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The Super Smoothie That Has Seriously Reduced My Endo Symptoms

Melissa Turner
Author:
September 24, 2016
Melissa Turner
Written by
Photo by Stocksy
September 24, 2016

After years of experimenting with dozens of smoothie recipes to help manage my endometriosis, I have finally found a formula that truly boosts my body's functions and alleviates many of my symptoms. But the real win—it's delicious and great for any time of day, whether you suffer from an inflammatory-related disease or just want to improve your overall sense of well-being. As an endometriosis expert, I help women manage their symptoms and heal their bodies through food and other lifestyle changes. Here's my foolproof method to create a tasty, endo-friendly smoothie every time, including my current favorite recipe.

1. Pick your favorite nourishing ingredients.

On the mission to craft the perfect smoothie, my goal was to find ingredients that offered high levels of nourishment and still combined well—it had to be delicious not just drinkable. There is nothing worse than a super-healthy smoothie that just tastes terrible! Here are some key ingredients I've identified for their power to help soothe endometriosis symptoms.

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder has high levels of antioxidants, which help keep free radicals at bay. Free radicals create damage and inflammation within the body, so we want to minimize them as much as possible. Antioxidants are essentially the body's cleaning crew—the more we can ingest, the better.

Cocoa also contains high amounts of magnesium. Magnesium has been shown to be highly beneficial for inflammatory-related conditions like endometriosis, and since cocoa is such a tasty source, I love adding it to my smoothies! By reducing inflammation, we have a better chance of reducing pain.

Molasses

Molasses has been shown to be beneficial for menstrual irregularities, PMS, and reducing anxiety. It is particularly high in iron, which supports women with higher-than-normal menstruation loss. I love molasses because it's packed with other minerals and nutrients like calcium, manganese, potassium, copper, chromium, and vitamins like niacin, B6, thiamine, and riboflavin.

Moringa Powder

Moringa leaf is quickly becoming a popular superfood as more people discover the amazing nutritional profile of this plant.

According to Kuli Kuli, an organization that harvests moringa plants in Africa and makes them accessible to customers in the United States and other Western nations, gram for gram, moringa contains:

  • two times the amount of protein of yogurt
  • four times the amount of vitamin A as carrots
  • three times the amount of potassium as bananas
  • four times the amount of calcium as cow milk
  • seven times the amount of vitamin C as oranges

Pro tip: I found that moringa can taste quite overpowering, so I recommend sticking with a small amount.

2. Add two to three enhancements.

To nail taste and consistency, I recommend adding a few key "enhancement" ingredients: a natural sweetener, a healthy fat, and a protein to give it a creamy mouthfeel.

Natural sweetener: frozen bananas

Frozen bananas are perfect to sweeten smoothies and create a creamy texture. I simply take overripe bananas and freeze them in their peel. Pro tip #2: When I am ready to use them, I run hot water over the peel and it slides off easily.

Fat: almond milk or an alternative nut milk

Almond milk is generally much easier to make and buy than other nut milks, but I do recommend that you experiment with other nuts to change it up as different nuts contain varying nourishing properties. For example, selenium and zinc are two nutrients that many women with endometriosis tend to lack and these are found in Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds, respectively.

I recommend adding these nuts into your almond milk recipe for a homemade hybrid nut milk, or make a pure Brazil nut or pumpkin seed milk.

Protein (& Mouthfeel): one raw egg

One raw, organic, naturally fed egg will add both protein and a good "mouthfeel" to the smoothie. It's very important to find the right kind of egg, as you don't want one that has been nourished with grains or has been grown in a chicken within a toxic, hormone-laden home. So, if you can't find a natural variety or if you follow a plant-based diet, it's OK to leave this one out.

3. Use this foundational recipe.

Combine:

  • 1 to 2 frozen bananas (depending on how thick you like it)
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 teaspoon moringa powder
  • 1 cup almond/nut milk
  • Add water to cut thickness to your liking

This super-smoothie recipe is just a backbone—feel free to experiment with it, adding ingredients you love or taking out ones that don't work for you, and tell us about your favorite combos!

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