GLUTEN FREE · DAIRY FREE · NUT FREE · PALEO/AIP OPTION

This delicious smoothie makes a great breakfast or snack, and is perfect for when you are struggling to eat properly. During an IBD flare, this has been an invaluable supplement to my nutrition, as it is pleasant but fairly mild in flavour (important if you’re dealing with nausea), it’s not too thick, making it easy to drink, it’s full of strengthening goodness, and it’s not overwhelmed by too many separate ingredients.

It’s so easy to go overboard with the number of things we put in smoothies, but just because everything gets blended into one, doesn’t mean it can’t overwhelm our digestive system. Some people complain that smoothies leave them feeling bloated - in such a case I would encourage you to try a smoothie with minimal ingredients and see if that makes a difference. It usually does.

You may not have a problem with a jam-packed smoothie under normal circumstances, but if your gut is stressed, it will be very grateful for something simple (yet nutritious) to take in and break down with minimum effort. This smoothie does just that: it provides gut-soothing and gut-supporting nutrition, good fats, vitamins and antioxidants, and is easy on the digestive system. It’s also very tasty!

The Ingredients

Banana

Bananas provide you with energy and are an excellent source of potassium - important for blood pressure, and maintaining electrolyte balance and managing dehydration (always a concern in an IBD flare). According to the principles of Ayurveda, bananas also support digestion and are good for the stomach.

Freezing the banana gives it a nice creaminess when blended, and no ‘slimy’ texture as can happen if you use a fresh banana.

Non-dairy milk

Choose your favourite non-dairy milk for this, milder-tasting options are best if you are using this to support your nutrition during a flare, as it will make the smoothie much easier to drink.

Paleo milk options: almond, cashew, coconut, hazelnut, hemp.

AIP milk options: coconut, tigernut (chufa).

Other: oat, rice, soy.

Coconut oil

A source of fat, to help slow the absorption of the sugars in the smoothie, thus stabilising blood sugar - important for healing.

Coconut oil is also high in lauric acid, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, which are valuable when fighting a flare, as they are helpful for fighting pathogens. For more on coconut oil, read this.

Collagen Peptides

Collagen is a type of structural protein in the body, and as the tissue of the digestive tract is made up of the amino acids in collagen, it can be deduced that collagen is helpful when it comes to supporting the gut. Indeed, collagen has been found to help heal the lining of an inflamed gut, thus improving intestinal permeability (leaky gut), which in turn helps reduce autoimmune reactions.

On a non-gut-related note, collagen is also good for skin, hair, nails, bones and joints!

Collagen Peptides (also called hydrolyzed collagen) are easier for your body to absorb as the amino acids in collagen have been broken down into smaller molecules (meaning it also dissolves easily in hot or cold liquids) . This also means it is less likely to cause any undesirable side effects. For instance, collagen (in its whole form) or gelatin (the cooked form of collagen) can sometimes cause some digestive discomfort, such as bloating, but collagen peptides are generally much better tolerated.

If you are unsure, or have never tried collagen peptides before, start off with a smaller dose to ensure you tolerate it, and gradually build up to the recommended dose.

Berries

Pick your favourite berries (mine are blueberries), or go with a combination! Berries are high in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. They are also lower in sugar than many other fruits.

You can of course use the berries as they are in the smoothie, but the benefit of making them into a coulis first is that you get rid of the skins and seeds in the process, and this is very important if you are using the smoothie during an IBD flare, as skins and seeds can irritate an inflamed gut.

Coconut yogurt (optional)

This is an optional ingredient which you can add to the smoothie if you would like a slightly thicker texture, or if you want to add a few more calories to the drink (useful if you are trying to manage unwanted weight loss).

Coconut yogurt is low in sugar and contains easily-metabolised fatty acids. If the yogurt is cultured, which I would recommend, then it also contains gut-supporting probiotics - key in the promotion and maintenance of gut health.

TIPS

If you want to make this smoothie low-FODMAP, use a slightly underripe banana, rather than a brown and spotty one.