There are so many different types of smoothies you can make. There are however good ones and bad ones! This one is a great one for both fertility and Endometriosis – I will tell you why below! You always want to make sure your smoothies are not too heavy on fruit, as it can end up giving you a big sugar spike, followed by a slump, which you do not want to do. Many women with Endometriosis have insulin resistance, and may not even know it. If this is the case, it can be a root cause to your infertility.
Why have a daily smoothie?
I love smoothies and my trusty Nutri-bullet! They are a great way to up your nutrition in a day. You can pack them full of vegetables and powerful ingredients from superfoods like spirulina to adaptogens and even probiotics. It is so important to make sure you are getting lots of nutrition to boost your fertility, as you are likely to be undernourished if you have had stomach issues associated with Endo.
I also love juices but smoothies provide you with the much needed fibre to help movement through your bowels. Endometriosis is renowned for causing horrendous bowel pain, and often if we do not eat enough fibre this can make the problem worse.
If you cannot eat fibre as you have Endo on your colon, you may find that sticking to juices works better for you – just experiment! You can convert this recipe easily by juicing the fruit and veg and then blending with the rest of the ingredients.
Why I suggest to steam the spinach and dandelion
If you are using winter spinach or substituting the spinach with kale then these are quite hard for your stomach to break down – particularly if you have stomach issues that are yet to be resolved (i.e. you still suffer from regular bloating). Eastern medicine advises that it is not a good idea to put really cold or hard to digest foods into your body if you are wanting to get pregnant as it makes your body cold, when you want it to be warm. Basically, it is better to conserve energy for your reproductive system and help your digestive system by not overworking it.
If you are using baby spinach there is no need to steam it, as there is not too much fibre to break down as the leaves are so delicate. If you are using fresh dandelion leaves that are young this also applies!
Health Benefits
This smoothie has some great ingredients, but there are a few that I want to tell you about!
- Dandelion is a great bitter and an adaptogen – it helps produce bile and improve liver function, in particular, the detoxification process of the liver, and also helps control blood sugar levels. These benefits are much needed to help remove the excess estrogen that women with Endo suffer from, as well as the poor digestive function.
- Spirulina, a blue-green algae is rich in protein and full of vitamins, in particular iron, vitamin A and vitamins B1, 2, 3, 12 and ) and minerals. Iron, B1 (Thiamine) and B3 (Niacin) are essential for energy production, B3 is related to inflammation and digestion and B12 helps blood carry oxygen around the body. Spirulina has been found to help boost immunity and has anti-inflammatory properties – which are both very much needed if you have Endo.
- Broccoli contains compounds known as glucosinolates, specifically indole-3-carbinol and sulphoraphane, which increase the excretion of estrogen (specifically 2-hydroxyestrogen – which is linked to cancer). DIM (di-indolyl-methane) is also present in broccoli, which has been shown to help reduce menstrual bleeding and cell proliferation of endometriosis lesions. Broccoli sprouts are the best form to take as they have the greatest concentrations of these fantastic compounds! So get sprouting!
Green EndoFertility Smoothie
Equipment
- Powerful blender e.g. Nutribullet or Vitamix
Ingredients
- 1/2 Avocado
- 1/2 Apple / Pear
- 1 Kiwi
- 1/4 Zucchini or Courgette
- 1/3 cup Broccoli
- 1 Handful Spinach or 1/4 cup frozen spinach
- 2 tbsp Hemp powder or seeds
- 1 tsp Almond butter or whole nuts
- 1/2 tsp Spirulina
- 1-2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk or coconut water or water
- 1 Handful Dandelion Leaves fresh from the garden or 1 tbsp dried
Instructions
- Very lightly steam the spinach (and fresh dandelion leaves if using) for a minute
- Add all the ingredients to your blender (e.g. Nutri-bullet) container (add the nut butter last - so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the container!)
- Top up with filtered water as required.
- Blend just before you will eat it (i.e. prepare the night before if you need to then blend in the morning).
I recently gave a smoothie demonstration on my facebook page – why not check it out – click here! I demonstrated how to make two different types of smoothie using ingredients you might have in your fridge plus some fantastic superfood ingredients. Whilst you are there – if you have Endo and are struggling to get pregnant why not join my facebook group Thrive and Conceive with Endometriosis.