How to Make an Ayurvedic Smoothie

Are you a die hard smoothie lover like me? I was so crushed when I found out how ice cold beverages were constributing to my gut issues! You see we all have something called Agni, or digestive Fire, and when that fire gets dampened, it can cause a plethora of issues. What kind of issues you ask? Well things like bloating, constipation, bad breath, fatigue, super stinky bowel movements (nope that's not normal), headaches and even depression can all be signs of impaired digestion.

As a fruit smoothie lover, I needed to find a way to make this nutrient dense treat more friendly on my gut.

Here's how I did it. I made sure that my fruit was always at least room temperature. If I'm in a hurry and I'm using frozen fruit, I'll just heat it up quick in a saucepan. And I added warming digestive spices. Just these two things turned a digestive nightmare into a smooth creamy dream.

And here's a tip if you want to stay full longer: add protein and a healthy fat! Some of my favorites are full fat coconut milk, tahini and peanut butter. For extra protein I love to use an all natural protein powder. My current favorite is Ancient Nutritions Protein + Collegen.

Here's one of my favorite winter smoothie recipes:

BLUEBERRY GINGER SMOOTHIE

• 2 c. room temp. blueberries

• 1 c. canned full fat coconut milk

• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. cardamom

• pinch of cloves

Optional add ins: Greens powder (wheatgrass, spirulina), blue butterfly pea powder, raw honey.

Blend all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy! ++Add a bit of water if you find that it's too thick or a bit more coconut milk.