WHY YOU NEED A HEALTHY GUT
Our gut health smoothie recipe is designed to nourish and promote the growth of friendly microorganisms in your gut that protect your health.
Your intestinal microflora (microbiome, microbiota) are the beneficial microorganisms that play an essential role in maintaining your metabolism and immune system.
Imbalances in your microbiome are associated with inflammation, obesity, poor immune function, and disease.
GUT HEALTH EQUALS IMMUNE HEALTH
80% of your immune health depends on the microorganisms that live in your gut. To maintain a robust immune system, you need to address any imbalance in your gut microbial community (microbiome).
Too many pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria and not enough friendly bacteria contribute to an irritable bowel (diarrhoea, constipation), smelly gas, bad breath, bloating, an itchy anus, and a compromised immune response.
YOUR MICROBIOME DEPENDS ON YOU
The food we eat determines what kind of microorganisms we grow in our guts.
Processed foods that are high in fats and sugar and low in fibre • deep-fried foods • red meat • industrial livestock (cow, sheep, chicken, pig) and farmed fish that are fed antibiotics • diet foods containing synthetic sweeteners • carbonated (fizzy) drinks • certain medications • and alcohol challenge your microbiome and damage friendly bacteria.
A happy, healthy gut requires a fibre-rich diet. Foods such as whole grains, oat bran, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables all contain prebiotic fibres that feed friendly bacteria and nurture gut health.
Our gut health smoothie provides a fibre-rich boost for your microbiome and enzyme-rich fruit for healthy digestion.
GUT HEALTH SMOOTHIE RECIPE
Ingredients
1 cup of organic plant-based milk (250ml) almond, oat or Bonsoy.
1 probiotic capsule.
1 teaspoon of organic chia seeds.
1 teaspoon of organic golden linseeds (flaxseeds).
1 teaspoon of organic hemp seeds.
1 teaspoon of organic maca powder.
1 tablespoon of organic oat bran.
1 ripe banana.
1/4 cup of fresh or frozen organic blueberries.
1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango or papaya.
Directions
Place all your ingredients into a blender, adding the seeds and bran last.
Blend until smooth.
You can add extra milk if your smoothie is too thick.
Pour into a glass, and drink with a chewing action to enhance digestion.
RECIPE NOTES
You can drink a gut health smoothie every day for breakfast, or 2-3 times per week.
Click on the link here to download a free copy of the Gut Health Boosting Smoothie recipe.
Add 1-2 organic Medjool dates or raw honey if you need sweetening.
You can add a handful of raw seeds or nuts to your smoothie. Just soak them overnight in a small amount of water to soften and activate them.
You can boost your smoothies with a teaspoon of your favourite nutritional powders, greens or berry powders, spirulina, or raw cacao. Make it your way.
You can add a teaspoon of organic blackstrap molasses to your smoothie if you are low in iron.
You can use any fruits you love in your smoothie. Use very ripe fruit to give you natural sweetness. The riper the better. If you can’t buy fresh fruit, use organic frozen fruit.
Probiotic capsules contain live microorganisms that support or improve the good (friendly) bacteria in your gut. Talk to your naturopath or pharmacist about the best gut-immune probiotic for you.
Maca powder boosts energy, mental clarity and mood, and is used to rebalance hormones.
Oat bran is a prebiotic, nutritional powerhouse for gut health that has 50% more fibre than quick or rolled oats. We have Lotus organic oat bran at the clinic. Call us if you find it hard to buy.
Chia, linseeds, and hemp seeds are rich in fibre and omega-3 fatty acids. They are considered prebiotics due to their high fibre content that nourishes healthy gut bacteria.
We recommend golden linseeds because they have higher polyunsaturated fatty acids and less monounsaturated fatty acids than brown flaxseeds. They also have larger amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid. Both are nutritious, so use what you have on hand.
The unique gelling action of chia seeds keeps you feeling full and helps balance your blood sugar. The combination of soluble and insoluble fibre slows down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars and reduces sugar cravings.
GUT HEALTH & ENZYMES
Good digestion is essential for maintaining a healthy gut. So, make sure you eat plenty of raw foods that contain high levels of natural digestive enzymes.
- Apple cider vinegar with the mother.
- Apples.
- Apricots.
- Asparagus.
- Avocados.
- Bananas.
- Carrots.
- Fresh turmeric.
- Ginger.
- Grapefruit.
- Honey – raw.
- Kefir.
- Kimchi.
- Kiwi fruit.
- Kombucha.
- Lime juice.
- Mango.
- Miso.
- Papaya (paw paw).
- Pineapple – fresh.
- Pu-erh tea.
- Raw Honey.
- Ripe tomatoes.
- Sauerkraut.
- Spinach.
- Tempeh
DO YOU NEED HELP?
Our naturopath Tracee Blythe helps people restore their health through nutrition and naturopathic support.
If you need help with your gut health, Tracee provides one-on-one consultations. She also offers an online 14-day RESET program, including a comprehensive RESET guide, recipe books, daily motivation emails, a food & mood journal, a meal planning diary, and personal assistance.
For more information about Tracee, visit our website.
Enjoy creating better gut health!
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