Boost Your Energy – How To Make Delicious Energizing Smoothies
Do you struggle with low energy?
Maybe you feel like a zombie before noon, or after lunch? Do you feel the urge to sneak off to your car for an afternoon nap?
Did you know that energizing smoothies can actually help you fight fatigue. Today I’m sharing some tips and energy boosting smoothie recipes to increase your vitality.
If you find yourself reaching for coffee or energy drinks – STOP! These are just temporary fixes that will cause you to crash and burn out later.
Instead, I’ll show you how you can reach for your blender and quickly make something that will improve your energy naturally and sustainably.
Why you're tired in the first place...
There are many reasons you might feel fatigued or lacking energy during the day. Here are some common issues:
- You have a hormonal imbalance: such as a thyroid deficiency or adrenal fatigue. Both of these issues require a medical professional to diagnose, and a combination of natural medical interventions to treat.
- You aren’t fueling properly: don’t put low-quality fuel in a luxury vehicle. Your body requires good nutrition to run properly. You can’t expect to eat garbage and feel like gold.
- Your iron is low: this is especially likely if you are a woman, but men can experience low iron as well. If you struggle with low-energy for a long time, have your doctor check your level.
- Habits to beware of: skipping sleep, smoking, drinking alcohol, overdoing coffee, and not taking adequate time to de-stress. Your body doesn’t want to be energized when you’re doing the things that are known to make it sicker.
Thankfully, you can start to address all of these issues by incorporating homemade smoothies into your routine.
Fresh, quality ingredients will support your health and heal you from the inside out, and you’ll feel more alive.
Key ingredients for energizing smoothies
Here are the staple ingredients you’ll need to make energy-boosting smoothies at home:
Energizing Fruits
Berries: packed with antioxidants that fight free radicals, berries energize you by fighting inflammation, which leads to fatigue.
Citrus: oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes are packed with vitamin C, which significantly improves iron absorption. Low iron levels can cause fatigue.
Bananas: high in easily digested carbohydrates, bananas can give you the quick energy boost you crave without reaching for refined sugar.
Vital Veggies
Sweet Potatoes: thanks to a hefty dose of complex carbs, sweet potatoes give a steady energy release without the crash. Plus they are an amazing source of the anti-oxidant beta-carotene.
Sprouts: sprouts contain all the nutrition of a full-grown vegetable, so a handful of kale sprouts can contain the same level of vitamins as a full bunch. More nutrients means more energy production, so reach for sprouts.
Spinach: if iron is a concern, you should be eating a lot of spinach. This green veggie is loaded with iron and anti-oxidants to fight fatigue.
Bonus Superfoods
These superfoods will take your smoothie to the next level when it comes to energy boosting. While they are all optional, I highly recommend trying them out. You will feel a difference.
Maca: maca powder is one of the best superfoods for energy. It can increase alertness and make you feel more awake and alive without the crash from coffee.
Spirulina: this blue-green algae supplement has been proven to boost energy levels. It’s also a great source of the trace mineral iodine, which is the most important mineral for thyroid health.
MCT oil: this oil converts rapidly into energy, and is especially helpful for cognitive performance. It’s also a key ingredient for fat loss.
No Nasties
These ingredients will actually make you more fatigued. Keep them out of your diet!
Some people would be surprised to find coffee here, but keep in mind that even if you feel an energy boost after drinking it, the effect is short-lived, eventually leaves you feeling more drained.
Moreover, when you consume coffee on a regular basis, your body needs more and more of it just to keep the previous energy levels up.
Coffee: while coffees does have health benefits, it also messes with your energy levels. The energy boost you get from coffee is artificial, since it doesn’t address the underlying cause of your fatigue.
Sugar: refined sugar contributes to systemic inflammation, and as we discussed earlier – this is a big cause for fatigue. Plus, the sudden rise and fall of blood sugar will keep you feeling tired. Avoid at all costs.
Refined Carbs: all refines breads, pastas, and baked goods quickly metabolize into sugar. You might as well be eating a big spoonful of sugar for every slice of white bread you eat.
How to make your energy-boosting smoothie
You will need:
- A blender, to make the smoothies
- Energy-boosting ingredients (see combos below)
- Glasses, jars, or travel cups for consuming or storing your smoothies
Step 1: Select Your Ingredients
Use these key combos for reference, or follow one of the recipes below.
Situation | Key Ingredients |
|---|---|
Early Morning Wake-Up | Banana, Sprouts, Maca |
Afternoon Slump | Orange, Spinach, Spirulina |
Pe-Workout Power-Up | Banana, Sweet Potato, MCT oil |
Working Late | Berries, Spinach, Maca |
Step 2: Blend Them Up
Add all your ingredients to the blender jar and blend until smooth. How long this takes will depend on the power of your blender. Add ice or extra liquid if necessary.
Step 3: Feel the Boost
Drink your smoothie and feel the boost. You should feel energized within 30 minutes, and the energy should last a few hours.
To save time, prepare your energizing smoothies ahead of time. For example, if you know you are prone to an afternoon slump, make a smoothie in the morning and store it in the fridge so you’re prepared when the fatigue hits.
Energy Boosting Smoothie Recipes
Here are my go-to energy boosting smoothie recipes for every time of day…
Wake-Up Call
This smoothie is perfect for boosting your energy in the morning, without the crash of a coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup kale or broccoli sprouts (or baby spinach)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon maca powder
- 3 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the jar of your blender.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
- Pour into a glass or travel cup and get energized for the day.
Slump Buster
This smoothie will perk you up during your mid-afternoon slump. Don’t reach for that coffee and doughnut!
Ingredients
- 1 fresh orange, peeled, chopped and seeds removed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon spirulina powder
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the jar of your blender.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
- Pour into a glass or travel cup and feel your brain turn back on.
Sweet Sweat Shake
This shake will fuel you up to power through your workout.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- ½ cup mashed sweet potato
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon MCT oil
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Steam your sweet potato, mash it and cool. You can also freeze mashed sweet potato in your ice cube tray for easy incorporation into smoothies.
- Add all ingredients to the jar of your blender.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
- Pour into a glass or travel cup and get ready to sweat!
Evening Energizer
This smoothie will keep you energized after dinner, without the sleep disturbances caused by caffeine.
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen berries
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon maca powder
- 1 cup almond milk
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the jar of your blender.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
- Pour into a glass or travel cup and stay productive into the evening.
What else can you do to increase energy?
Fuel Regularly
Have some food or a snack every 3-4 hours to prevent your blood sugar from going too low, which will cause fatigue.
When you blood sugar is low, you are more likely to reach for sugary things that will only create more fatigue.
Stay Hydrated
Drink plenty of water, since dehydration can cause fatigue. Most adults should be drinking at least 2 quarts of water daily. If you sweat heavily, live in a hot or dry environment you will need even more.
Be Prepared
Make smoothies ahead so they are at arms reach during moments of weakness.
Check out this video for a demonstration on how to make freezer smoothie packs to save time:
So Get To It!
Whatever time of day your energy dips, there’s an energizing smoothie to help you out. Give my recipes a try and let me know what you think.
Remember: if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will keep feeling how you’ve always felt.
Ditch the coffee, sugar and junk food and boost your energy levels naturally with healthy superfood smoothies!
