Chew Your Smoothies & Vanilla Matcha Smoothie Bowl
This summer smoothie bowls have been popping up everywhere; Instagram is full of them, restaurants are filling menus with them, and it seems we can’t get enough of these tasty, versatile and colorful bowls. Not only are they delicious they are much better for digestion then a standard smoothie you drink with a straw.
About 6 years ago I gave up smoothies, and liquid meals in general. I had gone through reconstructive jaw surgery after years of chronic joint pain and was put on a liquid diet for 8 weeks. Eight long weeks of smoothies and soups through straws. Needless to say, the last thing I ever wanted to eat again after the process was anything through a straw.
Slowly, I have started to add soups back to my diet over the last two winters. But I never drink them! I always eat them with a spoon and I have added smoothies back as well but again with a spoon not a straw.
One rule I learned while recovering from my surgery is chewing is key, so I do not take that for granted! When we drink foods such as smoothies or soups without chewing them, they enter our digestive system way too fast. Your body does not realize you are ingesting actual food so digestion has not yet started. Saliva is the very first act of digestion and believe it or not the act of chewing starts that process. The whole point in chewing your drink is to get your saliva going and start digestion. I know it sounds weird, why would we chew a drink, but give it a try right now. Without anything in your mouth start chewing; notice you will start salivating. When we drink something quickly, we do not give our digestive system a chance to get started which can lead to an uncomfortable bloated feeling. The easiest way we can help our system out is by chewing our drinks so our bodies know food is on the way.
So now that we have had a little digestion lesson, let’s get to the recipe.
Vanilla Matcha Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients:
1 banana, frozen
1/2 serving vanilla protein powder
1 t matcha powder
3/4 cup almond milk
4-5 ice cubes
optional toppings - chia and hemp seeds
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until fully combined. Pour into a bowl add toppings and enjoy!!!
xo,
Lauren Courtney