Weight Loss Shakes

How to Make Diet Shakes

By Anna Lynn Sibal

Do you like weight loss shakes? Some people treat shakes as something to snack on or cool down with, but nutritionists have found that they can help a great deal with weight loss management, too. Diet shakes can be a good meal replacement, since it provides the body with essential nutrients such as enzymes, vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats. The body needs these nutrients to cleanse and energize itself, as well as to build and regenerate its systems.

According to studies, weight loss shakes are just as effective as conventional diets when it comes to weight loss. A lot of people prefer to manage their weight by consuming diet shakes because:

• They boost the body's metabolism when eaten as breakfast. We are all aware that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and eating breakfast is a key to long-term weight control. However, our fast-paced schedules sometimes force us to skip breakfast. In this case, diet shakes fill the gap.

• They contain the urge to eat, so we would not find ourselves overeating. Diet shakes can make one feel full for hours.

• If we do not have that much time to cook or to go out for a meal, we can easily prepare diet shakes by ourselves. Diet shakes are very convenient.

• They help the body absorb nutrients much easier, since putting fruits in the blender break down the fiber and release the vital nutrients in a form that is a lot easier for the body to digest.

Weight loss shakes are readily available in stores, and if you really do not have time to make them, you can just go out and buy them. However, homemade diet shakes are a lot better than store-bought ones. Not only are they less expensive, but we can also create more variety with homemade shakes, and we can control the taste and the amount of calories we consume when we make our own shakes.

It is really easy to make homemade diet shakes. You just need to have a blender, some ice, different kinds of fruits, and milk in your kitchen. Be sure that you have a good blender that will break down the fruits properly and will not cause accidents when you use them. Also, make it a point to use only fresh fruits in your diet shakes. Avoid bruised, overripe or under-ripe fruits, and if possible, go for organic produce. The milk you should use should be skimmed or contains no more than 80 calories per cup.

To make the diet shake, all you need to do is to put all the ingredients in the blender and make the blender break it down for 30 seconds, or until the concoction is thick and smooth. Ice is optional – just add some crushed ice in the blender if you want your diet shake cold. For added zest, we can experiment with flavors and extracts such as vanilla, butter rum and marshmallow. We can also use spices like ground nutmeg and cinnamon.

Here are some weight loss shake recipes that you can try making at home. Remember, all you need to do is to chuck them in the blender and break the ingredients down until the mixture is all smooth and frothy.

1. All Fruits. 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 or 2 oranges, strawberries or blueberries, fresh peach (optional). You can add protein powder in the mix if you want.

2. Jello. 1 pack of sugar-free and fat-free Jello pudding mix (any flavor) and 1 cup skim milk. For a cold shake, 1/2 or 1 cup crushed ice.

3. Diet Banana Milkshake. 1 cup skim milk powder, 1 tablespoon Hershey's cocoa, granulated sugar substitute equal to 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 medium-sized ripe banana, crushed ice.

4. Strawberry shake. 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, a shot of vanilla extract

5. Caribbean fruit shake. 1 ripe banana, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon grenadine syrup, crushed ice

No matter what diet shake recipe you prepare, it is one way of making eating fun and interesting, just like treating yourself to dessert.