Summer is a great time to check off some of your bucket list items, but it’s also a great time to embrace better nutrition and healthy lifestyle practices. I am back from the beach after a week of rest, relaxation and drinking fresh smoothies daily! I felt so much better at the beach that I have been inspired to continue with the smoothies at home. I have had a very difficult summer with my health due to autoimmune issues and digestive disorders, but lately I have been able to tolerate organic ( allergy friendly/refined sugar free) smoothies and I really believe drinking them is helping me to heal. I am so excited about how much better I am feeling, so I was inspired to share five nutritious gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free smoothie recipes here on the blog. 

This whole smoothie kick started when I discovered Clean Juice, an organic juice and smoothie bar while on vacation. Of course I have had smoothies before, but it had been a while since I had one. I tried “The Coffee One” from the Clean Juice menu, which had banana, almond butter, almond milk and cold brew coffee and I was immediately in love! (*The Coffee One comes with dates, but I omitted them due to the high sugar content). I honestly felt like I had so much energy and felt satiated too.

The Coffee One-Clean Juice

As soon as we got back from vacation I recreated The Coffee One at home using organic cold brew coffee, (cold brew coffee has 60% less acidity than conventionally brewed coffee and is more well tolerated by those of us with sensitive stomachs) unsweetened almond milk, half of a frozen banana and a spoonful of organic, no sugar added almond butter. I am crazy about this smoothie! (I am not affiliated in any way with Clean Juice, but I was very impressed with their menu and the business overall, and now I am a Clean Juice fan!)

Magic Bullet

I am using a Magic Bullet for my smoothies and it works great! I have several food sensitivities so my choices are limited when it comes to smoothies. I am on a long term Low FODMAP diet for Sibo, so I can’t use orange juice or many other highly fermentable fruits and vegetables. I also can’t overdo it on bananas or the almond products, so I will have to experiment with other recipes. Pineapples are safe for me in moderation as are berries. The key for me is to change up the recipes to avoid histamine intolerance. I am so sensitive that it doesn’t take long to develop a food intolerance if I eat the same foods repeatedly for an extended period of time.

Go To Green Smoothie

I am crazy about avocados, so I am looking forward to trying out a few of the smoothies with avocado as a main ingredient. I love trying new foods, and I am not opposed to greens, but I just have never really embraced green smoothies too much. It’s time to step out of my comfort zone and start making some green smoothies too!

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Due to my long term battle with Lyme disease, SIBO and Candida for many years, I gave up all refined sugar several year ago and it made a huge positive impact on my health. I avoided bananas for a couple of years, but I have recently begun to experiment with adding half a banana in my smoothies. So far, so good. Although overripe bananas are sweeter, underripe bananas are actually a bit better for those of us dealing with SIBO.

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Berries are sibo friendly and anti-candida diet friendly in small amounts. I love berry smoothies! Even without banana, frozen berries and a little bit of coconut milk or almond milk will still whip up into a delicious and nutritious smoothie.

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All of these smoothies can be made even more nutritious with the addition of vegan protein powder, hemp seeds, chia seeds, organic GF oatmeal, flax, or coconut oil. Right now my stomach is so sensitive I have to stick to minimal ingredients for digestion, but as I heal I hope to add more ingredients in. While smoothies are great for nutrition, simply drinking more water is quite possibly one of the best things that you can do for health and well-being. It is a natural detoxifier. Drinking water raises your energy levels, improves mood and skin texture. This is something I have always struggled with, so I am making an effort to drink more water throughout the day.

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 With the hot weather it seems much easier to and to get on the smoothie bandwagon, but of course this drinking nutritious smoothies  can continue year round. I have found that walking or doing some gentle stretches or yoga outside can be a great way to improve digestion too. I don’t tolerate heat very well so I am careful not to overdo it by keeping cool indoors on super hot days.

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If you have any autoimmune issues or chronic health issues, sunlight and high summer temps can possibly cause flare ups of symptoms. Keeping cool and hydrated is a must. Always have a list of technicians of  affordable ac repair techs your area just in case the AC goes on the brink, that way you can stay inside during the heat of the day and enjoy your tasty, nutritious smoothies!

Thank you so much for visiting today. I hope you are inspired to try these five nutritious smoothie recipes! Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe or are you already on the smoothie bandwagon? I love hearing from you dear readers!

Amber