Dr. Weil’s Green Monster Smoothie with a GP Twist
I truly believe that the poor nutritional quality of the gastroparesis diet contributes to the inability of our digestive tracts to heal, so I’m always on the lookout for GP-friendly ways to boost nutrition. Well, I felt like I struck gold when I saw Dr. Andrew Weil discuss his nutrient-packed Green Monster smoothie on The Dr. Oz Show the other day! [The only downside is you do need an electric juicer to make it.]
Though Dr. Weil’s recipe calls for only the juice of the fruits/veggies, which is automatically safer than whole produce, I tweaked the original recipe to make what I felt was an even more GP-friendly version. Even with the modifications, it still provides a ton of phytonutrients and vitamins/minerals that are lacking in the standard gastroparesis diet. (When’s the last time you had greens in any form?)
Notes: If you can’t tolerate dairy, omit the yogurt. If you do better with thinner liquids, omit the frozen banana or add some water.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz. apple juice (about 2 small apples)
- 2 oz. of carrot juice (a big handful of baby carrots)
- 1 oz. cucumber juice (about 1/3 of a cucumber)
- 1 oz. kale juice
- 1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt
- 1/2 banana, frozen (or 1/2 cup ice)
1. Peel and core the apples. Peel the carrots (if not using baby carrots) and cucumber. Wash the kale. Feed all fruits/veggies through an electric juicer.
Tip: I collected the juice in a measuring cup so that I could tell when I had the appropriate amount of each juice. I found that putting the apples in after the kale helped to get some extra kale juice out of the machine.
2. Strain the juice really well to remove any pulp.
Tip: I put a small fine mesh strainer over the cup that I collected the juice in so it would strain as it came out. I then strained it several more times until nothing collected in the strainer.
3. Combine juice, yogurt and banana in a blender and blend until smooth.
Tip: I strained it one more time afterblending just to make sure it was chunk-free. If the smoothie is too thick, it won’t strain though.
I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and incredibly excited to be drinking something that came from greens! Even though I’ve been experience a flare-up in symptoms lately, I tolerated the smoothie really well. It was filling but didn’t cause any nausea, vomiting, or pain. I’m planning to have one every other morning for breakfast. (On the alternate mornings, I’m experimenting with protein drinks. I’ll be reporting on that in another post…stay tuned!)
If you try the GPer’s Green Monster, let me know what you think!
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7 Responses to “Dr. Weil’s Green Monster Smoothie with a GP Twist”
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I don’t know where I would be without my Jack Lalane Power juicer. Once a day I lay out all the fresh fruit and veggies I’d like to eat if I was able and put them through the juicer. Today’s “concoction” is strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple (good for digestion), watermelon (good for constipation), peaches, 1/4 beetroot, red bell pepper, kale, spinach, parsley and dandelion greens (also good for digestion). My combination changes with the seasons and with whatever looks good at the market. Rainbow chard is a good addition as well as beet greens. Having the ability to get fresh produce in me has made a world of difference. I have just recently started to add a teaspoon of Barlean’s orange flavored fish oil (for the omegas) to it and can tolerate small amounts of fat if they are spread out in a significant amount of liquid. Thanks for the posted recipe.I can’t wait to incorporate it!
Thank you for providing a recipe, I will try it strating tomorrow. I just spent time in the hospital(again) and am tired of all the medication. PLlease keep me updated on your studies.
Terry
Hi! I really like your website! I also have GP and really (really!) struggle to get enough nutrients in on a strict liquid diet. I was wondering if there is any way to still make (or modify) this green monster smoothie recipe if I don’t own a juicer? (Or alternatively, are there any reasonably priced juicers people recommend? I’m a student on a really tight budget…) Thanks!
Hi, Amy. Great question! A couple of suggestions. First, you could try to find a juicer on Craigslist, eBay or at garage sales. It’s one of those things that a lot of people tend to buy and never really use, so it’s not too hard to find barely used ones at inexpensive prices. Without a juicer, you could still make the smoothie with a few modifications. I’ll post a follow-up on the blog with some suggestions.
Hi, Terry. Hope the smoothie recipe works well for you. Will certainly keep everyone updated. I’m currently at the Mayo Clinic and have quite a big to share so please stay tuned!
[...] week I shared my gastroparesis-friendly version of Dr. Andrew’s Weil’s Green Monster Smoothie. Blog reader and [...]
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