My 30-day Smoothie Breakfast Challenge — 5 Health Benefits that Resulted

I threw myself into the smoothie challenge for various reasons.

Firstly, I wanted to increase my consumption of antioxidants and greens.

You can never have enough of those, don’t you think?

Secondly, I wanted to see how it would improve my digestion decrease inflammation and bloating.

Although I’m not entirely done yet (I have a few days left), I pretty much saw results straight away, and I’m proud of making this change.

It is hard to drink something so cold of a morning. I have been told conflicting theories about cold and warm beverages.

Super cold things are not exactly good for people with digestive issues.

I can’t complain as nothing negative has resulted from smoothies — although I have them after training (and I’m pretty warmed up). So perhaps that’s a plus for me.

Soon enough, the weather will begin to change here in Sydney, and I’m at odds with what to do — having a smoothie every single morning gives me a lot more benefits than my warm bowl of oats.

Don’t get me wrong, oats are marvellous, and I still have them once in a while. But, I cannot dismiss the difference between a smoothie and oats.

Here is a small portion of my results

One: I eased my bloating and water retention

I have very severe endometriosis. I’m due to have surgery to remove it and have a hysterectomy.

Whatever goes into my stomach has the power to increase inflammation in more ways than one.

I have discovered that the less my body has to digest and assimilate, the flatter and more relaxed my stomach and digestion become.

Honestly, I don’t know if I lost anything from my belly (because I don’t have much to lose there), but the bloating decreased!

Sometimes one thing I eat can increase the size of my stomach. Worst, when my periods roll around, then forget it — I look six months pregnant.

For the first time in a very long time, I didn’t look that way.

The symptoms were there, but my stomach didn’t stick out; to me, my stomach had eased up just a little bit.

So, guys, it makes your tummy flatter, most likely because it decreases inflammation and helps get rid of anything that needs to come out.

I think we all need to do a good poo every single day!

Two: My nails became whiter and stronger

I once had fragile and brittle nails.

This was back when I ate animal protein.

I felt that I didn’t have to do too much, and my nails would break or peel.

Now, I don’t have a problem. My nails have become a lot stronger and grow at a fast rate.

The rapid growth might also contribute to my added sunflower and pumpkin seeds into my overall daily nut consumption.

They contain lots of zinc.

Three: I felt a lot more satisfied than when I had oats

Having the pulp of the berries and veggies makes a HUGE difference to your appetite.

Although never stuffed or overfed, I found myself quite satisfied as I usually would with solid food.

Smoothies are easier to eat, and I add some paleo granola, coconut flakes and honey.

That gives the smoothie a bit of bulk, making a difference in my appetite suppression.

Four: I feel better after I have a smoothie

I can’t explain this feeling, but I feel light, energetic and my mind is on fire.

I’m not plagued by stomach gurgles or rushes to go to the bathroom.

Instead, my body feels at peace, which has a lot to do with my gut health.

If you have gut issues that interrupt your daily life, you know what I mean.

Smoothies are easier to digest, easier on the stomach, and more manageable overall.

Five: I was less sore from training & recovered a lot better

I can’t argue with this because I go pretty hard in the gym.

It can leave me sore and unable to train again for days on end.

But the boost of antioxidants from the berries I have every day did the trick here.

I also added kale or spinach into the mix, which made a difference.

So my smoothie was never without some form of greens.

I wanted to get iron, magnesium, zinc and protein, as well as antioxidants every day.

Key take away

Although I used smoothies as part of my breakfast routine, I eliminated chicken from my diet.

I am vegetarian now — without the dairy, and perhaps that had a lot to do with these points.

My smoothie challenge helped fight inflammation.

I feel it in my joints, and I have noticed that my hips are less stiff, not to mention my hamstrings too.

Usually, after a workout, I am pretty sore. But the boost of antioxidant-rich berries every morning seemed to do the trick quite nicely.

I think this challenge will be incredible for my healing when I’m recovering from surgery.

I timed this well because I wanted to see how fast I recovered and felt after the procedure. So I’ll keep you posted on that one.

Overall, I LOVE smoothies for breakfast, and I don’t know how I’m going to cut them out in winter.

This is a tough one, as the benefits are just too great to give up.

So in the meantime, I’ll think of some creative ways to stop myself from getting that frozen brain!

Here is a breakdown of my smoothies (please note, I only use organic produce as it has fewer chemicals and pesticides)

• A small slice of frozen coconut flesh
• A small portion of pink dragonfruit
• Two small pieces of frozen banana
• 1 cup of mixed berries, either wild or whatever I have
• One spoonful or either vegan protein powder or hemp protein

• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Dash of chlorophyll

• One or more cups of filtered water

• Blend in a powerful blender, and place in a bowl.

Top with organic coconut, sugar-free granola and some organic honey with a dash of cinnamon. Divine!

Tell me your favourite smoothies and what they have done for you.

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