Our gut health can really take a beating this time of year, with new kinds of indulgent meals, extra stress, and more sugar than we’re used to having. So today, I wanted to share one of my favorite smoothies for revitalizing gut health, with intentionally chosen ingredients to use food as your medicine towards better digestion.
Yogurt offers beneficial bacteria to balance our internal ecosystem while the polyphenols in blueberries and inulin in jicama work as prebiotics to help feed those good gut bugs. Broccoli sprouts contain sulforaphane to reduce inflammation and promote detoxification, and they’ve also been found to support microbial diversity within the gut. Spinach and chia seeds provide fiber to help the body effectively remove waste and stay on schedule. Lemon pulp contains a form of soluble fiber called pectin, that can enhance the gut barrier and improve immunity while supporting a variety of beneficial microbes.
The combination of these functional ingredients makes a powerful smoothie to support your digestive system when it needs it most.
Enjoy!
Wishing you health and happiness,
Mark Hyman, MD
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Ingredients:
- 1 scoop Farmacy Super Simple Grassfed Vanilla Protein (or any no-sugar-added vanilla protein powder)
- ½ cup ice cubes
- 1 cup flaxseed milk or any other nut milk, unsweetened
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or plain coconut yogurt
- ¼ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup packed spinach
- ½ cup broccoli sprouts
- ⅓ cup chopped jicama
- ½ large lemon, with pulp, skin removed
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
Method:
1. Add all of the smoothie base ingredients into a blender and purée until smooth.
2. To serve, pour the smoothie into a cup, add any desired garnish, and enjoy!
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories: 274, Total Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol:12mg, Fiber: 11g, Protein: 26g, Carbohydrates: 26g, Sodium: 372mg, Sugars: 10g, Net Carbs: 15g