Recipe – Warm Apple Beet Smoothie
This ruby-colored smoothie is fantastic for flushing out bile sludge and for thinning congested bile to improve digestion. It is also a delicious blood builder. Click on the hyperlinked ingredients to learn more about their healing benefits. There are a couple of contraindications for using this recipe—see Notes.
Enjoy a cup of this smoothie first thing in the morning, as a pre-breakfast, or as an afternoon snack. Keep in mind that you might get hungry within 30 minutes of drinking it, so make sure that you eat then!
Ingredients
- 1 small red beet, peeled and thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (omit for Fiery/Pitta digestion)
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds* (see Notes)
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium Granny Smith Apple
The Magic
In a small saucepan, add 1 ½ cups water, the sliced beet, raisins, cinnamon stick, minced ginger, fennel seeds, and fenugreek seeds, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, until the beet slices are half cooked.
While the beet mixture simmers, peel, core, and chop the apple.
Add the apple to the beet mixture and continue to simmer, covered, until the apple and beet are fully cooked, about 3 minutes.
Set aside uncovered to let the mix cool down until warm. Remove the cinnamon stick.
Use a blender to make the smoothie. Add more water if you like a thinner consistency. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Variations
- For variety, add 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice in Step 5.
NOTES
Caution
- If you have been diagnosed with gallstones, drink this smoothie only under the supervision of a medical doctor or Ayurvedic practitioner, as your thinner and moving bile may push some gallstones into a bile duct, obstruct it, and cause serious problems.
- Do not drink this smoothie if you have diarrhea.