Alkaline Recipe #168: The Reflux-Relief Alkaline Soothing Smoothie!

Acid reflux (or GERD) affects 60% of the adult population within any given year.

That’s huge.

And here’s the thing: you can absolutely treat both the symptoms AND the cause with dietary choices.

…and could you think of another symptom that is more directly linked to an acid-forming diet?!

Living alkaline, without question, prevents and reverses reflux.

And loads of research has been done to prove this. This study published in the Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology in 2012 showed that alkaline water has “therapeutic benefits for patients with reflux disease”.(1)

And in 2011, the same journal published results showing that a “low-acid (i.e alkaline) diet has beneficial effects on the symptoms and findings of recalcitrant laryngopharyngeal reflux”.(2)

So it’s clear the Alkaline Diet can support and prevent reflux

And if you suffer from reflux, or if you want to prevent it… or if you just want to get more alkaline, this smoothie is just the thing you need!

The Reflux-Relief Alkaline Soothing Smoothie!

I LOVE this smoothie because it is alkaline, easy to make, delicious and tastes quite different from the normal alkaline green smoothies.

Containing loads of spices, it’s smooth, creamy and a real treat.

It’s optional whether you want to keep this as a ‘milky/creamy’ tasting drink, or add the kale/greens for extra alkalinity and reflux-busting calcium. Maybe try both and see which you like the best!

[SEE ALSO] — The Soothing Gut-Healing Soup Recipe (Click Here)

Preparation Time: varies
Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 Inch ginger root (or 1tsp ground)
1 tsp cinnamon (ground)
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp nutmeg
1 bag or 10g loose leaf rooibos tea
1 small handful almonds
1 small handful walnuts
1 tbsp chia seeds
250ml coconut cream
250ml almond milk (unsweetened)
½ avocado

Optional:
1 handful of kale/bok choi/watergress
1 vanilla pod

[Note: if you don’t have a high speed blender, such as a Vitamix, Nutribullet or Blendtec you will need to soak the nuts overnight, or for at least 4 hours beforehand]

Instructions:

First start by infusing the milks with the chai flavours. On the stove, with a very, very gentle heat, combine the coconut cream, almond milk, ginger root, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and the teabag (or leaves).

Bring to a gentle simmer and turn to the lowest heat for 5 minutes.

[Note: if you are not short on time, stew the spices for 30 minutes]

Once the flavours have infused, and it smells amazing, strain into a blender to remove the tea leaves/bag. Add the ginger to the blender too.

Add the avocado, chia seeds, coconut oil, almonds, walnuts and greens (if using) and blend until absolutely smooth.

This can be served warm or chilled and to serve, sprinkle with cinnamon and / or nutmeg.

Why This WORKS for Reflux (GERD)

This is a fantastic smoothie for reflux, because it contains everything you need (including HUGE alkalinity) to combat this condition:

• Calcium: Calcium makes the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) tighten. This helps keep stomach acid where it belongs. To boost your intake of calcium (a highly alkaline mineral), this smoothie contains heaps of kale (or other greens), chia seeds, almonds and almond milk which are all super-high in calcium, and delicious!

• Coconut Oil: coconut oil is, without question, one of the best fats you can eat to support your health.And a tablespoon of coconut oil each day is a great way to prevent acid reflux from acting up – so that’s exactly what I have included here.Coconut oil is antimicrobial and eating it helps to clean the bacteria out of your esophagus. It heals the damage caused by acid reflux and kills the harmful bacteria in your gut that cause inflammation.This fat will also help your body produce chloride.

  You need this for your body to make stomach acid. Surprisingly, not having enough stomach acid can actually be a cause acid reflux. Without enough of it, you won’t be able to fight off bacteria…or properly digest the foods you eat.

• Ginger: Ginger is scientifically proven to help combat reflux. So much so a 2008 study in the Journal of Molecular Nutrition & Food Research found ginger to be up to eight times more effective at killing bacteria that can cause acid reflux than a lot of OTC drugs.Ginger doesn’t stop your body from making stomach acid. It simply helps keep it under control and because of its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, ginger can make the lining of your stomach stronger.The benefit of this is that when reflux starts to rear it’s ugly head, the ginger will stop it from causing anywhere near as much pain as it normally would.Win-win!
• Alkalinity!: All of these ingredients are incredibly alkaline-forming and feature high on the list of alkaline foods (get your copy by signing up at the bottom of this article).Of course, as the research at the top of the page showed, an alkaline diet, that is low in acid-forming foods is fantastic for reflux, and this smoothie is no different!

Try, enjoy and let me know the results it gives you!

References:

Inhibition of gastric H+, K+-ATPase and Helicobacter pylori growth by phenolic antioxidants of Zingiber officinale.; Siddaraju MN, Dharmesh SM.; Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Mar;51(3):324-32.

[link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17295419]

Potential Benefits of pH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease; Koufman, JA; Johnston, N; Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 2012; 121;

[link: http://evamor.com/static/pdf/koufman_1242.pdf]

Low Acid Diet for Recalcitrant Laryngopharyngeal Reflux: Therapeutic Benefits and Their Implications; Koufman, A; Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 2011; 120(5):281-287;

[link: http://www.voiceinstituteofnewyork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Koufman-Low-Acid-Diet.pdf]