No. 1 banana and blueberry smoothie
Table of Contents
This delicious banana and blueberry smoothie tastes great and is a fantastic anti-inflammatory smoothie. It also has a surprising ingredient, spinach. You won’t taste it, but you’ll get all its fabulous benefits!
Because, blueberries and spinach have anti-inflammatory properties. This is important, as inflammation is linked to health issues such as diabetes 2, heart disease and rosacea. This is a perfect part of an antiinflammatory meal plan – read more about their health benefits below.
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Ingredients – Banana and blueberry smoothie
Frozen berries and spinach keep their nutritional value and work great in banana blueberry smoothie recipes.
- Ca 150 grams frozen blueberries
- 3 ‘cubes’ frozen spinach
- 1 banana
- 3 dl milk, dairy or plant-based; try kefir for added probiotic bacteria!
- 1 small cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla essence
- Optional:
1 tablespoon omage rich oils (e.g. UDO oil, which contains plant-based omega-3,6-9 oils, which is great for your skin) - Try adding seeds for added nutrients. Seeds are real nutritional superheroes!
- For a strawberry banana and blueberry smoothie, simply replace some of the blueberries with strawberries according to taste
Scroll down for method.
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Method – banana and blueberry smoothie
- Pour everything into a blender and give it a good whirl, until smooth
- Pour into 2-3 glasses, depending on size
Et voilá, this is how delicious banana blueberry smoothie recipes are done. PS: It’s also a perfect part of an anti-inflammatory meal plan!
PS I often add a sprinkle of oats for extra fiber!
Tonje, Guts & Glory Health
Anti-inflammatory benefits of banana and blueberry smoothie
As mentioned above, blueberries, vanilla and spinach have anti-inflammatory properties. Since inflammation is linked to health issues such as diabetes 2, heart disease and rosacea it is important to add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet. And what’s more delicious than a freshly made anti-inflammatory smoothie?
Furthermore, controlling inflammation is beneficial for the gut microbiome because chronic, ongoing inflammation can have negative effects on the balance and diversity of the microbial community in the gut.
The gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes, plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of the digestive system and influencing overall well-being.
As well as influencing immunity, chronic inflammation can be harmful to your intestinal barrier, the tissue lining your gut. The gut lining acts as a barrier to prevent harmful substances, including bacteria and their byproducts, from entering your bloodstream (where you don’t want them!).
If inflammation damages the gut barrier, it may become more permeable, allowing leaking of bacteria and toxins into your body, which can contribute to inflammation and other health issues.
11 Health Benefits of Blueberries, Bananas and Spinach!
Blueberries, bananas, and spinach are all excellent choices for promoting gut health due to their unique nutritional profiles and beneficial compounds. So, by mixing them in a banana and blueberry smoothie you’ve got yourself a gut health powerhouse. Here’s a breakdown of why each of these foods is good for your gut:
Blueberries
1. High in Antioxidants: Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which help reduce inflammation and protect the gut lining from oxidative stress.
2. Rich in Fiber: They contain soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion and promotes healthy bowel movements. Consequently, drinking a banana and blueberry smoothie regularly can, well, keep you regular!
3. Prebiotic Properties: Blueberries act as prebiotics, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and promoting a healthy microbiome.
Bananas
4. Digestive Enzymes: Bananas contain natural digestive enzymes that help break down food and improve nutrient absorption.
5. High in Fiber: The fiber in bananas, particularly pectin, helps normalize bowel function and can alleviate constipation.
6. Prebiotic Benefits: Bananas contain resistant starch, especially when they are less ripe, which serves as food for good gut bacteria.
7. Electrolyte Balance: They are rich in potassium, which is crucial for maintaining electrolyte balance and healthy gut muscle function.
Spinach
8. Rich in Fiber: Spinach provides a significant amount of dietary fiber, aiding in digestion and promoting regular bowel movements. Some are sceptical to adding spinach in smoothies, but this banana and blueberry smoothie “hides” the spinach really well 🙂
9. High in Magnesium: Magnesium in spinach helps maintain muscle contractions in the digestive tract and can alleviate issues like constipation.
10. Anti-inflammatory Properties: Spinach contains various antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce gut inflammation.
11. Nutrient-Dense: Spinach is packed with vitamins and minerals that support overall health, including the health of the gut lining. PS: By now, I hope you’re convinced that the blueberry smoothie spinach mix is genius!
Combined Benefits
Synergy: When consumed together, the fibers from these foods can work synergistically to improve gut motility and promote a diverse gut microbiome. So, making a banana and blueberry smoothie like this one is a super-easy way of achieving that.
Diverse Nutrients: Combining these foods ensures a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, all of which support a healthy gut environment.
Gut Bacteria: The prebiotic fibers in blueberries, bananas, and spinach help nourish and support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, which play a critical role in maintaining gut health and overall well-being.
Incorporating a blueberries, bananas, and spinach into your diet, such as in a banana and blueberry smoothie or salads, can provide these gut health benefits while also delivering a delicious and nutrient-packed meal.
Note that also vanilla essence, derived from vanilla beans, contains several compounds that might have health benefits, including potential anti-inflammatory properties. The primary active component in vanilla essence is vanillin. However, more research, particularly in humans, is needed to fully understand the extent and mechanisms of these effects.
In short: Enjoy your banana and blueberry smoothie!
Further reading:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/eat-these-fruits-for-their-anti-inflammatory-benefits
*This is an affiliate link
Cover Image by ratrvash from Pixabay
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Why Guts & Glory Health?
So why are we so keen on sharing our gut healthy microbiome-friendly recipes? A big reason is that feeding our gut microbiome is a foundation for good health, with hundreds if not thousands of studies confirming the link between what we eat and our gut health. And we know understand how: Our gut microbes help produce hundreds of molecules that make us feel (and look!) our best. So as a Medical Microbiologist, I’m extra happy to know about the strong link between gut health and well-being.
Most importantly, because our family like so many others has felt the full force of the pandemic when it comes to mental health, the fact there’s such a strong link between gut health and mental health is a huge motivator for us to keep sharing on Guts & Glory Health.
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