Drinks

Forget doing another set of crunches at the gym. Tomorrow morning, sip on this deliciously sweet smoothie packed with ingredients that fight belly fat and reduce bloating — all for under 300 calories.

The Greek yogurt in the recipe provides a good amount of calcium and protein, both of which can aid in weight loss. The smoothie also contains several ingredients — like blueberries — which have been shown to help diminish belly fat. If that's not enough, you also get the sweetness of pineapple, which contains an enzyme that helps ease digestion and banish bloat. You won't be able to taste the kale, which is full of fiber to prevent constipation, as well as calorie-free water to help clean you out.

From Jenny Sugar, POPSUGAR Fitness

Flat-Belly Smoothie

Ingredients

3 ounces vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup kale
3/4 cup water

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.
2. Enjoy immediately.

Makes one serving.

Source: Calorie Count

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If your hair is dull, dry, and brittle, forget spending tons of money on shampoos and styling products that claim to offer shine and moisture. You need to replenish your hair from the inside out! Made from hair-healthy ingredients like Greek yogurt, blueberries, and kidney beans, this smoothie will help moisturize the scalp and encourage growth. The beans also offer biotin, which is not only great for your hair, but for your skin as well.

This under 400-calorie smoothie contains almost 20 grams of protein. If you're skeptical about the beans and spinach, the fruit overpowers their mild flavors so you hardly even notice they're there.

Keep reading for the simple recipe and nutritional info.

If you've never had the aperitif known as Lillet Rouge, you'll want to know that it's fruity, complex, and satisfying in its own right. But it shines even brighter when paired with sweet and spicy ginger beer. Add a wedge of grapefruit, and you've got an unbeatable combination of ease and excellence.

Bold name aside, this aperitif is light and refreshing. At 18 percent alcohol, Lillet Rouge is a natural fit for day drinking, as it'll offer a subtle buzz without knocking you off your feet.

Get the exceptionally easy cocktail recipe.

This garden-to-glass cocktail pays homage to what I consider to be the most underrated Spring fruit of all time: the apricot. There's only a short window of time in May when these stone fruits are ripe, plump, and bursting with sweet juice; after that, they turn mealy and flavorless. Make the most of their short-lived season with a cocktail that highlights the fruit's floral, honeysuckle-like flavor. This tipple, which is inspired by the classic whiskey smash, calls for just apricots, agave, lemon, and bourbon. Got four ingredients and five minutes? Then make the apricot smash.

If you've had BluePrint Juice's refreshing concoction of pineapple, green apple, and mint (P.A.M.) and thought to yourself how good it would be in a cocktail, you definitely have the makings of a bartender in you! BluePrint's P.A.M. has everything you want in a great Summer cocktail — a balanced flavor profile of sweet and tart with just a little something extra from the fresh mint. All it takes is one sip to be transported to a tropical beachside destination. Adding to its taste appeal are of course P.A.M.'s many nutritional benefits: made from raw, live juice, pineapple and mint are both known for their detoxing and debloating benefits.

First we set out to hack BluePrint's P.A.M. recipe for ourselves, which was a success in its own right. But after mixing it up with a little rum, we may have even improved on the original.

Fans of the mojito, learn how to make your new favorite Summer cocktail after the break!

If you're having trouble falling asleep at night, skip the sleeping pills for this nutrient-rich juice instead. Neka Pasquale, founder of Urban Remedy, developed this recipe using ingredients known for having calming properties on the body. The result is a bright and balanced green juice that would taste good whatever the time of day! Here's how each ingredient adds to the overall effect of Neka's natural sleep aid:

• Celery juice: Neka says celery juice contains essential oils that have a "calming effect on the nervous system," which can help the body unwind. "It also contains a high level of magnesium, which promotes muscle relaxation and a sense of well-being."
• Watercress and romaine: Both of these ingredients are high in calcium, which, like magnesium, can help the body relax after a long day.
• Lemon and orange: The citrus in this recipe contain inositol, which Neka says can help enhance REM sleep. In small studies, inositol has also been shown to calm anxiety, which may be especially helpful if stress keeps you up at night.

But juice alone is not a cure-all to restless nights; taking care of the body is key, Neka says. "Get yourself in bed around 10 p.m., as this is the body's natural resting time. Even if you're not ready to fall asleep, lay down and read a book or listen to music. It's the act of putting the body in a resting position that's most important!”

See Neka's recipe for sweet green sleep juice after the break!

Mouth-puckeringly tart, slightly sweet, cool, and creamy, the mango lassi is a natural pairing with spicy Indian dishes as its dairy base quells fiery bursts of heat. Thankfully, like its smoothie kin, it's a simple recipe to master and, likewise, worth considering beyond the dinner table.

Thinner than a typical smoothie (thanks to a healthy dose of milk), a lassi isn't an exact analogue per se but ticks many of the same boxes. For those only familiar with it as Indian-restaurant fare, it might seem like an odd choice for breakfast, but I bet once you try your hand at the easy recipe, you'll want to enjoy it morning, noon, and night.

Concocting an elaborate cocktail can be almost as fun as sipping and savoring it, but when temperatures blaze, dead-simple is the way to go. Case in point: this tangy, tamarind-spiked dark and stormy, which despite its exotic upgrade manages to clock in at a mere four ingredients, no shaker needed.

The only (debatable) downside? Its alcohol content is knocked down a notch by the addition of tamarind drinking vinegar — a "problem" easily alleviated by swapping alcoholic ginger beer for a boozier kick. On the flip side, when made with classic ginger beer, the lighter tipple is more day-drinking friendly than its full-strength classic forebearer.

Keep reading for the refreshing recipe.