Raw Smoothies to Lower Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a serious problem. In general, doctors suggest getting cholesterol down to a total of 200 or less and keeping your LDL numbers, or the “bad” cholesterol, below 100. Anything above 100 or above a total of 200 is considered as high cholesterol. One method of bringing those numbers down into a range that is considered low cholesterol is through the use of raw smoothies.

What is a Raw Smoothie:

Raw smoothies are smoothies made in a blender like the 3 hp blenders with all-natural, raw ingredients. The smoothie uses only raw fruits and vegetables with some slight variations in ingredients to work on various health problems.

The health problems that a raw smoothie can help with include getting low cholesterol levels, improving blood pressure, lowering the risk of a heart attack and stroke prevention. The use of raw fruits and vegetables is the key to improving all of these areas of your health.

Smoothie Ingredients:

The ingredients are a key point to the raw smoothie. When your goal is getting lower cholesterol, the smoothie ingredients determine the health effects.

Vegetable smoothies are among the best options to improve everything from stroke prevention to high blood pressure. The vegetable smoothies use raw vegetables, such as carrots, spinach, kale or okra as the main ingredients. In most cases, a vegetable smoothie will only add fruit to balance the flavor of the vegetables if the smoothie is bitter.

Fruit smoothies have a similar affect on health, such as reducing the risk of a heart attack or improving the circulatory system, but also have a sweeter flavor. Raw fruits that are best for low cholesterol include options like blueberries, avocado, pineapple, cranberries, grapes and pomegranate. The same ingredients in the smoothie help improve the body’s circulatory system to reduce health risks like high blood pressure or stroke.

While fruits and vegetables are the main ingredients in a raw smoothie, other key ingredients are often added to compound the results and provide changes to the texture or flavor. In general, nuts like pistachios, walnuts and almonds are added as a thickening agent to the smoothie. Adding a nut milk or water will make the smoothie thinner instead.

Smoothie Recipe Ideas:

The ingredients vary depending on personal taste and the specific smoothie. When the goal is improving the internal health of the body, the ingredients in a raw smoothie often determine the effect on the body.

• Cut up one whole pineapple and half an avocado. Blend the fruits together and then add some ice. The amount of ice is based on personal preferences for temperature and thickness.

• Make a berry smoothie by adding one cup each of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Blend the mixture together. Add some ice to chill the smoothie. If you want something thicker, throw in some almonds and blend well.

• Try a green smoothie by mixing two bananas, three oranges, one head of lettuce and between two to four cups of chilled water. Blend well and drink immediately.

• Make a smoothie with two apples, two oranges, about half a cup of strawberries, another half cup of blueberries and ice to your taste. Blend the smoothie well. If it seems too thin, add in about ¼ cup of almonds or pistachios and blend until it is smooth.

Pros of Drinking a Smoothie:

Drinking a smoothie has numerous benefits for health and several advantages over eating the fruits or vegetables.

• The main advantage of drinking a smoothie is the fact that you can get more fruits and vegetables into your body through a drink than by eating it. Each smoothie has around three to four servings of fruits and vegetables or more.

• Another advantage of a smoothie is the ability to hide vegetables or fruits that you dislike. If you do not like the taste of spinach or broccoli, you will not want to eat it. By blending it with other fruits and vegetables in a smoothie, you will not taste the vegetable you dislike.

• Raw fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients. The smoothie does not remove anything, so the healthy nutrients are all put into the body in an easy to digest form.

• Smoothies are easy to make, particularly with high performance blenders. Using high performance blenders, such as the 3 hp blenders, takes only a few minutes to turn a solid fruit or vegetable into a smooth drink. Simply toss in the ingredients, turn on the blender and blend until it is smooth. The drink is finished and ready to serve.

Cons of Drinking a Smoothie:

The disadvantages of drinking a smoothie are minimal when compared to the amazing benefits.

• The main disadvantage of drinking a smoothie is cleaning up afterward. You will need to wash the blender. If you eat fruits or vegetables directly, you will not need to clean.

• Some individuals might not like the taste of raw fruits or vegetables. Since a smoothie uses raw fruits and vegetables, if you dislike the taste of the vegetables while they are raw, you might dislike the taste of the smoothie as well.

Conclusion:

Drinking a smoothie that contains raw fruits, vegetables and nuts will improve your health, provide long lasting energy and tastes delicious.

Disclaimer:

Nothing stated herein is a cure or remedy for any medical problem nor is this information FDA approved. Always discuss your health and potential treatment options with your doctor.