Healing Blueberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Being that I’m gluten and lactose intolerant, people often ask me what I eat (in general). After I list off some basic staples to my diet, they still seem stumped by breakfast. People who have recently started eating gluten-free wonder if there’s any hope left for the most important meal of the day. Most of America starts the day off with wheat galore...muffins, bagels, pancakes, toast, gluten-ridden breakfast bars, pop tarts...you get the picture. Most people who eat gluten-free have had some kind of digestive issue so it's important the first meal start the day off packed with nutrients that will provide healing for the body. Smoothies are a wonderful way to get lots of nutrients in the morning, even if you’re in a hurry and don't have time to sit down to eat. I’ll be honest, I didn’t love my smoothies at first. Once I realized I was lactose intolerant, I switched to goat dairy products, which I am able to tolerate with no problems. Minus the taste! Goat dairy is pretty gamey in taste. Even before the gamey goat products graced my smoothies, I’d never been a big yogurt person. Whenever I ate something with yogurt, I tried not to breathe out of my nose. After becoming desperate for healing, especially in my gut, I decided I needed to give yogurt another chance. After much trial and error, the recipe below has little to no hint of yogurt taste even though there's a whole cup in there!

Why the push for yogurt? You've probably noticed the grocery store has exploded in the past few years with every flavor imaginable. Yogurt promotes digestive health because it has live cultures that populate your gut with good bacteria, which are also known as probiotics. Probiotics are essential for digestive and overall health. They can prevent infection, improve immune function, aid in cell growth, digestion of food, and absorption of nutrients. When your gut is populated with the right bacteria, most digestive problems disappear. And let me tell you, I was having major problems with my digestion prior to my understanding of probiotics.

For someone who has been on a prolonged regimen of antibiotics, like I had been for almost a year, your body is in desperate need of good bacteria to repopulate the gut. When you are given an antibiotic, it’s usually to kill off a bacterial infection somewhere in your body. I say “usually” because it is not completely uncommon for a doctor to prescribe antibiotics for a viral infection just to “play it safe.” (Antibiotics don’t kill viruses…) When the antibiotic is in the process of killing off the infection like we want it to, it doesn’t know which bacteria are good and which are bad, so it kills both. As a result, all the functions probiotics have in the gut are severely impaired. If you notice you have low immunity and/or you’re having digestive problems, you should start a probiotic regimen asap!

Below is my go-to smoothie recipe. It has served me well for the past 3 years of my life and is always there when I'm in need of a soothing, digestive remedy. You can use any berry, but blueberries are an excellent healing food. There was a clinical study done at Lund university in Sweden that found blueberries can protect against intestinal inflammation and when consumed with probiotics, the beneficial effects increase (For more info: click here).

I will posting my other favorite recipes another time, including but not limited to, “Peanut Butter Cookie”, “Double Chocolate Chip”, “Coconut Cream Pie”, and “Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin.” I like to name them after desserts because it makes them taste even better. 

Instructions:

(Recipe at end of post)

1) Add yogurt

Health benefits of yogurt:

-probiotics in yogurt aid in digestion, immunity, and fight against yeast infections. 

- calcium

-Protein

2) Add whey or probiotic formula

  Health benefits of whey made from raw milk:

-Protein

-Concentrated probiotics 

-Reduce rise in blood sugar levels

 3) Add flax seed meal

 Health Benefits:

-More Omega 3 fatty acids than any other food. Omega 3's can prevent cancer cell growth

-A lot of fiber (Careful here! I never eat more than 2 Tbs. at a time)

-Anti-inflammatory properties

-antioxidants

-promotes cardiovascular health

 4) Add natural peanut butter

 Peanut butter is what takes away the yogurt flavor for me so I put in 2 Tbs. but 1 Tbs. is plenty.

It's really important that you purchase "all natural" peanut butter because it won't have hydrogenated oil in it. That stuff is seriously dangerous for your health, not to mention just gross as the oil is usually rancid and then bleached.

 Health Benefits:

-7 grams of protein in 2 Tablespoons

 -Good source of folate to promote healthy pregnancy

-2 grams of fiber per once

-Regulate mood (Tryptophan)

-Regulate blood sugar levels

-Promote cardiovascular health

-Cancer-fighting (beta-sitoserol (SIT)) 

 5) Add Coconut Oil

Health Benefits:

-anti-viral, fungal, and bacterial 

-Boosts metabolism and regulates weight

-This "good" fat can be easily converted into energy in the liver

-boosts immunity

-Supports thyroid function

 6) Add Banana

 Health Benefits:

-Regulate blood sugar

-High in potassium which is depleted in stress

-Fight depression (Serotonin)

-Regulate blood pressure

-Fight constipation due to high fiber

-Help reduce morning sickness

-Reduce PMS through B6

-Increase alertness

7) Add egg yolk

 

Health Benefits:

-protein

-fat soluble vitamins A and D

- Promote nervous system (EPA and DHA)

-Good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, but ONLY if the chicken ate a proper diet. The eggs must be labeled as rich in Omega 3's OR (the better option) pasture raised so they can eat bugs and worms instead of grain. 

-Raw egg consumption is dangerous if you are not buying organic/pasture-raised eggs because the conditions that most chickens live are harmful and can cause problems. Otherwise, I recommend washing the outside of the egg and drying it before using it. I've been eating raw eggs the past 3 years and have never run into a problem other than at times being a little squirmish!

8) Add berries

Health Benefits:

-strong antimicrobial and antioxidative properties (top of the list in among all fruits and veggies)

 -neutralizes free radical cell damage

- strongly reduces the risk of diseases related to inflammation

9) Blend until desired smoothness is reached!

 

10) Pour into a pretty glass, drink in the nutrient-richness, and enjoy the healing as it floods into every nook and cranny!

 

Healing Blueberry Banana Smoothie Recipe:

1 cup yogurt

2 Tbs. whey or serving size of other probiotic formula (such as Bio-Kult probiotic powder tablets)

2 Tbs. Flax Seed Meal 

1 to 2 Tbs. Natural Peanut Butter (optional)

1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

1 Organic, Pasture-Raised Egg yolk (Shell washed with soup and dried thoroughly)

Half a banana

1/2 cup of frozen berries (Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc)

Instructions:

Blend until smooth