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How to Make the Perfect Smoothie!

When you don’t have enough time to break away for a sit-down meal, smoothies are a great way to eat right, and eat fast! While smoothies often get a bad rep for being high in calories, with the right ingredients and portion sizes you can actually end up saving calories!

As with most healthy meals, bulk up your smoothies with more veggies than fruit and use more plant-based proteins. Fruits often add extra calories and sugar. However, consuming a limited amount is excellent for fiber and for cutting off some of the bitterness of the veggies in your smoothies. Some delicious protein options are pea, hemp, or rice protein powders. Keeping a more plant-based diet has been known to reduce inflammation in your system and keep you out of your doctor’s office!

So, if you’re new to making these tasty blended drinks, or maybe have tried unsuccessfully to make the right smoothie recipes, here are a few tips to get you on your way:

Step #1: Veggies

Pick 1-3 different kinds of veggies. The darker, the more antioxidants!

  • 1 C Kale = 33 calories
  • 1 C Spinach = 7 calories
  • 1 C Collard greens = 11 calories
  • 1 C Swiss chard = 7 calories

Step #2: Fruit

Choose 1-2 fruits. Don’t forget to cut them up into smaller pieces before tossing them into the blender!

  • ¼ C Strawberries = 13 calories
  • ½ Banana = 50 calories
  • ¼ C Raspberries = 16 calories
  • 1 Green apple = 52 calories

Step #3: Protein

Make your shakes high in protein so that you won’t be hungry an hour later! Just keep your calories in check by staying within the appropriate serving size.

Nut butters:

  •         1T Almond butter = 95 calories, 4g protein
  •         1T Cashew butter = 94 calories, 3g protein
  •         1T Peanut butter = 95 calories, 5g protein

Seeds/seed butters:

  •         1T Sunflower seed butter = 93 calories, 2.8g protein
  •         1T Pumpkin seeds = 56 calories, 3g protein
  •         1T Chia seeds = 65 calories, 2.5g protein
  •         1T Flaxseed = 33 calories, 2g protein

Protein powder:

  •         2 T Hemp protein powder = 60 calories, 10g protein
  •         2 T Rice protein powder = 103 calories, 22g protein
  •         2 T Pea protein powder = 103 calories, 24g protein

Step #4: Extras

Sometimes we just want a little more bulk, and some sweetness to add to our smoothies! No problem so long as you use healthy add-ons like those listed below!

  • ¼ C Oats = 73 calories, 3g protein
  • 1 tsp Agave nectar = 21 calories
  • 1 T Cacao powder = 20 calories, 1g protein
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon = 6 calories
  • ½ T Ginger = 2 calories

Three Popular Smoothie Recipes:

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

  • Stats: Vegan and gluten-free
  • Calories: 350
  • Protein: 27g

Ingredients: Banana, kale, chia seeds, coconut water, protein powder, cacao powder, coconut oil, and cinnamon

Recipe: onegreenplanet.org

Super Kale Shake

  • Stats: Vegan and gluten-free
  • Calories: 400
  • Protein: 10g

Ingredients: Bananas, dairy-free milk, kale cashews, agave nectar, and vanilla

Recipe: rawfoodrecipes.com

Strawberries and Cream Smoothie

  • Stats: Vegan and gluten-free
  • Calories: 260*
  • Protein: 25g*

Ingredients: Cashew or coconut milk, strawberries, and Vanilla Vega Clean Protein® or Vanilla Vega Protein & Greens®*

Recipe: myvega.com

*Calorie and protein count may change depending on which ingredients are used.

Smoothies are like a party in your mouth every time with the multitude of healthy ingredients you can blend into the mix! Who says staying fit and healthy has to be hard? Smoothies can be made in just under 10-minute! Plus, you’ll have more energy to power you through your workouts and then on to the rest of your day!

Get more nutritional advice from one of our Kaia FIT nutrition experts today!

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WHAT’S INCLUDED:

This is a self paced reset, so you can start when you are ready but we recommend to continue with the reset each day once you begin to see the maximum results.

All it takes is 7 DAYS. What are you waiting for?

Kaia Tri is a ten-week triathlon training program with workouts three times a week, which is an optional extra during our spring and summer CORE sessions. We swim, bike, and run, with some cross-training classes too. By being able to set a personal pace, our triathlon training program is suited to beginners tackling their first race and intermediate athletes looking to improve their finish time.

Our mock triathlons run several times to familiarize women with the course route. We finish the season with a Triathlon Training Camp which includes paddle boarding and power workouts. The next day is our exhilarating and fun Triathlon race day for all Kaia Tri women to enjoy working out in a beautiful location. Friends are welcome too!

SANDBAG

Kaia Sandbag combines traditional fitness with unconventional training methods. With sandbags, the weight shifts and moves in an unpredictable fashion. This piece of equipment is integrated into our conditioning & strength building workouts to simultaneously develop strength, power, endurance, mobility, and balance – with an additional emphasis on developing overall core strength and stability.

New to sandbag training? No problem! Beginners are always welcome.

TRX SUSPENSION 

TRX® Suspension Training® body-weight exercise simultaneously develops strength, power, endurance, mobility, durability, balance, flexibility, and core stability. Whether you’re younger or older, out of shape or a pro athlete, injured or at the top of your game, TRX Suspension Training meets you where you are and takes you where you want to go. TRX Suspension Training leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to enable hundreds of exercises that can be instantly scaled for any user to reach any fitness or training goal. The easily-scalable nature of TRX Suspension Training makes it a practical solution wherever you are on the fitness continuum.

Need a little extra boost to keep your body guessing? Our TRX/Cardio class is an excellent complement to any Kaia FIT session. TRX workouts, which can be used by anyone at any level, builds true functional strength and improves flexibility, balance and core stability all at once. Mixed with cardio, the classes give every member the perfect balance of challenge and success.

*TRX classes not available in all areas. Please contact us your local studio.

CROSS-TRAINING

Our trademark Kaia Cross-Training™ classes are a unique mix of cardio, functional movement, and both weighted and non-weighted exercises.

Cross-Training benefits:

Each day brings a new workout. We have an elite group of advanced coaches who infuse each workout with their own flair and focus, meaning you’re never going to repeat a workout, avoid burn-out, and fitness plateaus.

Keeping the body guessing is key to sculpting lean muscle mass. We also have a 3-part modification foundation: Balance (non-impact); Strength (mid-impact) and Kaia (high impact). Each exercise has its own progression so that everyone can feel successful.

As a part of our program, we also offer nutritional guidance to help you make healthy food choices and keep your fitness on track.

What are you waiting for? Join us today!

BARRE

Our barre-based class is a unique combination of postures inspired by ballet, yoga, Pilates and Kaia. Using the barre as a prop to balance, you’ll complete a series of isometric holds combined with high reps of small range movements to elongate and tone your major muscle groups.

In addition to the barre, classes incorporate pilates balls, yoga blocks, and/or resistance bands for increased endurance, challenge and focus. Following each set of holds, you’ll rest and recovery with a short series of stretches and poses to increase flexibility prior to advancing.
Kaia Barre is a low-impact class that perfectly complements our program offerings. Meet us at the barre and try your first class for free!

Participating locations may vary. See the schedule page for more details.

DANCE 

Our dance fitness class is rooted in traditional dance. We use those foundational moves and offer a class that is easy enough for beginners yet challenging enough for the more seasoned dancer. The simplicity of the routines allows you to keep moving with ease. Although this is a workout, it feels more like a dance party with your girlfriends.

RUNNING 

Improve your speed, skill, endurance, stamina, and strength with our Kaia running program. The program works on developing running skills that can increase speed, endurance, and overall fitness. The program is designed for you to run at your pace and and help you see improvements every step of the way.

The Kaia training is a simple, progressive program designed for women of all ages and all fitness levels. Whether you are a walker, jogger, or runner, you will be able to join this program and move at your own pace. Research has shown that even 20 to 30 minutes of running (two to three times per week) is enough to help you lose or maintain weight and improve many other important health markers, i.e. your cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin response.

Don’t be intimidated by the Kaia Run program name, each class will have walkers, joggers and runners. Keep in mind that the first mile is the hardest mile you will ever run. Once you get off the starting block, things only get easier. All you have to do is be patient and disciplined in your training, and that is where Kaia

POWER YOGA

Kaia Yoga combines mind and body with a power yoga and core-strengthening weekly workout with Pilates-style techniques. We focus on balance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness through stretching, strength training and dynamic movement to improve overall fitness levels.

By creating long, lean muscles, Yoga promotes improved coordination, greater flexibility and a fuller range of motion, with a strong body that’s less prone to injury. Yoga keeps the mind centered and reduces stress through positive thoughts and a sense of mindfulness, which also inspires mental strength and confidence.

Yin Yoga, or restorative yoga, is a quiet contemplative practice. It targets the deepest tissues of the body, our connective tissues – ligaments, joints, bones, and the deep fascia networks of the body. Poses are held for 1 minute or more and transitions between poses are gentle and slow. This class is an excellent compliment to our other classes, provides dedicated stretching, and is known to reduce stress and anxiety.

6-WEEK BRIK BOOTCAMP

Our BRIK Bootcamp sessions are offered three times a year and are designed to help you reach your health and fitness potential, and you’re welcome to start anytime!

Our BRIK Bootcamps are six weeks long and feature classes daily.* This programming fits in seamlessly with our regularly scheduled classes, and it’s as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. Register for BRIK Bootcamp HERE (included for Platinum & Gold Memberships)
  2. Book your classes through our branded app and Show Up
  3. Let our expert coaches do the rest!

These sessions offer great results in weight and body fat loss and an increase in strength and cardiovascular endurance. Our nutritional support will boost energy, help you de-bloat, increase sleep quality, and enhance your overall glow.

BRIK Bootcamp includes:

In between BRIK Bootcamp, we offer a variety of classes to meet you at your level! We also have nutrition and fitness challenges, in addition to fun opportunities to spice up your routine. What are you waiting for? Join us today!

CYCLE

Cardio based, calorie torching workout with certified spin instructors. It’s a party on a bike!

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