Old Man Winter loves to dole out some harsh weather here in Ottawa, which is why my husband and I love to escape to the sun, sand, and ocean every winter. In a matter of days I’ll be doing sun salutations (yoga lovers know these well!) on the beach, so my thoughts are currently on immune support.

In 2006 I was knocked off my feet for 2 days with a horrible stomach bug while I should have been out touring Turkey, and I hope to never repeat that experience!

Enter “immunity foods”, and this lovely sweet potato and orange based smoothie!

Good for those of us in travel mode, but equally good for those of us toughing it out here in Canada, while wanting to avoid colds and flu.

This beverage is loaded with two immune supportive vitamins; A and C, thanks to the oranges and sweet potato. Plus it contains not one, not two, but THREE spices which fight inflammation, along with the coconut milk. Weight loss seekers take note! Dr Barry Sears, a medical authority on the subject of low-grade inflammation, states: “…chronic low-level cellular inflammation that is below the perception of pain….  is the driving force in the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes” (1)).

Another benefit of sipping on some sweet potato is its prebiotic fibre – which is what feeds the good guys in your microbiome. Did you know that 70-80 % of your immune tissue is based in your gut? (2) So a healthy microbiome will support healthy immune function.

You can tweak this recipe as much as you like, you really can’t go wrong with this one. Add extra ginger for some more body…throw in some yogurt or kefir for a probiotic punch…increase protein content with some hemp seed …make it sweeter with a dash of honey, maple syrup or stevia (for weight loss seekers) or simply combine, blend, devour as is!

Orange Gut Blaster Smoothie

Ingredients

1 Sweet potato, cooked

1 Banana (frozen)

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/4 tsp Cinnamon and ginger

1.5 tablespoons Ground flax

1 Navel oranges, peeled and sectioned*

1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk**

1/4 cup water and/or a few ice cubes

Directions

Toss everything into a high speed blender and blend until smooth.

*If you own a regular blender, and you find it doesn’t fully pulverize the white membrane on the orange sections, try using a little orange juice instead.

**The coconut milk should be organic ideally, to avoid extra additives which can irritate the gut lining.

 

 

 

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