DOWNING PULVERIZED PRODUCE can do much more than just hit your body’s reset button.
With the right ingredients, homemade elixirs can be fat-burning, energy-boosting, workout recovery-speeding powerhouses. For a few quick recipes, we turned to Men’s Fitness columnist Candice Kumai, author Clean Green Drinks, which features 100-plus results-driven juice and smoothie recipes built around functional ingredients like bone-and muscle-protecting baby spinach, digestion-aiding ginger, and disease-fighting herbs and spices.
Here, courtesy of Kumai, are three powerhouse smoothie recipes that will supercharge your system and have you feeling healthier in no time.
Burn fat: The cinnamon beet
This unique drink packs a one-two punch. Beets contain a diuretic compound that helps flush fat from the body, while cinnamon has been shown to help control blood sugar levels and may also aid weight loss.
Ingredients
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup kale
1 medium beet, scrubbed, halved
1 medium cucumber
1⁄4 tsp cinnamon
Directions
Juice first four ingredients. Whisk in the cinnamon and serve. Makes one serving.
Nutrition
(Per serving)
80 calories, 6g protein, 14g carbs, 1g fat, 0g fiber, 8g sugar, 870mg potassium, 170% DV vitamin A, 20% DV calcium, 30% DV folate
Boost energy: The cucumber clean green
The added pineapple is packed with the mineral manganese, which regulates blood sugar and helps the body turn carbs and fat into energy.
Ingredients
3⁄4 cup fresh pineapple
3 cups baby spinach
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 medium cucumber
Directions
Add all ingredients into a juicer and juice. Makes two servings.
Nutrition
(Per serving)
90 calories, 3g protein, 19g carbs, 0.5g fat, 0g fiber, 15g sugar, 130% DV vitamin C, 10% DV calcium, 15% DV iron
Speed recovery: Ginger peach
Potassium-packed coconut water helps replace the electrolytes you sweat out during exercise, while ginger helps fight the inflammation that can build up during intense training sessions.
Ingredients
2 cups kale
5 cups baby spinach
1 tsp fresh ginger
3/4 peach, pitted
1/4 cup coconut water
Directions
Juice kale, spinach, ginger, and sliced peach into a glass. Add the coconut water and whisk well to combine. Makes two servings.
