If your gut health diet aims to support your native microbiome, here’s the smoothie recipe for you.
Digestive Health Smoothies Support Your Native Microbiome
I regularly drink a healthy gut smoothie to improve digestion and support gut health, and I thought I’d share the recipe with you! Gut health smoothies are blended drinks of fresh fruits, dark leafy greens, all-natural supplements, and a selection of our extracts that will help to support your gut health diet and provide herbal detox/cleanse support. They can also energizie you and help transform your body from the inside out. Best of all — they taste great!
Gut Health Diet Tips
Before I show you how to make healthy gut smoothies, I’d like to share a few tips.
First, use strawberries in your gut health diet smoothies. Strawberries can help improve the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Strawberries contain antioxidants and flavonoids, including resveratrol, which can help decrease blood pressure. Resveratrol helps relax the arterial walls, decreases the pressure in the arteries, and promotes better circulation. Strawberries also contain polyphenols, which can reduce the body’s inflammatory response.
Second, choose your ingredients with intention. It’s common to fill smoothies with way too much fruit and no leafy greens. It’s also common to fill them with artificial sweeteners, Stevia extract, and processed sugars.
Leafy greens are packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and high-quality amino acids. Don’t leave them out! Leafy greens include spinach, kale, microgreens, endive, romaine, Swiss chard, collard greens, cabbage, watercress, romaine lettuce, and bok choy.
Third, freeze your fruits to make your healthy gut smoothies thicker and less liquid-like.
You can also freeze your leafy greens in a freezer-safe bag. Just make sure to add your frozen greens straight to the blender (don’t defrost them before use).
Gut Health Diet Supplements and Extracts
Supplements are herbs, vitamins, minerals, and other healthy substances you can add to a smoothie. Gut health diet smoothies incorporate the following supplements, all of which specifically support gut health and reduce inflammation. You can learn more about herbal therapeutics that soothe your gut here and explore our Gut Health Kits here.
Terminalia chebula (Haritaki)
Terminalia is often referred to as the King of Medicines. It’s mainly used to support digestive health and joint health. Therapeutic uses include strengthening and nourishing the joint tissues and supporting the proper function of the colon, lungs, liver, and spleen. Highly revered in India, it’s believed to increase energy, intelligence, and awareness. In traditional systems, it helps address digestive disorders by being useful for constipation, irritable bowel system, flatulence, ulcers, vomiting, intermittent fever, kidney stones, and hemorrhoids. It helps maintain regular elimination, helping to clear accumulated toxins in the gut.
Terminalia therapeutic uses include removing toxins and reducing hypertension. It’s rich in vitamin C and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Properties include antiarthritic, antibacterial, anticaries, anticholinerterase, antidiabetic, antifungal, cardioprotective, cytoprotective, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, nephroprotective, and prokinetic.
(We sell Terminalia in 100 gram size as GURGLE! Digestive Support, as well as in sizes of 200 grams or more.) Read the Terminalia FAQ.
Phyllanthus niruri (Chanca Piedra) (optional)
Sourced in the Amazon region of Peru, Phyllanthus niruri has 100+ bioactive compounds. It’s a powerful antioxidant, a nootropic, and the world’s best synergistic adaptogen. No other plant in the world offers more health benefits. Phyllanthus promotes healthy digestion and soothes digestive disorders. It’s also used for constipation, irritable bowel system, flatulence, ulcers, vomiting, kidney stones, and hemorrhoids. It maintains regular elimination, helping to clear accumulated toxins in the gut. Read the Phyllanthus FAQ.
Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi, Holy Basil) (optional)
Ocimum has been used in ancient Greek, Unani, and Ayurvedic systems of holistic health for thousands of years. It’s a nootropic, adaptogen, and antioxidant, and it facilitates healthy liver function, which is a must for improving digestive health. It also supports proper metabolism, absorption, and assimilation of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. Tulsi is gastroprotective, meaning it can increase gastric defensive factors like mucin secretion, cellular mucus, and the lifespan of mucosal cells. Read the Ocimum FAQ.
Hemp Seeds (optional)
Two tablespoons of hemp seed offer 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, 300 mg of potassium, 15% of your daily vitamin A needs, and 25% of your daily iron needs. Nutrient-dense hemp has a unique fatty-acid profile that includes common omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as less common stearidonic and gamma linoleic acids that fight inflammation and protect your heart and immune system.
Greek Yogurt (optional)
A cup of plain Greek yogurt can help you meet recommended dietary guidelines for low-fat dairy products. Greek yogurt may also be easier to digest because of the bacterial breakdown of the milk’s sugars. And it’s packed with probiotics, healthy bacteria that can support your immune system and decrease stomach issues, such as diarrhea and pain. Finally, it’s a great source of protein, calcium, B-12, and potassium, making it key to any gut health diet.
Gut Health Diet Smoothie Recipe
Here’s my favorite gut health diet smoothie recipe. (Makes 2 servings)
Gut Health Diet Smoothie Ingredients
- 3 cups of leafy greens
- 2 cups of frozen strawberries
- 1/2 banana (optional)
- 2 cups of liquid [flaxseed milk or unsweetened (vanilla) almond milk]
- 1/2 t Terminalia chebula (Haritaki)
- 1/2 t Phyllanthus niruri (Chanca Piedra) (optional)
- 1/2 t Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi, Holy Basil) (optional)
- 2 T hemp seeds (optional)
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt (optional)
Gut Health Diet Smoothie Instructions
- Tightly pack leafy greens in a measuring cup and then toss into blender.
- Add liquid and blend well.
- Add strawberries, supplements, and extracts. Blend again until smooth.
- Adjust the consistency to your liking — add ice to thicken or add more liquid to thin it out.
- Pour your gut health diet smoothies into two glasses and enjoy!