Constipation Smoothie (all veggie, fruit option, beet-based, effective and fabulous)

This all-veggie smoothie is delicious and effective. Drink it daily cold or warm, and enjoy relief from constipation, as well as a nutritious beverage to look forward to! Several variations ranging from plain with ginger to berry to chocolate to carob. Just need a blender, and let's go!

Course Breakfast, Drinks, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword adults, constipation, pregnancy, remedy, smoothie, toddlers

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings serving

Calories 268kcal

Author Megan

Cost $1.25

Equipment

blender
pot and stove

Ingredients

1 large beet , or 2 small beets (about 3/4 to 1 lb. total)
1 cup milk of choice: raw milk, coconut milk for AIP or favorite homemade nut/seed milk (not AIP)
1 inch nub fresh ginger , cut into small pieces (no need to peel)
1/2 teaspoon organic psyllium husk powder (omit for GAPS and AIP unless okayed by your practitioner) and/or acacia fiber (see Recipe Notes)
stevia , to taste (about 10 drops of liquid stevia or a sprinkle of powdered, depending on the concentration) OR use 1 tablespoon honey (for GAPS and AIP) or pure maple syrup
pinch sea salt
See Recipe Notes for additional Add-ins

Instructions

Do not peel beets. Wash. Roughly chop and place in pot. Cover with water. Cook over medium heat until tender through to the center, 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks. Drain. (Note: To make more beets for future days, cook several beets at one time. Store the extra in the fridge.) I also cook my beets in the Instant Pot. (How-to link in Recipe Notes below.)
Decide if you're making a hot or a cold smoothie. The older I get, the more I like hot smoothies best. If hot: Heat your milk in a small saucepan. If cold, plan ahead to chill OR even freeze your beet chunks.
Place all ingredients in blender: hot or cold milk, warm or cold beets, fresh ginger, optional psyllium or acacia fiber, stevia or preferred sweetener and sea salt.
Blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy!!

Notes

Psyllium Husk Powder or Acacia Fiber

This smoothie recipe allows you to choose between using psyllium husk powder (find it HERE) and/or acacia fiber (find it HERE). I go into more detail about this in the broader post, but you can use between 1/2 a teaspoon acacia fiber to 2 or more tablespoons. It is recommended to start with the lower dose and work up very gradually. Acacia fiber is a prebiotic that helps to restore proper balance of flora in the colon.

In contrast, psyllium husk powder is a soluble fiber that adds weight and bulk to bowel movements to help them come out complete. Psyllium husk powder can be used safely long term, but it does not amend the colon ecosystem.

Optional Add-ins

The beet-ginger version of this smoothie is excellent. But some days, if you're having the smoothie often, you may want to change it up. My favorite way to make this smoothie extra yummy is to add carob or cocoa. You'll see below the other additions I make, all of which I love, so I'm sharing them with you.

Add 1 tablespoon (or 1 heaping tablespoon if you prefer) toasted carob powder or cocoa powder. I like this option best with the smoothie warm or hot. The warmth helps the cocoa flavor to bloom and become more digestible. I prefer to omit the ginger when I make the cocoa version.
Add 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses. In addition to making the smoothie a potent source of iron, molasses is delicious with the ginger in the smoothie.
Add 2 teaspoons mesquite powder. (Find it here.) This mild sweetener adds depth to the ginger flavor, making the smoothie even earthier. I love mesquite and use it often. Mesquite is also a prebiotic fiber. Omit other sweeteners or start with less until you find how sweet you like the smoothie.
Add 1/2 to 1 cup berries of choice. This addition makes the smoothie bigger, so you may have some leftover to have at another time in the day. Don't decrease the beets to compensate if you want the full benefit of this smoothie as a constipation remedy.
Add 2 tablespoons (or 1 scoop) collagen powder for more protein. (Find it here. Use code BEAUTIFUL10 at check out for 10% off your entire order.)

How to Cook Beets in Instant Pot HERE.

Nutrition