My Menstrual Phase Beetroot Smoothie

Today on the blog, I’m sharing my nourishing period smoothie recipe in partnership with Garden of Life! I make this recipe ritually on the first day of my cycle every month. The ingredients in the smoothie help reduce PMS symptoms, decrease period bloat, increase energy, and support healthy digestion.

The recipe features nutrient-rich beets to support blood flow and restore lost nutrients, chocolate-y cacao powder to replenish magnesium levels, elevate your mood, and ease cravings, raw flax seeds to balance hormones, and Garden of Life’s Plant Iron and Organic Herbs supplement to re-mineralize the body and increase energy during your moon cycle.

Growing up, I used to see my period as a burden. Painful cramps, intense emotions, hormonal breakouts, bloating, water retention, and frequent mood swings were a regular occurrence every month. These symptoms made me dread my monthly bleed.

But when I came off the hormonal birth control pill, my period didn’t return. What followed in the coming years was a journey to regain and maintain a regular menstrual cycle. (You can read all about my experience with amenorrhea here!)

Now that I have my period back, I see my cycle in a whole new way. I no longer think of my period as a burden, disgusting, or shameful - but instead, a magical, beautiful gift.

Seeing your period as a gift isn’t always easy - especially if you suffer with uncomfortable symptoms every month. But with supportive foods, intentional supplementation, herbal remedies, and nourishing lifestyle practices, we can overcome these symptoms, find harmony with our hormones, and experience gentler, easier, more beautiful periods. Overtime, we can learn to fall in love with our cycles.

When my period commences every month, I love to celebrate with this nourishing Menstrual Phase Beetroot Smoothie. This smoothie incorporates powerful nutrients that are essential for balancing hormones and experiencing a more beautiful cycle. The recipe includes nutrient-dense beets, magnesium-rich cacao, hormone-balancing flax seeds, and Garden of Life’s Plant Iron and Organic Herbs. Beets promote blood flow and circulation, helping to cleanse the uterus. Cacao provides a rich source of magnesium - a nutrient that helps reduce water retention, period induced bloating, and cravings. Flax seeds work to cleanse the liver, and bring low or high hormone levels back into balance.

Iron is one of the most important nutrients for menstruating women - yet it’s often overlooked. It’s common for women with heavy periods, gut issues, weak digestive symptoms, or those who follow a plant-based diet to not obtain or absorb enough iron every month. Iron deficiency can show up in a variety of unpleasant symptoms, like extreme fatigue, pale skin, dizziness + lightheadedness, hair loss, brittle nails, and cold hands and feet. Garden of Life’s Plant Iron and Organic Herbs is a beautiful supplement that includes added botanics and nutrients like vitamin c and b vitamins to increase iron absorption and further support a healthy cycle.

Recipe

• 1 medium beet, chopped

• 1 tbsp raw flax seed

• 1 serving Garden of Life Plant Iron and Organic Herbs

• 1 scoop Garden of Life Raw Organic Vanilla Protein

• 1 tsp cacao powder

• 1 cup frozen blueberries or blackberries 

• 1 cup non-dairy milk

• Optional - unsweetened coconut yogurt for swirling ontop

Method

Combine all ingredients in your blender. Blend on low speed, slowly increasing until smooth and creamy. Pour into a glass (or your favourite mason jar!) and optionally swirl in unsweetened coconut yogurt for added gut-health benefits.