“Smoothies and sports are kindred spirits”: 3 recipes for a healthy snack

All of us have made a smoothie at least once in our lives, but often we didn’t get the energy boost we expected from it.

We asked Irina Azarova, founder of the Fresh chain of healthy balanced food restaurants, about how to prepare this drink properly and what benefits it can bring .

Irina Azarova: “In general, smoothies as a drink appeared thanks to sports. It was created by surfers, who needed to gather in one bottle such elements that would help to withstand high loads, have a long-lasting effect and support lightness in the body at the same time”.

Smoothies and sports are, you might say, kindred spirits.

“I can give advice to everyone who is going to make smoothies: don’t be afraid to experiment, because often there are such interesting combinations that we start not only to use ourselves, but also see how our friends like it, and in our case – the guests of the Fresh restaurant. You also need to experiment, because your body is your best advisor. It’s unique and always signals in some way when it’s missing something.”

Best recipes:

Energi: a fruit and vegetable boost for the day

You’ll need:

• one apple
• one carrot
• one fresh cucumber
• 20 g of ginger
• lemon slice
• two teaspoons of chia seeds

Preparation: all ingredients pass through a juicer, mix in a blender. To this drink you can add a spoonful of yogurt, oatmeal, quinoa, cottage cheese or granola – all this will give an additional boost of energy.

Lifehack: chia seeds can be poured with water at room temperature and left for 3-5 minutes – they become jelly-like, and you can add them immediately to the glass with the finished smoothie.

Green smoothie – a boost of vitamins

You will need:

• one avocado (don’t forget to peel off the skin!)
• glass of celery juice
• juice of one apple
• bunch of spinach
• 20 g of peeled hemp seeds

Preparation: mix all ingredients in a blender.

Coconut and berries: intensive recovery

You will need:

• 200 ml coconut water
• 100 ml almond milk
• 50 g strawberries
• 30 gr blueberries

Preparation: mix all ingredients in a blender.

Irina Azarova: “Almond milk is a protein, it gives elasticity to muscles and promotes their growth. Blueberries are a strong antioxidant, it purifies the blood and removes toxins from the body. Coconut water has a revitalizing effect, it is recommended after any physical activity. In addition to all other ingredients, you can add a few drops of almond oil to this smoothie, it improves digestion.”

“Remember that healthy and sports nutrition are not the same thing. Sports nutrition should be healthy, and I actively promote this, but its main functions are muscle recovery, preparing the body for physical activity and gaining muscle mass. A smoothie with the right ingredients will fulfill all of these functions.”

Find more healthy fruit and vegetable combinations here.

Exercise, but don’t forget proper recovery. Remember that sculpted abs are created in the kitchen, not in the gym!