in the supermarket or would need a special trip to the health food shop, i.e.: spirulina, hemp seeds.
 
Ok so what I do is make sure I do all the fruit and veg etc as standard and then if I get a chance to go to the health shop then I stock up on hemp and chia seeds. They’re my go-to seeds for smoothies.
I also shop online and buy in bulk as its cheaper.
 
4 - Fresh spinach is just about the only green I can put in a smoothie without it tasting weird or yucky. They do sell kale at the supermarket but I get the feeling it has a stronger taste.

I think start with spinach and then once the taste of spinach doesn’t seem too strong then try others. Personally I don’t find the taste of kale or spinach strong because there’s the taste of banana or dates plus the other fruit. After 30 hours your gut bacteria changes and then your taste buds change too. Within a week you’ll be craving smoothies! So true.
 
5 - What's a good quick easy snack to have when you're hungry and tempted to eat, and what quantity? 

I eat a lot of humus with carrots. I don’t make my own humus but that’s because I just don’t have the time – or sweet potato wedges – or a small handful of nuts.
 
6 - What are big no-no's to eat? And how much is too much?

OK here we are talking about ideals. So initially I’d say just add in the green smoothie and then see what happens next. Take time to see how your body feels, what its craving etc. It will change.
Then I’d say the big no nos are processed food really. Then dairy and then meat. All processed food and refined processed sugar (not from fruit) (have you seen my other blog post?) is not good for you. I don’t mean canned goods or olives and stuff like that – I mean anything that you look at and can’t immediately identify what their original state was. There are so many added chemicals in those foods that they mess with your hormones and biochemistry. But then so does processed meat (did you see the article about the carcinogens in processed food?)
 
7 - What lunches are good?

Are we talking ideally? Sweet potato, gluten free pasta and a sauce, a mono meal of fresh fruit, a massive salad, quinoa tabbouleh, rice and pulses and veggies, avocado on toast, sometimes I have egg on toast (GF) although its rare. Lots and lots of soups.
For hot weather loads of salads with pulses and quinoa and olives/tomatoes/cucumber.
I eat a lot of endamame fettucini (which my local health shop sells for me)
If I’m craving bad stuff I’ll make a salad of sweetcorn with tomatoes and stick some egg-free mayonnaise on it ha ha ha.
 
On the go? A smoothie or humus or guacamole or I’ll eat loads of apples and grapes and some nuts.
 
 
8 - What dinners are good?

ALL of the above :)
You want quick ones? Then I make a massive batch of soup one day and then have it over a couple of days. Otherwise its things like all of the above. Sometimes I’ll cook, vegetable chilli, stir-fry that kind of thing. (E-book recipe coming soon!)
 
9 - What's better, to cut out bread and carbs or to limit portion size?

Cut out all non gluten free bread and processed food. Not carbs.
 
Carbs give you energy so if you’re not eating carbs then you’ll feel tired and sluggish. I get most of my carbs from fruit and veggies.
 
I eat A LOT of food. The thought of limiting myself of food is quite frightening and I simply don’t want to. So I do eat quite a lot of food if I fancy it – I just pick the right stuff. I definitely eat more than my overweight friends. This isn’t a diet of restriction it’s a lifestyle – ultimately.
 
 
10 - How to tell the difference between being hungry or tired?

For me its about whether my head feels fuzzy. If my head is fuzzy then I’m tired. If I feel alert then I’m hungry.


Anymore questions then pop them over to dlucht@mac.com. I would love to hear from you! And as always leave your comments below. I'd love to hear from you! 

Much love

Dawn