My Lockdown Gut Immunity Smoothie
I’d love to introduce you to the smoothie I’ve been having on the regular for the last few weeks. It helps to clean and prime the gut, it repopulates your good bacteria, feeds them with healthy prebiotic-rich fibres and also provides the amino acids needed to repair and rebuild the intestinal wall, strengthening it, so that you can absorb more nutrients from the foods that you’re eating.
Did you know that a whopping 80% of your immune tissue and cells reside within your gut?
This means the gut is essential when it comes to having a strong and robust immune system. A clean, healthy and loved gut ensures the best environment for disease-fighting (good) bacteria to thrive. Good bacteria are allies for your immune cells and communicate with them to keep you healthy.
Your gut is your first entry point for pathogens and bacteria, and the good flora that resides in your gut helps to reduce harmful substances from entering, and being absorbed through the gut lining, it also regulates and stabilises your digestion and trains your immune system to communicate with your brain.
Your gut really is your gateway to your immune system.
Today I’m breaking down my Supercharged Gut Immunity Smoothie piece by piece so you can look at why these gut-friendly ingredients are useful:
Celery: Has antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties and its seeds are useful in the treatment of bronchitis.
Carrot: A prebiotic, can inhibit the growth of undesirable bad bacteria, without negatively affecting good probiotic species
Cucumber: Promotes hydration and removal of waste products.
Rocket: is natural anti-histamine and being alkaline, it helps to balance your body's optimal pH, which is vital for a healthy digestive system.
Kale: Studies show kale is rich in vitamins (A, K, C, folate), essential minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium), and dietary fibre.
Blueberries: are rich in anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory properties and may alter the gut microbiota.
Banana: When just under-ripe they serve as good prebiotics for the digestive system and when ripe they help with bloating
Mango: Contains a combination of polyphenols and fibre. This is the kind of fibre which is effective in relieving constipation
Kefir or yoghurt: Rocket fuel for good bacteria in the gut.
Golden gut blend: Is a cleaner and primer for the gut with the addition of turmeric, which has potent anti-inflammatory effects.
Plant-based protein powder: Beneficially impacts the intestinal environment to enhance digestion.
Collagen: Your villi along the intestinal wall are made up of collagen and its amino acids can help seal the gut and support connective tissue.
If you don’t have access to fresh vegetables it’s ok to use whatever you have frozen. I’m growing kale and rocket in the garden at the moment and I put it into the freezer and use that it’s easy to grow even if you have it in a pot. Don’t forget that it’s ok to freeze your greens like spinach, kale and rocket too.
For more tips on how to support your immune system, click here and here.
Love Your Gut powder and capsules gently clean your gut. Their pH of 8 keeps it nice and balanced, eliminating harmful bacteria, fungi and parasites and ensuring you have the right balance of good and bad bacteria.
Think of it like brushing your teeth - if you skip a brush you can feel the bacteria and plaque on your teeth. It's the same with your gut.
Keep it clean so it can do its work alongside your immune cells to keep you strong and healthy.
My Lockdown Gut Immunity Smoothie
Serves 2
- 2 sticks celery
- 1 small carrot
- 1/2 cucumber
- Handful rocket
- Handful kale
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 cup frozen mango
- 1/4 cup kefir or yoghurt
- 1/2 tsp ginger (optional)
- 1 tsp golden gut blend
- Scoop plant based protein powder
- Scoop collagen
- 1/2 cup water
Place in blender and whizz until smooth.
