Muscle 4 Hardgainers

I love smoothies and raw juices. Nothing else make me feel all fired up with raw energy. Smoothies also make me feel light, healthy and cleansed inside.

I always drink a blend of fruit and vegetable juices for breakfast and another as a snack or pre/post workout pick-me-up. A huge serving can be a meal in itself because it really does satiate you. But apart from being fast, easy, satisfying, and delicious, smoothies and raw juices have tons of other reasons why they are the ultimate superfood for bodybuilders and health nuts like us:

Fruit Smoothies are Nutritious and Delicious

1. Smoothies are power-packed with nutrients.

Smoothies and raw juices are some of the most nutrient-dense meals I know. A serving of a smoothie made with greens, fruit juices and berries can deliver more antioxidants and phytonutrients than a full day’s worth of  meals normally eaten by a person on a typical American diet.

By having a smoothie every morning, you start off your day with the protection of antioxidants, an incredible array of vitamins and nutrients, as well as get the energy and calories you need to go on with your day without getting hunger pangs shortly after your first meal.

2. Smoothies and Raw Juices Fire You Up with Pure, Raw Energy!

Because it’s been blended, smoothies and juices are easier to digest, allowing for better absorption. This allows our body to process the food without having to expend so much energy on digestion and assimilation – that’s why you can almost feel an instant energizing feeling from drinking smoothies!

Vegetables and fruits are rich in amino acids (protein sources), vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, and natural sugars and fats. If you’re on a strict diet and need to measure your calorie and nutrient intake, having smoothies and juices make measuring even easier.

3. They’re easy and foolproof to make.

Not all of us may be gifted in the kitchen, but most of us can put fruits in a blender and press a button! Anyone can use their favorite fruits even without following a recipe, and still make something delicious. Even kids can do it! (by the way, if you or your child are particularly not fond of greens, adding bok choy, spinach or green powder into a fruit smoothie is a great way to sneak some greens into your diet.)

You don’t have to be particularly talented in the kitchen to create your own recipes. You can literally just use whatever you feel like and 9 out of 10 it will turn out great-tasting. There’s no cooking, getting the timing right, nor the use of complex techniques.

4. Smoothies and juices are the ultimate fast food.

Smoothies and raw juices literally take minutes to prepare. If you’re really slow or inexperienced, perhaps it will take you 15 minutes max to come up with a glass of your own conconction (and that includes the cleaning up).

Because I’d been doing it for a while now, I can produce a glass of juice or smoothie in under a minute, and down it within 15 minutes (I actually take my time drinking it). It’s perfect when I’m really busy and need constant energy to get through my tasks. This is a huge improvement compared to my previous lifestyle, when I used to eat junk foods for lunch or as snacks and I always ended up feeling sleepy after the meal, thus making me much less productive.

You can make an endless variety of healthy concoctions

5. They help detoxify your system.

There are many non-organic and industrial pollutants in our environment that can be the cause of various ailments. So it’s extremely important to detox your system to avoid build up of toxic materials.

Many fruits alone are detoxifying, so just making a fruit smoothie can have detoxifying effects on your body.

6. They are fun!

What other meal can you seriously describe as fun to make, fun to eat and fun to share? Even if you commit to drinking a smoothie or raw juice every day, you’ll never get bored because there are so many ways you can add variety to the meal.

Every day you can pick new ingredients and try new mixes to create endless recipes and tastes. They’re a perfect addition a meal plan that is stagnant and boring and that is not getting you any noticeable results.

With all these reasons and literally dozens more, it’s easy to understand why smoothies is the perfect supermeal for bodybuilders.

But where do you start?

If you’ve never made a smoothie before, all you really need are some fruits, some recipes, and a blender (or a juicer), and you’re good to go!

When you first start, it’s best to follow tried and tested (and simple!) recipes first so you can get the hang of it. It’s very important that you thoroughly enjoy your food, so use only ingredients you actually like.

Once you’ve tried a number of basic simple combinations, you might want to try being more adventurous and start experimenting with other ingredients like celery and brocolli stalks, avocados, kale, spinach, or natural superfoods like spirulina powder, Carob powder, Mesquite, etc.

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