Happy Tummy, Happy Holidays Smoothie!

I have been invited by the good people from Williams-Sonoma to celebrate Smoothie Week with them! All you need for a delicious homemade smoothie are a few great ingredients and a versatile blender. Williams-Sonoma carries a good range of blenders for you to choose from. Everything from Vitamix, which in my opinion is THE BEST blender on the market today, to Cuisinart, Breville and many others. In all price ranges, with a wide assortment of cutting-edge technologies to fit your specific needs, Williams-Sonoma certainly makes your hunt for the perfect blender an easy one. Now—on to my favorite homemade smoothie!

I am one of the many and not the few. I do enjoy the 'foods' of the holiday season from party pick-ups to lavish sit-down dinners to the tempting baked goods and candies everyone seems to make this time of year. Let's face it, holiday eating is not always easy on the tummy. Bloating, gas, indigestion and acid reflux are just a few of the intestinal troubles I deal with after eating rich foods. Sound familiar to anyone else? I know. No one wants to talk about it, but it's reality for many of us! So what can you do to calm your tummy during this somewhat stressful, always busy, and on occasion, unhealthy eating holiday season? This easy and yummy smoothie is my quick fix for settling my stomach and getting it back on the road to feeling better - FAST. Here are the four main ingredients and what they can do for you.

Coconut yogurt is full of live probiotics such as lactobacillus acidophilus, which help to re-establish the good bacteria that live in our digestive tracts. Their presence helps to suppress the growth of bad bacteria, and aids in digestion.

Mint is a well known digestive aid. It is helpful in soothing symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome such as gas and spasms in the gastrointestinal tract. As well, it assists in the elimination of toxins and adds a great dimension to the taste.

I love the light, fresh, licorice taste of fennel. It is refreshing and goes well with coconut and mint. It is traditionally used to relieve boating, expel gas, calm spasms (for my fellow IBS sufferers!) and settle the stomach. 

And the splash of citrus juice? Believe it or not, citric acid helps reduce the acid produced in your stomach. It works like a charm every time. Seriously.

Happy Tummy, Happy Holidays Smoothie!

MAKES 1 TUMMY CALMING SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup coconut water (look for it in your nearest health food store/organic supermarket)
• ½ cup coconut yogurt (look for it in your nearest health food store/organic supermarket)
• ½ cup chopped fennel
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• the juice of half a lime or lemon
• 1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup or Stevia
• A few ice cubes 

WHAT TO DO

• Blend everything well. 
• Enjoy.

If you enjoy making homemade smoothies, or are looking for a new blender for yourself or someone else on your Christmas list, make sure to stop by and check out what Williams-Sonoma has to offer. Order now and you can have it wrapped and under the tree in plenty of time for Christmas!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!

RONDA