This Good-for-Your-Gut Green Smoothie is a combination I enjoy when my stomach isn’t cooperating with me. I’ve had digestive issues my whole life, and have experimented with many different foods for relief. This combination always makes me feel better!
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Want to know something funny? There was a time in my life where I viewed putting greens into a smoothie as disgusting.
Now look at me.
I’ve figured out a way to get the greens to not only completely blend into the smoothie without any less-than-appetizing chunks, but I’ve found a way to make it taste delicious.
If you’ve read this post, you know that I’ve struggled with digestive issues my whole life. From IBS to gallbladder removal, ya girl has had every pain in the book. It’s taken me years to figure out a diet that doesn’t have me keeled over or bloated to the point of looking pregnant. Lots of trial and error. Painful error.
This smoothie is a go-to of mine when my stomach is not letting me liveeee. Which it often does. My grandmother, who has also struggled with tummy troubles most of her life (now she has pancreatitis, too! horrible) has always told me I need to eat papaya. And of course, as expected, she is [always] right.
Why is papaya good for your gut? It contains papain, an enzyme that aids in digestion. People even go so far as taking ‘papaya’ supplements containing this enzyme. Me? I like the real thang.
Another food I like to incorporate into my smoothies to help things ‘move along’ is chia seeds. If you’re a subscriber to my e-mail list, you remember my 4-week chia seed series where I talked about why I enjoyed chia seeds and how they were beneficial to my digestive issues. THEY SO ARE. They are full of fiber, which is totally recommended for persons suffering from IBS or general digestive discomfort.
The main attraction in this smoothie, obviously (it’s green, people), is the spinach.
Most people look at spinach and think of Popeye. They only think of it as a nourishing food that helps build muscle and strong bones. But I actually like to incorporate spinach into my diet for its digestive benefits. Spinach aids in constipation, protects the stomach from ulcers (something the doctor thought I had at one point), and rids your body of toxins.
This organicgirl spinach is by far my favorite. For reals. Whenever I’ve enjoyed it, it feels like somebody just went to a nearby farm, picked me some spinach, washed it, and gave it to me.
[Tweet “Did you know spinach is great for digestion? @iloveorganic”]
Normally when I make smoothies, I put them in a bowl. Which means, I make them thicker. Which means, I either use a blender or my food processor. However, since getting the Nutribullet* for Christmas, I have become obsessed. I want to Nutribullet everything. Seriously, nothing is too hard or strong for this thing. I could throw giant carrot sticks in there and it would probably still work. Haven’t tried this… but I really think it would.
I have this theory, and it might be just me being crazy, but I believe that the order in which you insert food into the bullet matters. It can get confusing because you then turn the cup upside down to blend, so I try to think about what is going to hit the blade first. Hence why I put the frozen mango at the top, because when I turn it over, it’s going to be the first to the blade (and it’s obviously the most difficult ingredient to blend).
[Tweet “This green smoothie is delicious AND great for digestion”]
- 2 handfuls of organicgirl baby spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh papaya, chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen mango
- 1 tsp chia seeds (whole or ground)
- 1/2-3/4 cup almond milk (add more if it’s too thick)
- 3 fresh strawberries
- Add ingredients to a bullet or blender.
- In order for spinach to completely break up and there be no particles, you must blend for a while. About 3 minutes. If it’s not breaking up, just keep blending! It will eventually.
- Blend until completely combined and smooth.
- Enjoy!
Join the conversation:
If you’ve got tummy troubles, what do you eat/drink for relief?
What is a food that you’ve found to be something you need to avoid?
If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to pin it for later!
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This looks so good and I love how it’s great for digestion! Another thing you might want to do is soak the chia seeds for 30 minutes in a portion of the almond milk before hand and then add them in after the blending! When the chia seeds soak and become like gelatin they can do the same to cleanse your gut!
Yeah I’ve been told this so many times and still always forget to do it hahah oops
I love all of these ingredients! I cannot remember the last time I had papaya….I love to eat it as is with squeezed lime on top…It reminds me of summer! Green smoothie are ALWAYS a go to for me at least a few times a week. So easy and so good. I definitely feel refreshed after and ready to tackle the day!
Every time my grandparents come visit from Miami (which is only 4 hours south from me, and they still get much better produce) they always bring beautiful mangos and papayas and avocado. So I’ve grown up on those and papaya is something I used to HATE that I now love!!
This looks so refreshing and delicious, perfect for this warm weather I’ve been having lately!!
When I have tummy troubles I like to sip on some herbal or ginger tea to help calm the “blech” feeling or bloatedness. In particular, after I eat SWEET POTATOES. Ugh I love them waaaaay too much but sometimes they blow me right up! I refuse to stop eating them though!
Right it’s definitely warming up here in FL! When I was going through my gallbladder hell (lol) I would drink peppermint tea to calm it down! I’ve heard ginger is great like you said!
I totally agree the order matters with the cup blenders. I always feel like I need to blend the spinach first though because I don’t like when they don’t get fully blended in!
I do that too with a blender! Except the nutribullet is like anything goes haha so I don’t mind putting the spinach at the top bc it seriously blends everything SO well
I love papaya!! Such a beautiful fruit. I’m also having stomach issues so I’ll have to try this out soon!
Oh no! I hope they get better – peppermint tea is good too!
I really needed a recipe like this today, I’m so sad I can’t indulge because of citrus allergies (I can only have lemons, allergic to oranges, mangoes, papaya, etc) but it inspires me to come up with my own combination! I drink lemon/ACV water every morning but this morning on my run I realized I needed something more.
I’ve never tried ACV – what is it good for?? That’s too bad I hate hearing about allergies! No fun
mmmm, I haven’t had papaya in so long. sounds really appetizing with a squeeze of fresh lime.
I’ve never tried it with lime!! What am I waiting for?!
This sounds like the most delicious flavour combo – I love green smoothies but sometimes I’m not a fan of that earthy taste they can have. Balancing it with naturally sweet fruit (especially papaya – yaaasss) makes it yummy AND healthy! Can’t wait to try it
Thanks so much Britney I hope you enjoy it!! <3
Looks delicious! I’ve had a lot of stomach issues this past year, and I’ve just switched over to a completely plant-based diet. I already feel amazing. More energy, my skin is clearing up, and I feel just a fraction of the symptoms I used to feel. Over time I’m betting they go away all together. I’m definitely trying this one! 😀
I should probably try that. I know that if I had the will-power to completely change the way I eat, I could probably feel so much better. I just love ALL DA FOOOOODZ lol
This sounds great! When my stomach is bothering me, I always turn to ginger tea. While they may not be the healthiest thing, I also like munching on some whole grain pretzels if I’m feeling nauseous.
Yep when I feel nauseous I go for saltines for some reason! I guess it’s because that’s what my mom would give me when I was little and had a virus.
I know we’ve already chatted about this but KOMBUCHA for tummy troubles. That and I like to have my ACV drink daily. You know, my coworker is having a hard time getting on the kombucha train too, and she found that she likes the “soda”, I don’t remember what brand, but maybe that is worth a shot!? OR maybe you’d just like it better if you made your own? Okay, I’ll stop forcing you to try kombucha. <3
Loving these photos and I don't think I've ever had papaya in a smoothie before! Or maybe not even fresh, ever…. hm need to get on that.
I knowwww I’ve heard it’s great for the gut. Ok next time I see it somewhere I’m gonna get the most basic flavor. G had some in NYC that I actually liked though!!! I think it was apple
OOH, I probably need this. I struggle with gut issues. I have to remind myself that God’s grace is SO sufficient for every struggle, and I’m grateful that He made so many good, gut friendly, healing foods.
I try to remind myself, even when I am keeled over in the most severe pain, that God has blessed me in so many ways and that I am lucky to have this as my problem, as opposed to something worse. Thanks for your comment Emily! <3
I miss papaya (or paw-paw as we call it in Trnindad) so much! I can never get the really good ones here in Canada, since they’re only good for like 2 secinds in the middle of summer lol. Pinning this so I can try it then 😀
How long did you live in Trinidad? I’m sure there is some wonderfullll fruits there. It’s crazy how I am only a 4 hour drive from Miami, yet they have such better produce there!
Yum! My stomach is always a mess too lol
Haha oh no. There’s a lot of us isn’t there lolol
Your pictures look amazing! I can’t wait to put this to action
Aw thank you Kaitlin!! I hope you like it! <3
Everyone, to some degree, has those days of annoying and frustrating tummy trouble. This smoothie looks like an absolutely delicious smoothie! Pinning for later.
Thanks so much, Ashlyn!
Is it bad that i’ve never actually tried papaya? I will one day, i’m sure!! Recently I’ve been adding Spinach to all of my smoothies, it’s a great way to get iron and other minerals. I always thought adding it to a smoothie would be gross, but I find it surprisingly refreshing!
When I finally buy a papaya, I will be sure to give this recipe a go 😀 xxxx
http://www.myhealthycurves.com
I have been putting spinach into my protein shakes for the last four or five mornings. I have experienced a severe upset stomach and digestive system. I was online and looked up if spinach could be the cause and there were several websites that said yes, absolutely, spinach can can upset the digestive system. Does spinach bother you?
Oh no!! Spinach does not bother me. How much are you putting in? I hope you feel better!
Fresh, 1cup. I stopped and stomach settled down within 24 hours. I’m going to add 1x week, try and slowly increase to 2-3x week. Thank you for responding!