“People don’t realize how insulin works in the bod—it shuts down fat burning for six to eight hours. I can have a client trying really hard, going to get a smoothie and thinking it’s the right thing to do, and then that smoothie makes their blood sugar spike up and crashes down. People start to feel hungry as little as 90 minutes after a meal, when they’re starting to have that crash. When people elongate that blood sugar curve, they really can go four to six hours without thinking about food.” So how do you fill yourself up at a meal so that your blood sugar stays stable and you can get away with not eating for another four to six hours? That’s where what Kelly calls the Fab 4 comes in. “At every meal, you want to include fat, fiber, protein, and greens,” she says. When you apply that formula to her signature smoothie, it looks like this: a scoop of protein (grass-fed whey, pea protein, collagen—all are fine, as long as they come from a high-quality source), 2 tablespoons of fat (avocado, coconut butter), 2 tablespoons of fiber (like flaxseeds), and a handful of greens. She also recommends limiting fruit to a quarter of a cup, trying, again, to mitigate that blood sugar spike. “When my clients start on this, they find themselves going through lunchtime without getting hungry, which allows them to make choices based on what their body needs—not on uncontrollable hunger that makes you reach for whatever is nearby.” Although Kelly recommends playing around with the smoothie (there are infinite combinations using the ratios she gives as a guideline), here’s an easy one to start with. Try it, and see how your hunger reacts! Ingredients Blend all ingredients together until very smooth. Enjoy!
