Happy Gut Kefir Smoothie
This happy gut kefir smoothie will help promote health from the inside out. It’s a great way to boost your immune system and stay well this season.
Looking for ways to boost your immune system this fall and winter?
Well, fortunately, this month’s Recipe Redux topic has you covered. It’s all about promoting gut health. That’s right, by boosting your gut health, you actually boost your immune system and overall health.
Probiotics
One way is to add probiotic-rich food to your daily diet. Probiotics are good-for-you bacteria that are found in a variety of fermented foods, including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, and miso. (You can read more about fermented foods here.)
Prebiotics
In addition to probiotics, you want to be sure to include prebiotics. Prebiotics help feed the probiotics and keep them thriving. Think of prebiotics as food for your gut.
Prebiotics include oats, barley, rye, flax, legumes, bananas, garlic, onions, asparagus, apples, leeks, and mushrooms–plant foods! These foods can’t be fully digested, which means that the bacteria in your large intestine can feed off anything that wasn’t digested in your small intestine.
Kefir
One of my favorite ways to promote good gut health is through kefir smoothies. Kefir is a fermented milk with roots in Eastern Europe and is very healthy for you. During my early childhood in Sweden, I consumed a similar product called filmjölk with my morning muesli or granola.
While yogurt has a lot of probiotics, kefir has a lot more. It’s also naturally 99% lactose-free, making it easy for most people to digest.
You can, of course, substitute yogurt for the kefir as well.
Happy Gut Kefir Smoothie
This happy gut kefir smoothie is packed with ingredients to nourish your gut and boost your immune system. In addition to kefir, it contains:
- wild blueberries – antioxidant and vitamin-packed
- mango – high in prebiotics and vitamin C
- ginger – immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory
- flax meal – prebiotic fiber
- leafy greens – vitamin packed – just 1 leaf per person is all you need
- parsley – immune-boosting – just a few sprigs
- date – for natural sweetness and fiber
While this smoothie is packed with goodness, perhaps it’s too much goodness for you. My 11-year-old prefers it without ginger; my husband is good without the added greens.
Use this recipe as a guide and inspiration for your happy gut smoothie. Make sure you like it because, after all, part of a healthy gut is happiness!
- 1 cup plain kefir (low-fat or full-fat)
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or another milk OR more kefir)
- ½ cup frozen wild blueberries
- ½ cup frozen diced mango (or ½ frozen banana)
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
- 1 knob peeled ginger (about ½-inch piece)
- 1 date, pitted
- 2-4 tablespoons parsley, about 2-4 sprigs
- 1-2 kale leaves, destemmed
- Combine all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and process until smooth.
- Pour into 1 large or 2 small glasses. Enjoy!
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