Hacking Daily Nutrition: How to drink your way to health and longevity

The Problem: Your body is missing key vitamins and minerals 

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is not only packed with too much sugar, bad fat, and sodium, it lacks the vitamins and minerals you need to live a long, healthy life. Here are a few:

• Iron: essential for carrying oxygen in the blood. Good sources of iron include red meat, poultry, fish, beans, and dark green vegetables.
• Vitamin C: an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, and broccoli.
• Folate: important for pregnant women, as it helps prevent birth defects. Good sources of folate include leafy green vegetables, beans, and citrus fruits.
• Iodine: essential for thyroid function. Good sources of iodine include seafood, dairy products, and iodized salt.
• Magnesium: important for muscle and nerve function. Good sources of magnesium include whole grains, nuts, and leafy green vegetables.

These and many others the SAD ignores fight inflammation and encourage the cellular health that lead to restoration, muscle health, energy, and longevity. 

You may be wondering, How can I get the vitamins and nutrients I need, when I don't love the foods that contain them and do it without breaking the bank?

The Hack: Drink your vitamins and minerals

Smoothies are a great way to get a healthy dose of fruits, vegetables, and those all-important vitamins and minerals. Smoothies are also a convenient and delicious way to start your day or refuel after a workout.

But what if you're on a budget? Can you still enjoy the benefits of smoothies without breaking the bank?

The answer is yes! Here are some tips on how to hack smoothies so you can drink your way to health and longevity and love it, all for about a buck a day.

What You Can Do Tomorrow

• Shop for frozen fruits and vegetables. One of the best ways to get started with a "smoothie life," while saving money is to use frozen fruits and vegetables. Frozen bags of mixed berries and some veggies are often cheaper than fresh produce. Plus, leafy greens, bananas, and berries are chock-full of just about everything your body needs. In fact, frozen fruits and vegetables may even be more nutritious than fresh produce. That's because frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at peak ripeness and then frozen immediately. This locks in the nutrients, so you get the most out of every bite.
• Buy in bulk and freeze. When you buy fruits and vegetables in bulk, you can get a better price per unit. Of course, you'll need to have the storage space for bulk items. How about your freezer (maybe you have an extra one in your basement or garage)? Pour some fruits, vegetables, seeds, and protein powder into a few sandwich bags, toss them in the freezer, and you're on your way to health and longevity, while cutting your grocery costs. With this strategy, you can make delicious, healthy smoothies for about a buck a day. 
• Avoid trendy juiceries when possible. If you're really serious about saving money on smoothies, you can make your own at home. This is the most cost-effective way to enjoy smoothies, while avoiding the sugary additives that most stores add. If you're not sure how to make smoothies, there are plenty of recipes available online. You can also find smoothie-making kits at most grocery stores.
• Be creative with your ingredients. There are endless possibilities when it comes to smoothie ingredients. You can use just about any fruit, vegetable, or other healthy food you like. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients and flavors. You may be surprised at how delicious and nutritious your smoothies can be.

Building Momentum

Step 1: Add your ingredients to your weekly shopping list: Like milk, paper products, eggs, or anything else you'll never leave off your list, add your favorite smoothie ingredients to that same grocery list. No matter what system you use, a pocket notebook, sticky note, or mobile app, make a habit of adding some leafy greens, mixed berries (the ones pictured here are wonderful), seeds, coconut milk, or whatever else you want in your unique blend, to your list. Habits like this help you build momentum.

Step 2: Schedule time to create smoothie bags. We've been doing this for years, and it's the best strategy we've found for sticking to a daily smoothie routine. Pick a day of the week and a specific time and set your reminders (Hey Alexa, remind me to make smoothies every Monday at 7AM). Load up your sandwich bags, and put them in the freezer. Blend, drink, enjoy!

Step 3: Recruit a smoothie team. The more friends and family drinking smoothies or encouraging your new, healthy habit, the more likely you are to stick with this life-changing routine.

Removing Obstacles 

Think you're not a smoothie drinker? Considering it but you have concerns? We've anticipated the obstacles and have ideas for you to overcome them.

What if I lack the knowledge to get this done? We've already passed on a lot about this subject. Plus, there are plenty of resources available online and in libraries that can teach you how to make smoothies. Once you know the basics, you can start experimenting with different ingredients and flavors. There's no specific recipe. Just get those vitamins and minerals into whatever concoction you create. (Remember, lots of these come in seeds--think Flaxseed or Chia--and protein powders; these are easy add-ons that don't impact taste very much but pack a serious nutrition punch). 

Don't I need specific equipment to stir these ingredients into a beverage? Ideally, yes. You'll definitely want to invest in a good blender, an essential tool for making great smoothies. If you don't have one, head to your favorite wholesale store (places like Costco and BJs should have a nice selection), or check out Amazon. You can get a nice single-serving blender, with one or two 24-ounce cups for about the price of dinner for four. The blender, though, will last a lot longer and feed your body many outstanding meals for years.

It's tough to get motivated to start and stick to a smoothie routine. Find a smoothie buddy--a roommate, sibling, or spouse will do. Having a smoothie buddy can help you stay motivated and accountable. You can shop for and mix ingredients together or simply check in with each other to see how you're doing. Make a game of it: Who can create the best-tasting and/or healthiest smoothie? Additionally, set some goals (I'll drink 3 smoothies this week) and create reminders (Hey Siri, remind me to buy Flaxseed and bananas). 

Smoothies don't taste very good. If you believe this, we don't think you've had the right smoothie yet, or you've only tried a green smoothie (no offense to green smoothie lovers). Concocting the perfect smoothie--the one that is just right for you--is a journey that can take some time. Experiment with different ingredients and flavors. There are endless possibilities when it comes to smoothie ingredients. You can use just about any fruit, vegetable, or other healthy food you like. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients and flavors until you find a smoothie that you love.

Final Word

If you are shoveling tons of servings of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and other nutrient-rich foods into your body daily, you may not need the smoothie. If you're not, and you detest these healthy foods, there's nothing like smoothies described here to get you on the path to a long, healthy, joy-filled life. 

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Main image credit: PhotoMix Company, via Pexels