The Fab Four Smoothie You Need To Know About! *Not just another smoothie*

So I’ve been trying this new thing lately, smoothies for breakfast with very little ingredients. Somehow they keep me full for almost six hours! This is no exaggeration. It’s not a diet, I simply choose one of the recipes and don’t eat again until I feel hungry. If I have a smoothie at 8 am, I honestly don’t think about food until lunchtime. No mid-morning snacks! And even at lunch, I’m not so hungry that I need something big. I’ve lost weight and have gained energy drinking these amazing smoothies so I felt it would be rude to not share the secret! I promise they are so much better than the traditional smoothies we all know and love. If you want to eat less, and better without starving then read on!

*Scroll to the end for Fab 4 Smoothie Recipies* 

A little background intro:

I was introduced to Kelly Leveque and her Fab Four Method in 2017 while I was listening to yet another Skinny Confidential podcast. (Listen to the episode HERE.) Kelly is a wealth of knowledge having consulted for Fortune 500 medical companies and oncologists, to her work in tumour gene mapping. Through her experience and passion to help people she became a celebrity health and wellness coach.

“Be Well” is Kelly’s brand which grew out of her passion for health and the science of nutrition. She has a refreshingly practical and optimistic approach and her methods help create long-term sustainable habits. AKA no diets, and yes wine and chocolate are allowed! See why I love her…

After listening to the podcast I hopped straight on Amazon and bought her book. The book is full of recipes but what I love most is the multiple chapters on nutrition education broken down into easy to understand language. Buy the book HERE. (Her client Jessica Alba wrote the forward!).

The Fab Four Method:

Traditional smoothies are full of fruit and sometimes yoghurt. In other words, lots of sugar. “But fruit is good sugar??” Yes, it is but a large smoothie or acai bowl with 80% fruit is the equivalent of three glasses of Rosé so…

Let me better explain this with two examples.

Example one: Two cups of mixed berries, protein powder and almond milk. 200 calories.

Example two: ¼ cup of mixed berries, protein powder, almond butter, chia seeds, almond milk. 400/500 calories.

Which would you prefer? Example one is surely sweeter with lots of fruit and it’s super low in calories. But example two will leave you feeling satisfied and full for up to six hours, or at least until lunchtime.

For example one, it is extremely likely you will be thinking about lunch by 10 am. When it’s finally time to eat you’ll be craving a big meal. This amount of sugar spikes your blood sugar levels. Fructose is broken down by the liver, but if there’s too much and it can’t fit then it’s stored as fat. Too much sugar in the morning will set you up for an early sugar crash and your body will crave it for the rest of the day. Meaning you are more likely to choose a lunch and dinner full of carbs (more sugar).

Example two, however, will keep you full for up to 4 to 6 hours. Your blood sugar is balanced because the ingredients and quantities in this version won’t break down to blood sugar meaning you are much more likely to make better decisions at lunch. If you make better decisions at lunch you are more likely to do the same at dinner.

The Fab Four smoothie sets the tone for the rest of the day!

Fab 4 smoothie formula:

Fab Four= Protein + Fat + Fibre + Greens

• 18-20g Protein
• 1 or 2 tablespoons of Fat
• 1 or 2 tablespoons Fibre like chia, flax
• 1 or 2 Handful of greens (Microgreens are better & stronger).
• A half a cup of fruit is the right amount but any more and you will be derailing your health efforts.  Think half a banana or a large handful of berries.

*Remember, The Fab Four method shouldn’t stop at breakfast. If you choose every meal throughout the day to have protein, fat, fibre and greens you will never overeat or crave an excessive amount of sugary snacks.

 

How to prepare your Fab Four Smoothie:

Choose one from each category. Simple!!

Protein* (20/30 grams)

• Chocolate protein
• Vanilla protein
• Plain protein powder
• Collagen protein powder

Fat (1 to 2 tablespoons)

• MCT oil
• Coconut oil
• Nut Butters (e.g peanut butter, almond butter, walnut butter)
• Nuts (e.g almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts)
• Seeds (e.g hemp, sesame or sunflower seeds)
• Avocados

Fibre (1 to 2 tablespoons)

• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Acacia fibre
• Raw fibre powder

Greens (1 to 2 handfuls or 1 to 2 tablespoons if powder)

• Spinach
• Kale
• Mixed greens
• Greens powder
• Matcha powder

Liquid (no added sugar): 

• Almond milk
• Coconut milk
• Herbal teas

Other

• Half a banana
• 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of berries
• Lemon and limes

*A note on protein:

Organic pea protein is my fave! Whey protein is fine too if you feel you don’t suffer from any gut problems. I have IBS so I know despite not being lactose intolerant, I do have a sensitively if I consume too much. I personally find pea protein works best for me.

I recently discovered frozen avocados thanks to Strong Roots. I get mine in Dunnes and Tescos! No longer do we have to worry about under or overripe avocados, these gems stay perfect for weeks and freeze within minutes. An avocado miracle!

Fab Four Smoothie Recipes:

Here are three of my favourites!

The Spa Smoothie (Seen in photo).

I love to this on a Monday morning to feel like I’m detoxing after an indulgent weekend.

• 1 serving vanilla protein powder
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• 1 handful fresh spinach
• 1 small Persian cucumber, coarsely chopped
• ¼ avocado pitted and peeled
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 cups unsweetened nut milk, plus more as needed

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie

A sweet smoothie that recreates the comforting flavours of a blueberry muffin.

• 1 serving vanilla protein powder
• 1 serving raw fibre powder or 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• ¼ cup blueberries, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoon of any nut butter of choice
• 2 cups unsweetened nut milk, plus more as needed
• Hemp seeds, for garnish

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt

A light smoothie that works great for a sweet pick me up or even a dessert.

• 1 Serving Chocolate Protein Powder
• 1 tbsp Fibre (Chia or Flax Seeds to thicken)
• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan Pink or Coarse Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cacao Nibs
• 2 cups Nut Milk
• ice

Mean Matcha 

Supercharge your green tea latte, for a healthier and tastier smoothie.

• 1 Serving Vanilla Protein Powder
• 1-2 tbsp MCT
• 1-2 tbsp Chia
• Spinach
• 2-3 cups Nutmilk
• 1-2 teaspoons Matcha

You can see lots more Fab Four Smoothie recipes on Kelly’s website HERE!

This gal is a wealth of knowledge and one of my favourite people to follow on social media. She has also been a guest on many podcasts which is where I first found her. Do a search for her name on the podcast app and take a listen, you won’t regret it!

 Find Kelly: Be Well By Kelly Book | Website | Instagram

If you decide to try the Fab Four method send me pictures of your smoothies, I would love to know what everyone’s favourites are!

If your looking for more healthy drink options check out my post on four genius ways to drink your coffee HERE and alternatives to boring water HERE.

Sophie x