About 30% of my patients (children & adults) have some difficulty with GI regularity.
So here is my go-to recipe to alleviate digestive irregularity (constipation). PLUS it tastes great! 🤞🏻
It’s a great alternative for artificial fiber supplements (e.g. Metamucil). This is a natural way to improve digestion without excess sugar and provides the same amount of soluble fiber!
With just this drink you obtain about 50% of your daily requirements for fiber and 100% of recommended daily intake of omega-3. Best if you drink it first thing in the morning.
Ingredients:
– 2 Tbsp chia seeds
– Juice of ½ a lemon
– 1 slice of a pineapple
– 1 tsp of stevia leaf powder
– 10 oz of water
Instructions:
- Grind the chia seeds and then add the rest of the ingredients in a blender.
- Variation: You can use other high fiber fruits like strawberries, blueberries or kiwi. For a refreshing touch add some mint, which helps reduce stomach pain.
Why it’s healthy:
Chia seeds: excellent source of soluble fiber, which helps absorb water in the digestive system to improve stool formation, ideal for constipation. In only 2 tablespoons chia seeds, you get 10 g of soluble fiber (42% of the daily recommendation), 18% of the daily recommendation of calcium, 6 g of protein and approximately 5000 mg of omega-3. As a reference, the American Heart Association recommends 4000 mg of daily omega-3 to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides.
Pineapple: contains bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple juice and pineapple stem which aids with protein digestion. It can hydrolyze or decompose a wide variety of proteins in a range of both acidic and alkaline environments. Being a proteolytic enzyme, it supports the digestive mechanisms for the body to reduce complex protein molecules into a smaller form also known as amino acids.
