The Clean Sweep Smoothie

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Every now and then my husband shares his creative energy with my business.  He has come up with some brilliant ideas, including the name of my business, For a Digestive Peace of Mind. I love my business name because it embraces all that I hope to do in my work as a GI dietitian, help people improve or manage their digestion–so they can feel well, both in body and in mind.

Today, Russ has named my latest smoothie concoction aimed to help manage constipation, the Clean Sweep Smoothie. I have to say, I kinda love it! 🙂

Did you know about 17% of the global population experiences chronic constipation?

I have been on a mission to come up with a smoothie that helps keep the gut moving. The majority of patients I have worked with have experienced chronic constipation. While diet interventions don’t work for everyone with constipation–some may very well benefit from the Clean Sweep Smoothie!

I concocted this smoothie with a number of ingredients that may help you poop.

Let’s do a little recap of the ingredients and why they may help you poop, shall we?

Kiwifruit has been shown to help laxation, it pulls water into the gut, enhances intestinal movements and may aid digestion via its natural protein digestive enzyme.  Learn more about kiwifruit and constipation in my previous post, here.

Plus 1 medium kiwifruit adds 2 grams fiber.

Pineapple may aid constipation via its protein digestive enzyme, bromelian as shown in an animal study here.

Plus it adds about 2 g fiber per 1/2 cup.

Spinach a source of insoluble fiber which adds bulk to stool and can act like a broom inside the intestine tract to keep things moving on out. When adding insoluble fiber to the diet for constipation, I find it’s best not too overdue it. As such, I limited the greens in my recipe to a total of 1 cup.

Kale like spinach, leafy greens are a source of insoluble fiber too.

Chia seeds have about 4 grams of fiber per tablespoon and can hold about 15 times of its weight in water. Chia can help with peristalsis, the movement of the intestine. Reference

Avocado is a fiber-rich fruit, containing a mix of both soluble and insoluble fibers.  1/2 of an avocado has close to 4.5 grams of fiber! Plus, avocado provides a nice dose of heart healthy mono-unsaturated fats. Of course, I kept the avocado in the recipe in a low FODMAP portion size! Remember, if you can tolerate more than 1/8th of an avocado, feel free to eat more in your everyday diet.

This smoothie is not a substitution for a meal but can be enjoyed alongside a delicious egg + cheese omelet or perhaps with grilled salmon or chicken with a side of steamed carrots, a baked potato or brown rice.

The flavor of this smoothie is awesome too! I have never really been a fan of green smoothies–they often tasted like liquid salads to me = gross.

But, this Clean Sweep Smoothie is a winner.  If you try it, let me know what you think!

5 replies on “The Clean Sweep Smoothie“

  • Susan Reeve

    Yum! Delicious. Your post came in as I was eating lunch, and I thought “That looks like a good dessert!” Surprisingly, I had all the necessary ingredients except kale. I made it a little thicker and ate it with a spoon. Wonderful!

  • Anne

    Hello!

    How would adding bone broth powder to this smoothie taste for added protein? I’ve been looking into various unflavored both broth powders, do you have a particular one that you prefer? I read that chicken bone broth powder is better for gut health than beef bone broth powder-is that accurate?

    Thank you!!!

    • katescarlata

      I am not a big proponent of bone broth–not sure it is the ‘magic bullet’ that it is marketed on pseudoscience blogs. I am all about taste and GI function for this smoothie—and I am not sure it would be a value add from this vantage point. The smoothie is not a big source of protein–but protein needs should not be difficult to obtain on a low FODMAP diet unless one is following a vegan diet.

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