My Favourite Stress-Busting Digestion-Boosting Smoothie

My Favourite Stress-Busting Digestion-Boosting Smoothie - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Happy February, my friends!

Those of you who read my blog regularly might be thinking “Wait, it’s the beginning of the month and this post is supposed to be about Angela’s 3 goals for February. WHAT is she doing for February?!”

Ingredients for Stress-Busting Digestion-Boosting Smoothie - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Well I’m sorry to disappoint (although I’m about 99.999% sure none of you were actually thinking that.) 😉

It’s true that this is normally the time when I announce new focuses for the month ahead, but I’m going to hold on that until next week. The truth is, last week was a crazy ridiculous, absolute monstrosity of a week. Between really long hours at work, trying to get ahead on projects before being out of office for 2 days, not enough sleep, preparing for my trip and a few other things, I honestly didn’t have the time I wanted to dedicate to this month’s goal setting.

However…

rolled oats and greens

This weekend has been lovely. My cousin’s wedding on Saturday was great, it was really nice to see my relatives and visit with my mum, and I slept like a B-O-S-S last night. I also got to see a few of my besties yesterday and it was pretty much the best thing ever.

But let’s rewind to last week. I usually deal well with busy and stressful situations, and do the best I can to plan ahead so they don’t have to be encountered in the first place. But sometimes even the best proactive planning doesn’t cut it because unexpected events come up. Last week was definitely an example of one of those times!

ginger root

Without getting into the nitty gritty, let’s just say that longer than usual work hours had me burning the candle at both ends, not sleeping well and feeling far from my normal self. My workouts felt tougher than they should have so I scaled them back, but the most noticeable change – as is always the case when I get stressed – was poor digestion.

chia seeds

There has been a lot of talk about digestion on this blog in the past, including the time I found out my gut couldn’t tolerate spinach, my n=1 better digestion experimentand changes I’ve made to reduce bloating. (Spoiler alert: get rid of the artificial sweeteners!) All along, I’ve learned that the gut truly is a second brain, and when we’re stressed, it’s one of the first places that feels the effects.

fresh pineapple

I noticed the stress coming on early last week, and right away resorted to my favourite stress-busting digestion-boosting smoothie. After making it 3 mornings in a row, I realized that it had yet to be shared on the blog and perhaps some of you might want to give it a shot as well!  But first, here’s WHY it’s effective:

  • Greens are high in magnesium which helps to relax the nervous system (allowing us to get better sleep) and lower cortisol. Magnesium also boosts the release of brain chemicals like serotonin, which improves mood.
  • Oats are not only high in fibre, but like greens, also promote increased production of serotonin. Fun fact: 80-90% of the body’s serotonin hangs out in the GI tract!
  • Pineapple is a source of bromelain, a powerful source of digestive enzymes. These enzymes help to break down our food. Another ingredient that contains bromelain is Vega Essentials, which I’ve added in order to round out the macros in this recipe and boost the protein content.
  • Chia seeds are super rich in antioxidants, but that’s not the thing that makes them great for digestion. They’re also high in fibre (needed to sweep the digestive tract clean), and essential omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep everything nicely lubed up and moving along!
  • Maca root powder has adaptogenic properties, which means that it helps to restore the body back to a state of homeostasis. This means that if you’re super stressed, maca can support the adrenals in order to bring stress hormones back into balance.
  • Ginger helps to improve digestion, reduce nausea, stomach upset and cramping, and is a great all-around natural anti-inflammatory. If you ask me, ginger is the answer for ALL the ailments!

fresh pineapple

So without further delay, here is the smoothie recipe I’ve been pounding back on the regular for the past week (and it worked!)

My Favourite Stress-Busting Digestion-Boosting Smoothie - Eat Spin Run Repeat

My Favourite Stress-Busting Digestion-Boosting Smoothie

by Angela Simpson

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients (1 serving)

  • 1 big handful of mixed dark leafy greens
  • 3/4 cup chopped pineapple
  • 1 scoop vanilla Vega Performance Protein or Vega Essentials – optional, to boost protein content
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 2 tbsp gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1 heaping tsp chia seeds
  • 1 heaping tsp maca root powder
  • 1″ knob peeled fresh ginger
  • ice

Instructions

Toss all ingredients except ice into the Vitamix or other high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth.

Add a few ice cubes and continue blending again until smooth.

Note: To make this smoothie thicker without diluting taste, you can use frozen greens and/or pineapple, or add an additional teaspoon of chia seeds. The chia seeds will create a gel as they absorb water, but you’ll need to wait a few minutes for this to happen.

My Favourite Stress-Busting Digestion-Boosting Smoothie - Eat Spin Run Repeat

[Tweet “Your go-to smoothie #recipe for a happier tummy and lowering stress”]

So tell me…

  • When was the last time you had a crazy busy week? What are some of the healthy things you did to get through it?
  • What was the best bit of your weekend?

10 thoughts on “My Favourite Stress-Busting Digestion-Boosting Smoothie

    1. Hi Tracy, great question! I usually store mine in the fridge in the same drawer as my fruit because I use it so quickly. I’ve never really had a problem with it going bad, and I usually get through a big piece of it in 10 days or less depending on how many meals I’ve made using it. However, if you’re worried about the ginger going bad, I’d recommend freezing. Just peel the entire piece with a veggie peeler or a knife, and break it into a few pieces. If you’re going to use it all in smoothies, I’d go for pieces around 1″ long. This way, you can simply pop the peeled frozen chunks in your blender. Alternatively, if you want to have some handy for things like stir fried dinners etc, you can leave the pieces a bit longer. I’ve found that they grate better on a box grater when frozen than fresh because the stringy bits don’t clog up the holes as much. Store the pieces in small resealable bags or wrap them in cling film and you should be all good for a month or so. Hope that helps!

  1. Last crazy week was last week. I went trail running at the end of the day to remind me to breathe. 🙂

    And one of my favourite parts of the weekend was seeing you! 🙂

  2. Okay Angela I just tried this and it is MAGICAL! I have a ton of stomach problems (likely very much related to stress) and the other day I thought “I bet Angela has some kind of awesome smoothie or salad recipe to help with my bad digestion”. I was right. Thank you for this and all of your recipes and posts. You continue to inspire me often! Hope the west coast is treating you well! 🙂 xo

    1. Aw this is what I LOVE to hear, Odette! I’m so glad it helped you out. The brain-gut connection is so ridiculously real and whenever I start to feel stressed, I start switching over to foods that I know help to soothe my stomach because I like to be as proactive as possible! Thank you so much for your kind words about my posts and recipes. The west coast has been awesome, and if you’ve ever got plans to come out here, please let me know because I’d love to be your tour guide!

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