With summer around the corner, health trends have been becoming more and more popular. Like Sanna Walker, ‘19, said, “[she’s] heard about juice cleanses and juice shots,” but hasn’t tried many of them.

One of the popular ways to get in shape are health smoothies. From kale to berry mix, smoothies have endless options of ingredients. Some of the best ingredients include leafy greens, nuts, and even avocados. Workout shakes have also become popular, with people purchasing tubs of protein powder to add to their daily drinks.

A lot of celebrities like to endorse specific smoothies or drinks that seem to help them stay healthy. One of the popular ones is celery juice. Celery juice, although not a smoothie, has been widely promoted by celebs like the Kardashian/Jenners and Jenna Dewan. Its benefits include boosting the  immune system, Vitamin K, potassium, and having anti-inflammatory properties. While celery juice does have some health benefits, there are also many others to receive the same nutritional benefits by eating fruits and vegetables.

Another popular smoothie is the carrot, ginger and turmeric smoothie. Carrots can benefit eye health and weight loss; ginger can relieve nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness, and pain; turmeric is an antioxidant and can prevent symptoms of depression and arthritis.

One of the Culinary teachers, Tammy Picha, recommends including turmeric in smoothies for physically active people because “its anti-inflammatory and helps your muscles.”

However, there are also smoothies that have few nutritional benefits. Sugary smoothies provide the illusion of being healthy, but often times they contain more sugar and calories than health benefits. They are more of a sweet treat than a health booster.

The point is, some of these smoothies might be good to try. Even if they taste disgusting, your body will thank you. But alternatively, eating right and having a healthy diet are also important to consider.

Favorite Smoothie Recipes:

-Banana, avocado, chia seeds, berries and kale

-Banana, peanut butter, greek yogurt and milk

-Banana, grapes, kiwi, spinach, ice and milk

-Apple juice and your favorite berries