Best Berry Smoothie

This is my absolute favorite smoothie of all time. I would literally have it every single day for breakfast if I could! (I only don’t because I know how super important variety is in the diet to best support the microbiome and lower inflammation.)

Note that this smoothie is gluten and dairy free, SCD legal, low FODMAP, Paleo, and low oxalate.

Aside from this recipe being inexpensive, super easy and quick to make, it is also bursting with nutrients. Here’s a quick rundown of the top ingredients in this recipe and the benefits they offer:

Blueberries

I could wax poetic for ages about blueberries. Be sure to make this fruit a regular in your diet. Here is just a sampling of some of their top health benefits:

1.      They are nutrient dense, with 4g of fiber per one cup serving and packed full of vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. 

2.      Blueberries contain some of the highest antioxidant levels found in popular fruits and vegetables. The main antioxidant flavonoids found in blueberries, anthocyanins, have been shown to increase antioxidant levels in the body (1).

3.      Research has shown blueberries to protect against inflammatory bowel disease in animal models. The anthocyanins in blueberries were shown to decrease diarrhea and reduce inflammatory markers (2). 

4.       Blueberries improve blood sugar control. A double blind, randomized study found that obese, insulin resistant participants who consumed a blueberry smoothie twice daily for six weeks, experienced a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity (3).  

5.      Blueberries improve brain functioning by increasing neuronal signaling in parts of the brain involved with memory function.  In older adults with some memory changes, 12 weeks of blueberry juice consumption was shown to improve learning, word recall, and decreased depressive symptoms (4). 

Bananas

1.       The banana is an excellent source of potassium, manganese, and vitamin B6.
2.        The resistant starch  in bananas slows stomach emptying and moderates blood sugar response, so that you feel full for longer and don’t overeat (5). 
3.        Bananas are great for digestive health because their resistant starch feed the healthy bacteria in the gut and decreases colon cancer risk (6).  Most of my clients with digestive disorders such as IBS and IBD tolerate bananas very well.
4.       Research has found that people who consume bananas most days of the week have a nearly 50% lower risk of developing kidney disease (7). 

Sunflower Seeds

1.       Packed with nutrients—seeds are a good source of vitamin E, selenium, manganese, copper, magnesium and pantothenic acid.

2.       Reduce inflammation- Frequent nut and seed intake has been shown to significantly decrease important inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and IL-6 (8). 

3.       Women who ate 1 oz of sunflower seeds daily for 3 weeks, experienced lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides (9). 

4.       Sunflower seeds support healthy immunity due to their high vitamin E content (10). 

More to come on the benefits of kale and collagen in an upcoming post!