Not All Smoothies Are Healthy: How to Blend a Smoothie That Won’t Spike Your Blood Sugar

You’ve heard it before: Smoothies are healthy. But here’s the truth—not all smoothies are created equal. Many store-bought blends and trendy “superfood” smoothies are more dessert than nutrition, spiking your blood sugar and leaving you with an energy crash an hour later.

Let’s talk about how to build a truly balanced smoothie that fuels your body, stabilizes your blood sugar, and supports digestion, hormones, and sustained energy.

The Problem With Most Smoothies

Many popular smoothies—even homemade ones—contain:

• Too much sugar from fruit juice, bananas, honey, and dried fruits

• Too little protein to slow the absorption of carbohydrates

• No healthy fats or fiber to support satiety and blood sugar regulation

These imbalances can cause a rapid spike in blood glucose, followed by a crash in energy and mood. Research shows that liquid carbohydrates without accompanying protein or fat can lead to postprandial hyperglycemia (a spike in blood sugar), especially when high-glycemic fruits or juices are involved (Moghaddam et al., 2006).

What Makes a Smoothie Balanced?

To avoid a blood sugar spike and get lasting energy, your smoothie should include:

1. Protein (10–20g)

Protein slows gastric emptying and helps buffer the glycemic impact of carbohydrates. It’s also essential for muscle repair, metabolism, and hormone regulation.

Try: collagen peptides, bone broth protein, hemp protein

2. Healthy Fats

Fats further slow digestion and help you absorb fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K. They also support brain function and hormone production.

Try: MCT oil, avocado, coconut, flax oil

3. Fiber

Fiber is key to gut health and blood sugar balance*. It slows glucose absorption, feeds your microbiome, and keeps you feeling full*.

Try: chia seeds, ground flax, PHGG, shredded coconut

4. Low-Glycemic Antioxidants

Berries, cinnamon, and greens provide polyphenols that support blood sugar regulation and combat oxidative stress.

Try: wild blueberries, acai powder, microgreens, Ceylon cinnamon

5. Optional Boosters

Add functional ingredients like ginger, adaptogens, or your personalized gut biotic powder to tailor your smoothie to your gut and hormonal needs*.

Hilary’s Antioxidant Power Smoothie

A blood sugar-friendly, nutrient-dense smoothie you’ll actually feel good drinking.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk (or water)

• ½ cup frozen wild blueberries

• ¼ avocado

• 1 scoop bone broth protein or collagen peptides

• 1 tsp MCT oil

• 1 stickpack (or however much you use) Viome VRx My·Biotics Gut Formula

• 1 tbsp shredded coconut

• ½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon

• 1 handful microgreens (optional)

• 1 nub fresh ginger (optional)

Optional Boosters (choose 1–2):

• 1 tsp adaptogen (e.g., maca, functional mushrooms, ashwagandha if tolerated)

• 1 tsp freeze-dried acai powder

Instructions:

1. Add coconut milk or water to the blender.

2. Add all other ingredients.

3. Blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Adjust texture with more liquid or ice if needed.

5. Sip and feel good knowing you’re supporting your gut, hormones, and energy.

The Science Behind It

• Protein & fat reduce glycemic response: Adding protein and fat to a carbohydrate-rich meal significantly reduces the glucose response (Bell et al., 2015)

• Fiber improves insulin sensitivity and satiety: Soluble fibers like PHGG and flax help maintain healthy blood glucose levels and nourish the gut microbiome* (Slavin, 2005)

• Cinnamon may improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism: Especially Ceylon cinnamon (Zarezadeh et al., 2023)

• Blueberries support metabolic health: Rich in anthocyanins, which help reduce oxidative stress and support glucose metabolism (Morissette et al., 2020)

Smoothies That Work With Your Body

Next time you make a smoothie, don’t just throw in a banana and call it breakfast. Make it intentional.

Support your blood sugar, hormones, and gut health with a blend that nourishes every part of you*.