Blend In

THESE 10 SIMPLE SMOOTHIES CAN PUT THE SPRING BACK INTO YOUR STEP AND HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOALS.

- ELIZABETH SHAW

Winter is over — time to pack up your slow cooker and take out your blender. These prescriptive smoothies are made from healthy, whole foods, and each serves a specific goal such as fat burning, preworkout power or improved digestion. Just throw the ingredients into a blender cup, pulse for 30 to 60 seconds and you’re good to go. Bottoms up!

C HERE

TO BOOST IMMUNITY

According to research published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Immunology, 70 percent of your immune system is housed in your gut in the form of bacteria — and those bacteria are hungry. Nourish them with plenty of prebiotics such as are found in oats and bananas, and augment your GI community with probiotics found naturally in foods like yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut. The spinach and strawberries add immune-enhancing vitamin C, and the whole smoothie provides 8 grams of fiber — a satisfying way to start your day!

INGREDIENTS

• ½ small frozen banana
• ½ cup frozen spinach
• ½ cup frozen strawberries
• 2 tbsp old-fashioned oats
• ¾ cup plain, unsweetened kefir
• 1⁄3 cup filtered water

Nutrition Facts: calories 350, protein 14 g, carbs 68 g, fat 4 g

AVO BURNER

TO INCITE FAT BURNING

Gone are the days when dietary fat was evil, and in fact, research supports the notion that in order to lose fat, you have to eat fat: In a recent clinical trial, participants who reduced their caloric intake by 500 calories a day — but added in one whole avocado to their diet — were most successful in losing weight. And other studies show that cinnamon helps boost metabolism by aiding in thermogenesis.

INGREDIENTS