3 Benefits of a Liquid Breakfast

There’s some very compelling science behind the benefits of a liquid breakfast (smoothies, protein shakes, etc), and personally they’ve been critical in supporting my health over the years, as well as bolstering the wellness of clients. Everyone has different preferences and needs, but if you’re looking to improve digestion, increase your energy, and absorb more nutrients, you may find this to be a really beneficial daily routine.

First a few notes….

*A note on juicing: Juicing can certainly be a great addition, but when it comes to blending vs juicing as a meal, the below benefits are compelling in that your body receives the entire nutrient density of the plant ingredients, rather than stripping beneficial macro nutrients and fibers.

*This post is NOT to say that eating solids for breakfast is bad or harmful, these are just some significant benefits that a liquid breakfast can offer that may resonate with your health needs.

Now let’s dive in!
Here are three significant health benefits of consuming a liquid breakfast:

1. Improves the body’s ability to repair

Because smoothies are already significantly broken down, your digestive system doesn’t have to exert as much energy in order to process them. If you consume your nutrients in a blended form in the morning, your body gets to redirect more muscular and microbial energy towards repairing tissues, cells, and increasing overall physical and mental stamina - rather than expending greater amounts of energy on digesting solids as the first meal of your day. Less energy used to digest = more hours and energy for your body to direct towards repairing the gut and other systems in your body.

2. Provides more efficient nutrient absorption

A meal in liquid form skips multiple steps in digestion, thus allowing the body to absorb the vitamins and minerals it contains very quickly and easily. This not only provides fast energy to reach your cells, but also requires less energy needed for digestion (less energy expenditure towards contracting muscles, producing high amounts of enzymes and acids for solids, etc) which means those calories/energy can be used more readily for the walk you take, your work-day tasks, and the life processes that your body needs to perform - a great way to kick start your day!

3. Contains higher quantities of condensed nutrients, therefore increasing your energy reserve through the day

It’s a fact that food = energy (the definition of a calorie is literally “energy”). So in order to have more “energy,” it’s important to have enough nutrient-dense food that it can use to convert into fuel. It’s easy to pack 20 grams of protein, 3 cups of vitamin and mineral-rich greens, 2 servings of fruit, healthy fats for optimal brain function, and other essential nutrients into one smoothie, but if you set out to eat all of that in other form, you’d find yourself with a plate full of some pretty significant quantities first thing in the morning. Pack it all into one smoothie and you’ve just given your body SO much power-packed energy to say “Let’s do this!” and get going for your day with more than just a will-power that likely fails by noon.

Maybe you find these benefits so compelling that you think, “Sounds great, maybe I’ll just blend all of my meals”…
to that I need to say NOOOOOO! Here’s why….

I don’t recommend consuming only liquids through the ENTIRE day for prolonged amounts of time (with the exception of perhaps a one or two day regimen if you’re really into that, or unless of course you have a specific health condition and doctor recommendation). Sometimes (in very specific cased) prolonged seasons of solely consuming liquids it necessary medically (been there done that), but our bodies benefit from the contrast of solid meals as well. Though smoothies are GREAT as the first meal of your day, I don’t recommend them as a 24/7 “plan” because your body benefits from solid meals in order to keep digestive muscles and systems “toned” and continue to produce the correct enzymes and peristalsis function. Prolonged seasons of SOLELY consuming liquids for EVERY meal can make re-introduction of solid foods extremely difficult. So stick with liquid breakfasts, and you’ll receive all the benefits listed above, while still getting the solids that your body needs later in the day. Win. Win. You can “have your cake and eat it too!” :)

Tips for making a delicious and nutrient-dense smoothie:

Use these 5 categories to build a nutrient-dense smoothie by choosing combinations you enjoy! Think peanut butter cacao banana, strawberry and cashew butter, berry and almond butter, etc. YUM.

1. Start with a dairy-free milk base - cashew milk, almond milk, coconut milk
2. Add frozen and fresh fruit - frozen banana (creamy factor!), strawberries, mixed berries, mango, pineapple, etc.
3. Add healthy fat - peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, avocado (creamy factor!)
4. Add mineral rich greens - spinach, kale, chard
5. Add superfoods and/or protein powder - cacao, ground flax, pea protein (we love this one bc it’s organic and just one ingredient), hemp seed, maca powder, etc.

What’s in the Hutson smoothie?

We add quite a few ingredients to our morning shake because it makes us feel super nourished and satisfied! It takes less than 10 minutes to make and gets us going strong for the day!

-unsweetened almond milk
-frozen banana
-frozen blueberries
-sunflower seed butter
-avocado
-spinach/kale/chard mix
-pea protein
-hemp seeds
-flax seeds
-cacao

***The above information is based on my research and education, and is not to be used as a medical diagnosis.  You should always consult your doctor and find what works best for your specific body and needs.