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Summer is just around the corner, and there are many ways to cool down, such as swimming, going to the beach and sipping a healthy summer fruit smoothie. Smoothies are great because they taste like milkshakes without the added calories of ice cream, chocolate and cream. There are many ways to create an easy fruit smoothie using things that you have lying around your kitchen. Pineapples, pears, peaches and mangoes all make delicious additions to a cool summer fruit smoothie.

A healthier option

Smoothies are a great alternative to fattening and unhealthy treats, and are packed with vitamins, nutrients and fibre. The health benefits of drinking a smoothie a day are phenomenal, and creating an energy boosting smoothie is easy if you have the right blender or juicer.

A smoothie a day keeps the doctor away

Figuring out a way to incorporate a healthy fruit smoothie into your everyday routine is simple. Try to have a smoothie for breakfast everyday; turn it into a routine. Set about twenty minutes every morning aside to make a healthy fruit smoothie; it will give your body a boost especially if you use fruits with optimum nutrition value like Apricots, berries, bananas and papayas.

Healthy vs. unhealthy

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Don’t be fooled by the term ‘smoothie’, sometimes a ‘healthy smoothie’ has just as many calories and unhealthy ingredients as milkshakes and chocolate. Always go for the low fat or non-fat option when ordering a smoothie from a restaurant, and find out whether their smoothies are made with whole milk, ice cream, frozen yoghurt, low fat or free yoghurt or skim milk (skim milk and low fat yoghurt being the best options).

It’s what you put in

Extra ingredients like chocolate chips, cream and peanuts can add unnecessary calories to your otherwise healthy smoothie. Skip the chocolate and peanuts and opt for more fruit if you have a sweet tooth. Adding boosters like vitamin C and antioxidants will make you fruit smoothie that much healthier, and if you are on a hectic health kick, opt for a ‘green smoothie’, containing apples, spirulina and wheat grass. It will balance your blood sugar and give you a days’ worth of vitamins and nutrients.

Fruit smoothies are a great alternative to ice cream and milkshakes, and will give your body a quick jolt of vitamins and nutrition for your hectic day ahead.

Tags: Keeping Healthy, smoothies