THREE HACKS TO MAKE YOUR SMOOTHIE MORE GUT-FRIENDLY
Smoothies are a great, healthy answer to those in between meals hunger pangs, but despite their healthy benefits, they can be a little tough on the digestive system.
This is because we often fill them with fruit and ice, two cold ingredients that are more difficult to digest.
Why is this?
Although quickly absorbed, fruit can become harder to digest when mixed with other foods, while the cold temperature of ice can stall digestion and the metabolism, according to Robyn Youkilis, health coach and author of ‘Go with your Gut’: “our bodies and our bellies are warm, and they really love warm foods, especially first thing in the morning… think of the digestive system like a fireplace – you want to keep that fire (your metabolism!) burning steady and strong throughout the day. When you drink an icy cold smoothie first thing in the morning, you run the risk of putting out that fire.”
That being said, Youkilis does have some tips on how to make your smoothie more digestion-friendly:
1. Use steamed veg instead of fruit
Steamed then frozen cauliflower, zucchini and sweet potato make smoothies more nutritious and creamier so you won’t need to add as much ice.
2. Add fresh ginger
Ginger raises the thermogenic properties of your body and helps your digestive ‘fire stay alight’; quite literally warming you from the inside out.
3. Chew your smoothie
Yep, Instead of drinking your smoothie, make it into a smoothie bowl and eat it with a spoon. This will help activate the digestive enzymes of your saliva, which need a moment with your food to start working.
(Plus, smoothie bowls are super Instagram-friendly when poured into a pretty bowl and topped with coconut flakes, berries and nut butters).
As well as proper nutrition, an active lifestyle may be assisted by Releaf Probiotic Active, a combination of 12 probiotic strains that also contains Vitamin A, D3 and Zinc, which could help support the immune system, regulate connective tissue formation and promote good health while training. Also available in a convenient sachet, is Releaf Probiotic Melt 12-strain. Add one sachet to your daily smoothie for a gut boost.
Read: Activated Charcoal Smoothie Recipes
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