Lose Weight With This Pineapple and Ginger Smoothie
This pineapple and ginger smoothie is quite a different kind of drink with a really distinctive taste and aroma. Both ingredients can help reduce bloating and, thereby, promote weight loss.
Refreshing, with a slight taste between sweet and spicy, this drink will be a helpful addition to your diet. Furthermore, pineapple contains a lot of water so it hydrates your body and, in turn, stimulates urination.
Read on to learn more about these two ingredients and how to prepare this delicious smoothie.
Smoothies for losing weight
In recent years, weight-loss diets based on smoothies and detox drinks have become really fashionable. They usually include fruits, vegetables, and superfoods. They tend to provide large amounts of vitamins and antioxidants but few calories.
However, it’s important to note that, although weight loss is usually achieved, these types of plans aren’t healthy. In general, they tend to be too strict, with restricted energy intake. In fact, they could lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Fruit or vegetable smoothies can be added as a complement to your diet. They can be eaten as part of your breakfast or as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. As a rule, they help regulate gastrointestinal transit, satisfy your hunger, and eliminate fluids.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t ever use them to replace a main meal and they should only be consumed as part of a balanced diet. Indeed, although these beverages are rich in various nutrients, your body needs a supply of different food sources to function properly.
If you really want to lose weight, it’s best to go and see a specialist. They can prepare an individualized plan which will help you achieve the best results in the long term.
The benefits of pineapple
This pineapple and ginger smoothie can help you lose weight because its ingredients are low in calories but full of nutrients. Here are some more facts about pineapple:
- One cup of pineapple (150 gms) contains about 80 calories, so it’s light and an ideal option when you want to lose weight.
- Pineapple is the fifth richest fruit in water. In fact, about 87 percent of its net weight is water. This means it helps hydrate you and reduces fluid retention.
- According to the Spanish Nutrition Foundation, it contains vitamin C and iodine.
- It contains an enzyme called bromelain and a good amount of fiber. This helps improve digestion and aids gastrointestinal transit.
- Studies conducted with animals claim that fresh pineapple juice is a helpful ingredient in combating obesity. It seems that it acts on the metabolism of lipids and the oxidation of fatty acids. However, these are only laboratory tests and are yet to be applied to humans.
The benefits of ginger
Ginger hardly contains any calories at all. It’s an exotic root vegetable with a spicy taste.
Pineapple and ginger smoothie
Here’s our pineapple and ginger smoothie recipe. As you’ll see, it only includes a few ingredients so it’s simple to prepare yet really delicious.
Ingredients
- Grated ginger (5 gms).
- 1 glass of water (250 ml).
- 1 cup of fresh pineapple (150 grams).
- 3 tsp. of chia seeds (optional).
Method
- Mix all the ingredients together in a blender or juicer. Don’t use a liquidizer as you don’t want to lose the fiber of the pineapple.
- Blend everything together at high speed until you have a smooth texture. Add more water if you wish.
- Pour the smoothie into a glass and drink it immediately to get the most out of the nutrients.
The benefits of chia seeds
Chia seeds add dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein to the smoothie. Much of the carbohydrates present in chia are in the form of fiber. The contribution of this compound has been shown to be positive in weight-loss diets
In addition, the antioxidants present in chia seeds improve the health of all the organs and systems of the body. At the same time, they fight free radicals and prevent cell damage and premature aging.
These seeds can be combined with others or with a few nuts, depending on your preference. The result will be a delicious, crispy, and nutritious mixture.
More smoothies to aid weight loss
When made with the right ingredients, smoothies can help with weight loss. They’re a way of adding fruits and vegetables to your diet and avoiding the intake of other less advisable foods.
However, raw or cooked vegetables (in the form of salad, sautéed, boiled, etc.) and fresh fruits shouldn’t be eliminated or replaced by smoothies and juices.
Here are some other smoothie ideas to help you lose weight. You can add ginger to all of them to enhance their weight loss benefits.
- Kiwi and pineapple. Useful for gastrointestinal transit problems. You can add a little coconut milk for a creamier result.
- Red fruits and banana. This smoothie contains a good amount of antioxidants and minerals. It’s perfect to drink after physical exercise.
- Papaya. This fruit provides enzymes that help digest food. For this reason, it’s a good idea to drink a papaya smoothie just before breakfast or lunch.
- Cucumber and apple. A purifying option, perfect to help eliminate fluids.
- Spinach, apple, and celery. A light alternative for lovers of different flavor combinations.
- Avocado and mango (with optional almond drink). Far more filling than the others, it’ll keep your hunger at bay for longer.
If possible, prepare these smoothies and consume them immediately. If you want to make them a little cooler, you can add an ice cube when you’re preparing them.
Drink this pineapple and ginger smoothie to help you lose weight
As you’ve seen, these two foods have positive properties that can aid weight loss. However, you shouldn’t base your diet on smoothies or pineapple and ginger in large quantities.
You can drink the pineapple and ginger smoothie with your breakfast or a snack. The rest of your diet must be suitable for losing weight, ideally, prescribed and supported by a nutritionist.
Remember that individual tolerance can vary between people. If the smoothie doesn’t suit you or you don’t want to drink it every day, try combining it with other options. Also, bear in mind that you should always consume it immediately since pineapple oxidizes easily.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Attari V. E, Mahdavi A. M, et al. A systematic review of the anti-obesity and weight lowering effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and its mechanisms of action. Phytotherapy Research. Abril 2018. 32 (4): 577-585.
- El-Shazly S, Ahmed M. M, et al. Physiological and molecular study on the anti-obesity effects of pineapple (Ananas colossus) juice in male Wistar rats. Food Science and Biotechnology. Octubre 2018. 27 (5): 1429-1438.
- Gupta, C., & Prakash, D. (2014). Phytonutrients as therapeutic agents. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2013-0021.
- Ma Y, Olendzki B, et al. Single-component versus multicomponent dietary goals for the metabolic syndrome: randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. Febrero 2015. 162 (4).
- Mayo Clinic. Weight loss: choosing a diet that’s right for you. Junio 2020.
- Pavan R, Jain S, et al. Properties and therapeutic application of bromelain: a review. Biotechnology Research International. Diciembre 2012: 976203.
- Phytonutrients. https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/phytonutrients-faq#1.
- Piña o ananá, beneficios y propiedades nutricionales. https://www.botanical-online.com/pina.htm.
- Propiedades medicinales del jengibre. https://www.botanical-online.com/medicinalsgengibre.htm
- Saravanan, G., Ponmurugan, P., Deepa, M. A., & Senthilkumar, B. (2014). Anti-obesity action of gingerol: Effect on lipid profile, insulin, leptin, amylase and lipase in male obese rats induced by a high-fat diet. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6642