Golden Pineapple Ginger & Turmeric Smoothie (Gut Healing)

Begin your day with this Golden Pineapple Ginger & Turmeric Smoothie and you will be off to a great start!

Our pineapple, ginger and turmeric smoothie is packed with gut healing properties from the warming spices of ginger, cinnamon and of course turmeric.

It also contains pineapple, loaded with digestive enzymes and banana – which we’d recommend using a green banana for its resistant starch.

What are Digestive Enzymes?

We eat food every day, but we don’t absorb the food, our digestive system breaks the food down so that we are able to absorb the nutrients found in that food.

Everything from beef and broccoli has to be broken down into its nutrient pieces, nutrients such as amino acids – found in proteins, fatty acids and cholesterol – found in good fats, and simple sugars – found in carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, minerals, and a variety of other plant and animal compounds.

Digestive enzymes, primarily the ones produced in the pancreas and small intestine, break down our food into nutrients so that our bodies can easily absorb them.

Things like low-grade inflammation in the digestive tract such as those caused by “food allergies,” intestinal permeability, gut dysbiosis, parasitic infection, and so on. As well as chronic stress can prevent the proper production of digestive enzymes.

How can this problem be fixed?

That is something we can help you with as well as through the use of a special diet or meal plan. By taking out things like grains, dairy and legumes and restoring gut bacteria. This will help reduce inflammation in the body and the digestive tract and improve nutrient deficiencies.

Another important step is to manage your stress, good digestion and gut health cannot thrive when there is constant stress in the body.

A healthy diet and lifestyle go hand in hand.

There are three main types of digestive enzymes needed in our diets:

1. Proteases – Break down protein into small peptides and amino acids.
2. Lipase- Break down fat into three fatty acids plus a glycerol molecule.
3. Amylases – Break down carbs like starch into simple sugars.

Foods that contain Digestive Enzymes

1. Pineapple – Contains Bromelain these enzymes are proteases. This aids the digestion and absorption of a wide range of proteins, it also has anti-inflammatory properties.
2. Papaya – like pineapples, papaya is also protease and contain Papain an enzyme that works well to support the breakdown of small and large proteins.
3. Mango – contains the digestive enzymes amylases this is a group of enzymes that break down carbs from starch into sugars like glucose and maltose. The amylase enzymes in mangoes become more active as the fruit ripens which also makes mangoes sweeter. Amylases are also produced by the salivary glands, which is why it is so important to chew your food properly.
4. Honey – Liquid gold, and one of our favourite sweeteners. Honey doesn’t just contain one enzyme, in fact, it has four! Diastases which breaks down starch into maltose, Amylases breaks down starch into sugars like glucose and maltose, Invertases breaks down sucrose, a type of sugar, into glucose and fructose and Proteases breaks down proteins into amino acids. Be sure to use raw honey as Processed honey is often heated, and high heat can destroy digestive enzymes.
5. Banana – contain amylases and glucosidases, two groups of enzymes that break down complex carbs like starch into smaller and more easily absorbed sugars. Besides their enzyme content, bananas are a great source of fiber, which may aid digestive health. A study done on 34 women concluded that those who daily consumed a banana had a rise in gut bacteria and less bloating.
6. Avocado – contain the digestive enzyme lipase. This enzyme helps digest fat molecules into smaller molecules, such as fatty acids and glycerol, which are easier for the body to absorb.

Our Conclusion

So digestive enzymes are proteins that break down larger molecules or foods like fats, proteins, and carbs into smaller nutrient rich molecules that are easier to absorb across the small intestine.

If we lack sufficient digestive enzymes, our body won’t be able to properly digest food particles, which may lead to food intolerances or even nutrient deficiencies.

Golden Pineapple Ginger & Turmeric Smoothie (Gut Healing)

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Ingredients

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1 large green banana
1 cup frozen pineapple
½ tablespoon fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup carrot juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup unsweetened almond/coconut milk or filtered water

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Instructions

1. Make carrot juice – Either using a juice extractor or blend a carrot with a little water until smooth.
2. To the blender add smoothie ingredients and blend on high until creamy and smooth. Add more carrot juice or almond milk if it has trouble blending.
3. Scrape down sides as needed.
4. Taste and adjust flavors to your taste
5. Divide between two glasses and serve.

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