This Anti-Reflux Energizing & Healing Morning Smoothie recipe is easy to make, super nutritious, and will help prevent and ease the symptoms of acid reflux. Best of all, it’s great for kids and adults!
A Morning Smoothie That Will Help With Acid Reflux
I make this Anti-Reflux Energizing & Healing Morning Smoothie for my son almost every morning. He was born with a rare birth defect in his esophagus called Esophageal Atresia. You can read our story HERE. A big percentage of EA survivors battle constantly with acid reflux. In fact, I was told by the specialist that my son would need to take medications for it for life!
Honestly, I wasn’t too thrilled with that idea. I would never recommend going against your doctor’s recommendations, but for me personally, it just didn’t feel like the right way to go. All medications can cause side effects, especially when taken long-term. So I started looking into natural remedies and ways to help with reflux other than meds. Of course, I discussed them with my son’s doctor, too.
Well, he has been meds free since he was 2.5 years old! With more and more studies linking popular heartburn and GERD meds to heart and kidney problems, I’m really happy I made that call. Again, though, this is NOT medical advice. You need to look at the pros and cons and talk to your own specialists to determine the best treatment for your condition.
Even if you do decide to go with medication, though, this smoothie is a fantastic way to start your morning. My son absolutely loves it. Just make sure you use different fruits, and sometimes add a combination of fruits and veggies. Variety is key so you won’t get bored of the same flavor over and over again. Spinach, baby kale, beets, cucumber, and carrots work really well mixed with fruits like berries, mango, banana, and peaches.
How does a smoothie help with acid reflux?
If you’re going for the obvious answer of “smoothies are soothing,” you’re sort of right. Yes, these nutrient-packed drinks definitely help soothe aching throats- a common issue in those who suffer from acid reflux. However, if the answer was that simple, then you wouldn’t need a special anti-reflux energizing & healing morning smoothie recipe. Any combination of fruits, veggies, and liquids would do, theoretically.
However, as we’ll see in a moment, that’s not really the case. Some ingredients can actually make reflux worse. If you really want to prevent and soothe it, you need to choose the right ingredients. That’s where the GERD diet comes in super handy.
Follow the GERD Diet to Make Your Anti-Reflux Energizing & Healing Morning Smoothie
The GERD diet is one of the best doctor-approved natural ways to prevent and ease the symptoms of acid reflux. The entire diet is based on the scientifically proven principal that certain foods either cause or increase the severity of acid reflux, while others prevent or ease it. Check out my recent post and learn all about the best & worst foods for acid reflux. Some of the best foods to eat also happen to work beautifully together in a smoothie! They include:
- Root veggies, like carrots and beets
- Green veggies, such as kale and spinach
- High-fiber foods
- Alkaline foods such as bananas, melons, and nuts
- Foods with high water content, like watermelons and cucumbers
Along with these top foods to include in an anti-reflux smoothie, other ingredients that are okay on the GERD diet include:
- Non-fat milk or low-fat yogurt
- Ginger
- Lemon water mixed with honey
That last one is a bit surprising, isn’t it? After all, as we’ll see in a moment, citrus fruits are on the “no fly” list. However, when combined with honey and taken in small amounts, it actually has more of an alkalizing effect, according to Hopkins Medical Center.
As for milk, while the full-fat version can irritate your stomach, fat-free milk acts as a buffer, so small amounts can help temporarily relieve GERD symptoms. That said, there is a better alternative: coconut water.
Quick note before we continue: the next section includes affiliate links. The products linked are ones that I personally use and recommend. If you purchase a product through them, your cost stays the same but I earn a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Why Use Coconut Water as Your Smoothie Base?
I prefer to use coconut water over all other liquids as a base in my son’s smoothie. Many studies suggest that it helps with digestion and reflux. Plus, using it as the liquid base not only adds health benefits, it will also act as a natural sweetener for the smoothies, so you won’t have to add any refined sugars.
I usually like to buy Harmless
coconut water because it is the purest one in the market. It is really the next best thing to drinking from a coconut. Other less expensive options that I think are good are Zico and 365 Everyday Value from Whole Foods.
You can also alternate and use almond milk, kefir (also great for reflux and a good source of probiotics), and/or coconut milk for your smoothie liquid base. At home, coconut water is what my kids like best for their smoothies.
Foods to avoid in your smoothie
Doctors recommend avoiding- or at least limiting- foods that are high in fat, salt, or spices. I doubt you were planning to put pizza, French fries, or potato chips in your blender, right? So, when it comes to your smoothie, you’ll want to look farther down the high-risk foods list to find out what to avoid. Depending on the severity of your reflux, these foods include:
- Citrus fruits (aside from lemon juice in small amounts, as mentioned above)
- Chocolate
- Peppermint
- Tomato juice
While citrus fruits and tomato juice sound like obvious foods to avoid, chocolate and peppermint are a bit surprising. After all, dark chocolate is great for a sore throat, and peppermint is an amazing remedy for nausea. While you don’t have to give them up entirely, it’s best to keep them out of your acid reflux smoothie.
Dr. Ekta Gupta of Hopkins Medical Center explains, “Moderation is key since many people may not be able to or want to completely eliminate these foods. But try to avoid eating problem foods late in the evening closer to bedtime, so they’re not sitting in your stomach and then coming up your esophagus when you lay down at night.”
Treating Reflux In A Natural Way
I am a huge believer in natural medicine. When I started giving my son natural remedies for reflux, they really worked! Aloe Vera, ginger, probiotics
, and coconut oil
, are my favorite natural reflux remedies. A while ago I posted about the properties and benefits of all of these in my 5 Natural Remedies For Acid Reflux article. You can learn in full detail how each one helps.
Please remember, though, that every person is different and what works for my son might not work for other kids. These are the natural remedies that really made a difference for him. And again, it goes without saying that we check with his pediatrician and GI specialist when we make a decision to treat a condition the natural way.
You Can Make Your Anti-Reflux Smoothie In Just 5 Minutes
This Anti-Reflux Energizing & Healing Morning Smoothie recipe takes only 5 minutes to make, is super tasty, my son loves it, and most importantly, it will bring lots of health benefits. Along with the foods discussed above, papaya, pineapple, apples, dragon fruit, cherries, and grated cauliflower are also great ingredients for this type of smoothie.
I highly recommend a good high speed blender like the one I use, the Vitamix Professional
. It is really the best investment I ever made. I use it every single day! Here are a few of my top product recommendations:
Please remember that every case is unique, and the severity of reflux varies. I’m sharing my experience with the natural remedies, and how they keep my son reflux-free. He suffered from severe reflux the first 2.5 years of his life. Even though he no longer shows signs of reflux, we still monitor his development closely, and see the gastroenterologist once a year.
Taking medications is sometimes necessary, but if you can find natural alternatives, then you can avoid the long-term side effects. There is some trial and error when using natural remedies to find what works best to treat your acid reflux, but in the long run, it’s well worth it.
How To Make Your Anti-Reflux Smoothie Video Tutorial
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Anti-Reflux Energizing & Healing Morning Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 glass 1x
Description
A delicious morning smoothie that protects the esophagus and is great for energy and reflux. Natural anti-reflux recipe for kids and adults. Gluten free, vegan, and super healthy breakfast recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut water
- 3/4 cup berries *or fruit of your choice
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds *optional for extra protein
- 1 tablespoon aloe vera
- 1/2 teaspoon probiotics *get the recommended dosage according to age
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
Instructions
- Blend everything in a high speed blender and drink right away.
Notes
For best results drink in the morning on an empty stomach.
It is always better to drink it right after making the smoothie. However, it can also be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two.
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: anti-reflux, healing, smoothie, vegan, natural remedy, kids
Once again, this information should not replace professional advice by a qualified medical or herbal practitioner.
Last update on 2021-02-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Gavin says
Many berries are highly acidic, pomegranate for example is only around pH3. So how would that be good for reflux? If the esophagus is damaged, as it would be in any regular reflux sufferer, acidic foods (and by acidic I mean the actual pH of the food itself, not the pH of the ash, which is what is listed on various alkaline diet sites) will damage it further. Any pepsin that had come up from the stomach and is lodged in the esophagus will be activated by the acid, causing further damage.
Creative Healthy Family says
Thank you for your comment. Some fruits are more acidic than others. This recipe works well for my son and keeps his reflux under control. What works for some people might not work for others. You can try and substitute the berries. Hope this helps.
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Melinda O’Neal says
What are the best foods to eat for acid reflex
Julie says
What form of aloe vera do you use? Do you just cut a chunk from an actual plant? If so, do you peel it first? Or do you use aloe juice or powder?