Cranberry Smoothie for The Body Ecology Diet

Tara Carpenter, NC.

Cranberries are acidic berries from evergreen shrubs native to North America. First harvested by Native Americans and later Europeans, this vibrant red berry is touted a superfood due to an abundant nutrient and antioxidant properties. Cranberries are especially beneficial to women who are susceptible to urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, breast cancer, hypothyroid, and weight gain.

The medicinal hero in cranberries is an antioxidant called, proanthocyanin. which prevent certain bacteria from adhering to cells of the vagina/urinary tract and causing infection. Cranberries flush out excess yeast and make urine more acidic, which creates an unfriendly environment for pathogens.

This recipe is perfect while practicing The Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D.) or any other gut healing protocol; easy to digest, nutrient-rich smoothies are an easy way to take in a lot at once and for on-the-go. Need another smoothie idea? Dandy Lion is made with fresh dandelion leaves and lettuce and rich in chlorophyll and of course, cranberries 🙂

Cranberry Smoothie

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 cup almonds or sunflower seeds, raw and soaked

4 cups water

2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen

2 avocados

1/2 cup ice cubes

3 Tbsp. lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1 Tbsp. ginger or turmeric root, unpeeled and grated

2 pinches nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

14 drops stevia extract or green stevia powder, to taste (or BE Sweet)

2 pinches sea salt

Instructions

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until creamy.
Taste and adjust flavor as needed.
Store in fridge in a sealed glass jar for up to 3 days.

Tips & Ideas

Boost life activity with contents of a couple probiotic capsules to replenish good gut flora for immunity and digestion. Probiotic coconut kefir or InnergyBiotic are also health-promoting additions.
Thicken with young coconut pudding – a green smoothie in a bowl!
Add collagen peptides or protein powder to increase protein.
Add ancient earth minerals for alkalizing.
Substitute sour green apples for cranberries if tolerate.
Getting geeky …. cranberries have multiple benefits yet are not a cure for everything related to urinary system. People with interstitial cystitis must avoid cranberries. Interstitial cystitis is a painful bladder disease which occurs when bladder lining becomes damaged; allowing urine to come in contact with sensitive tissue. This condition worsens with consumption of cranberries.
Cranberries interfere with some medications, esp. heart medicines. The combination of cranberries and heart medicine can lead to internal bleeding which, if unnoticed, can be life-threatening.

*Add pinch of mineral-rich sea salt to boost flavor of fruit and vegetables, stimulate lymphatic system, replenish electrolytes, aid digestion, and help body access energy. I do not recommend common table salt which is often heated to extreme temperatures, iodized, bleached, processed, and refined.

More Cranberry Facts

The polyphenol compound (+ antioxidants and vitamin C) in cranberries have breast cancer preventative effects and studies show regular consumption of cranberries inhibit development and spread of cancer cells. Cranberries also contain salicylic acid which reduces the formation of blood clots which can lead to breast tumors.

Cranberries have emulsifying effect on fats deposited in body which, in turn, help to lose weight. Combine this with fiber content and cranberries can keep the body satiated for a longer period of time.

The tart cranberry contains high amounts of iodine. 1/4 cup has close to 400 mcg of iodine. The recommended daily allowance of iodine for the average adult is 150 mcg per day and so this smoothie gives you. Another neat thing about cranberries is they can be an effective way to prevent pre-eclampsia (a condition associated with high blood pressure and increased amounts of protein in the urine of pregnant women).