Autumn Glow Smoothie Bowl

Transition into fall with an autumn glow smoothie bowl. With anti-inflammatory ingredients like vanilla collagen, turmeric, and our plain whole milk kefir, this smoothie bowl will give your skin a golden hour glow.

Meet your new favorite superfood: turmeric. Lauded for its close relative to ginger, this vibrant root is the quintessential ingredient in many Middle Eastern dishes like curry, soup, and rice. Many different cultures all across the world have used and consumed it for centuries, often as a cure for ailments. In Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric has also been used for a variety of uses including improving digestion, relieving arthritis, increasing blood flow, and more.

Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a compound that has been found to reduce swelling and inflammation. (This could be beneficial for digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis.) Turmeric has a low bioavailability, which means that your body metabolizes it very quickly. Experts recommend pairing it with black pepper, which contains a natural substance called piperine that helps the body absorb the curcumin more slowly.

Benefits of Turmeric

• May help the pain of osteoarthritis.
• Can stimulate the gallbladder to produce bile, which may aid in digestion.
• May make your skin glow when used in your beauty regiment. Many companies are now using turmeric in their skincare lines.
• May help reduce the buildup of LDL/bad cholesterol in the arteries.
• Contains powerful antioxidants that may help prevent cancers.
• May help protect the brain.

Your Gut Matters

Eating habits also play a role in mental health. Research has shown that probiotic-rich foods decrease anxiety and boost the mood. That makes kefir a great wellbeing tool because it contains 12 live and probiotic cultures. Psychiatrist James Greenblatt explained that “‘the gut is really your second brain. There are more neurons in the GI tract than anywhere else except the brain.’” As research continues to develop, it’s becoming more and more apparent that there is a link between the gut and the brain. What was once suspected as one-way communication (brain to gut) is now understood to be more of a two-way system. Thus, the health of our gut may directly impact the health of our minds.

Prebiotics + Probiotics = a Healthy You

Prebiotics are non-living, non-digestible carbohydrates naturally found in a variety of foods. Your body actually can’t digest prebiotics, so they’re what probiotics feed off of to remain actively working in your digestive system. They help the digestive system by promoting the growth of good bacteria. Prebiotics and probiotics work together in balance to make sure our digestive system stays on track and regular. Research has found that consuming a variety of prebiotic and probiotic food sources may improve your body’s natural functions, including both your immune and digestive system.

With increasing research linking the correlation between probiotics, gut health, and immunity, it’s no secret that the integrity of our gut is vital to our health. Although additional factors such as stress, antibiotic usage, and individual health conditions can contribute to the condition of our gut, a focus on healthy food choices is one of the easiest ways to support the microbiome.

Several studies have shown a strong association between the gut-brain-microbiota. Probiotics introduced to the gut have been found to support immunity, improve allergies, and improve digestion.