Why Green smoothies initially didn’t work for me
I was never really a big fan of green smoothies. They made me even more hungry, I had nothing to chew on, and most of all I didn’t eat breakfast to get right to work.
Since diving more into the subject of wellness, I now know why green smoothies didn’t work for me back then:
– They contained a lot of (fruit) sugars which caused my blood sugar levels to skyrocket immediately and then I experienced the valley with huge cravings to follow
– I didn’t add quality protein that would make me feel satisfied and help me recover after my morning run
– the need to chew food is my cooping mechansime against stress
– due to chronic stress my gut microbiome is out of balance making eating in general a problem.
The business athlete approach
So in early 2023, I decided to make a one-year commitment to become the most energetic and productive version of myself. That’s why I call myself a business athlete. After all, building a startup is a marathon – not a sprint – for which I have to prepare, train and maintain my body and mind.
In general, my nutrition and training were already in place. I trained with a sports coach for years, including nutrition plans, and I have a degree in sports nutrition myself. In addition, I listen to several science-based podcasts such as Huberman Lab, The Art of Being Well, and The Doctor’s Farmacy and read several – also science-based – books such as Glucose Revolution, The Reset Factor, and The Inflammation Spectrum Find Your Food Triggers and Reset Your System.
Although I love intermitting fasting – and do so by dining earlier – breakfast is important to me to start the work day and meetings energetically. Moreover, I do like the ritual of getting in the kitchen in the morning and doing something good for myself and my body that I will experience the benefits of throughout the day. At the same time, I also don’t want to waste too much time and am often already “stressing”- the passion is real – to start the work day as soon as possible. Having too heavy a breakfast or what requires too much chewing – and then not happening due to time constraints – would completely upset my digestion so even a healthy breakfast would bring down my productivity.
The rise of my love for green smoothies
Everything combined has made me get into green smoothies anyway and have since become completely addicted to them. I did have to find my own recipe together in order to not start the day hangry anymore, not experience energy dips and give my digestion the rest it needed.
It has become my signature no-sugar smoothie and I am happy to share that recipe with you. Included in my recipe are a few supplements that can generally be beneficial to everyone – especially those who also want to improve their gut health – but feel free to omit these if you don’t feel the need for them (and before using supplements, it’s best to consult a professional. For example, I had an EMB test done in early 2023)
My signature no-sugar green smoothie
The recipe for my signature no-sugar green smoothie. It is vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and nut free.
– 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice (as a replacement for banana which contains a lot of sugar and therefore causes blood sugar spikes)
– 1 cup spinach (fresh or frozen)
– 1 cup kale (fresh or frozen)
– 1 scoop protein powder (I use Huel; If you click the link you will receive €10 off your first order of €60)
– Water (amount according to preference; sometimes I want more of a smoothie bowl to spoon it out and use less water, sometimes I want to drink it and use more)
– 1-2 gr cinnamon
– additional: 1 scoop L-Glutamine (Get €10 off your order of min. €100 with the code ACQUIREHEALTH)
– additional: 2 drops of Vitamin D3 (Get €10 off your order of min. €100 with the code ACQUIREHEALTH)
That way I have my protein and fiber in. I don’t add a fat source because it doesn’t work for me. You can always eat nuts or add avocado to your smoothie to get your healthy fats. Just do what works for you.