Digestion Juice Recipe (And The Importance Of Gut Health)

One of the highlights of my career thus far has easily been creating ailment-based juices for Erewhon. This is because I believe in juicing with a purpose. Sure, drinking tons of veggies is never exactly bad for you, but I think in this current state of juice craze, we don’t think enough about what we’re drinking.

Drinking the juices isn’t enough, having an awareness about what you’re drinking and why it’s amazing for you is such an important element. This is the element that combines the mind-body-spirit trio which makes it possible for you to heal and truly cleanse your body.

I have had clients come in and ask me why they couldn’t lose weight when they were drinking tons of greens and eating raw salads all day. They were shocked to find that they had a thyroid issue and it was being negatively affected by the way they were eating.

Everyone is different and all of our body’s needs are different. Even the healthiest foods in the world aren’t for everyone all the time. 

But if there’s one thing that is important for everyone all the time, it’s digestion. Almost everyone that comes into my office has a digestive issue. Nothing in your body can function correctly if your digestive system and gut are not functioning properly. So this should be a major priority, right?

Imagine your body as a government. There are a lot of areas that work hard to keep it functioning, but at the head of it all is the President. Think of the gut as the president of your body.

Did you know that every single cell in your body is affected by your gut? Anything from lack of energy to weight gain to allergies to premature aging to mood swings to chronic disease could be due to issues in your gut.

Modern society is not a very gut-friendly place. There are toxins everywhere and the gut loves to soak them up.

Thankfully, getting your gut back to its optimal health isn’t difficult. There are two major things you can do:

1. Take a strong probiotic. Probiotics work to fill your gut with good bacteria which is especially important in this antibiotic age. If you take anything every morning, take a probiotic.

2.  Chew, chew, chew. This is one of the simplest yet more difficult tips for people to take on. Chewing your food, and I mean really chewing it gives your body the chance to digest the food fully. Take time to slow down at meals. Sit at a table, use real silverware, turn off your phone and chew everything until it’s nearly liquid. Shoveling healthy food into your mouth isn’t healthy.

3. Let’s talk about juice. I designed this juice to help keep your gut in balance.

• 1/2 fennel bulb: a natural diuretic that aids in digestion and also helps with kidney or bladder troubles and fluid retention. It also is a great energy booster.

• 1 cucumber: a natural diuretic, reduces inflammation, relieves stomach acid and provides soothing cleansing effect.

• 1 apple: lower your risk for constipation and remove toxins from the intestines. They also maintain liver function and improve digestion.

• 2 celery stalks: aid in bowel movements, promote healthy kidney function and detoxes the body.

• 1 lime: stimulates digestion, eliminates toxins and purifies the liver and other organs.

• 1 inch piece ginger: a digestive superfood great for stimulating healthy digestion. It soothes the stomach and helps the body digest everything properly.

• 1 small handful fresh mint leaves: kills microorganisms that are associated with digestive issues, treats IBS, stops cramping, soothes digestion.

• 2 oz. aloe vera: contains enzymes, minerals, anti-microbial and amino acids that aid in digestion, reduce inflammation and helps cleanse and soothe the body.

Juice all these ingredients except for aloe vera (stir that into the juiced ingredients) for a really fabulous digestion tonic that will leave your tummy pretty happy. Ideally, you pop a probiotic and chase it down with this juice.