Kid-Friendly, Bone-Healing, Anti-inflammatory, Smoothie-turned-Popsicle Recipe

Once I understood the importance of specific nutrients needed for repairing bone, I was on a mission to concoct a bone-healing, anti-inflammatory smoothie.

The key was finding ingredients that melded well together and was kid-approved!

I found that turmeric is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory foods but because it is not readily bio-available, it needs to be paired with 3% black pepper to “activate” it’s healing powers.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think any child would enjoy turmeric and black pepper in their smoothie. Trust me, I tried to make the smoothie with it and although an adult could get through drinking it (it was still tasty but left somewhat of an after taste) my son has a superman taste radar so he would be able to detect it in an instant!

Shoot, Andrew could just smell it and detect something was not “normal.” Silly kid.

So, I tossed the turmeric and black pepper out the window, started from scratch and came up with a ridiculously tasty smoothie full of essential nutrients to heal Andrew’s bone.

Raw Yogurt

Have you ever heard the term that all disease begins in the gut? Due to our germo-phobic era, we do a lot to sterilize everything around us. Yes, this can protect us but it can also really hurt us. Our body, but more specifically our gut, relies on the accumulation of beneficial bacteria. With a healthy gut flora, our immune system and digestion flourish. Not only that, our body is able to manufacture and use the critical nutrients we ingest.

Banana

Good source of potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, and B vitamins. Also makes the smoothie taste good. 🙂

Blueberries

Prized as a healing superfood, blueberries are full of antioxidants. They contain high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E and manganese. Manganese is needed in the body to form connective tissue and form bones.

Pineapple

Contains bromelain which has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and natural detox properties. Pineapple is also rich in vitamin C and contains ample amounts of manganese which help fight free radicals.

Fresh, Non-Pasteurized Orange Juice

Notice how ‘Non-Pasteurized’ is in bold? I think this is an extremely important factor to consider because pasteurization kills all living things and denatures vital nutrients and minerals.

Oranges contain vitamin C and bioflavonoids which are critical in bone health however, they are heat sensitive nutrients. As you can imagine, when being exposed to the high heats of pasteurization, these vitamins are denatured. Hence, the addition of synthetic vitamins which, in my opinion, do not justice when compared to their naturally occuring counterparts.

Avocado

Considered a superfood by many, avocado contains nearly 20 minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients per 1 oz. serving! Avocado contains ample amounts of vitamin K, vitamin B6 and vitamin C (which as we know are essential for bone regrowth).

Organic Apple

Apples contain a good source of vitamin C. Apples also have boron, which also helps absorb calcium.

Fresh Ginger

Ginger has been used for many, many years (think ancient times) for it’s anti-inflammatory, carminative and anti-microbial properties. Not only that, ginger contains an essential oil called gingerol. Gingerols are an extremely powerful healing oil which helps improve the intestinal motility and have been anti-inflammatory, painkiller (analgesic), nerve soothing, anti-pyretic as well as anti-bacterial properties. (source)

To make ginger look even more of a powerhouse, this herb contains good amounts of minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, and magnesium.

Raw, Pastured Egg Yolk

Contrary to what conventional wisdom states, pastured egg yolks are extremely nutrient-dense! It’s important to note that egg yolks should come from hens able to roam free on pasture, can freely feed on insects and bugs and are given ample amounts of sunshine. This is why you should (try) to never buy eggs that state they are vegetarian-fed (even if the label says they are cage-free). If you want to read more about why I think organic eggs are a scam, you can click here.

Egg yolks contain high amounts of vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. They are a great source of vitamin A and provide natural digestive enzymes. (source)

More than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and 89% of the panthothenic acid are found in egg yolks and between 50% and 80% of the copper, manganese, and selenium. (source)

To really round the nutrient-density of this perfect food, pastured egg yolks contain the essential omega-3 fatty acid, DHA which is essential for brain development and the omega-6 fatty acid, AA which is required for the healthy skin, hair, libido, reproduction, growth and response to injury.

High Quality Gelatin

Ideally you would get your gelatin from homemade nourishing bone broth, but sometimes that is not an option. The second best alternative is to buy high quality gelatin in powder form. There are two kinds of powdered gelatin; one that congeals (red can; what you would use to make fruit snacks and jello) and one that doesn’t (green can; for use in coffee, drinks or popsicles). I used the one that doesn’t because I’ve made a smoothie with the other kind and it swelled up way too much for my liking. I can only imagine what Andrew would say if he tried to drink it. If you were deciding to only use the smoothie in popsicle form, the one that congeals would probably work.

Gelatin contains glycine and proline which is something we, as a culture, do not consume enough. Glycine and proline are found in the bones, tissue fibers and organs of animals and play a huge role in wellness.

Glycine, which makes up about 1/3 of the amino acids in gelatin powder is anti-inflammatory and evidence is finding that it can help speed wound healing. (source)

Gelatin also contains protein which is an important part of the bone healing process.

Kid-Friendly, Bone-Healing, Anti-inflammatory, Smoothie-turned-Popsicle Recipe

 

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Ingredients

Necessary Equipment

• Blender (where to buy
• Popsicle molds (I found these are the perfect size for a toddler)

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw yogurt (or plain, whole-fat pasteurized yogurt)
• ½ banana
• ¼ cup frozen or fresh organic blueberries
• ½ cup frozen of fresh pineapple
• ½ cup fresh squeezed organic orange juice
• ½ avocado
• ½ organic apple, skin partially removed
• ½ tsp fresh ginger
• 1 raw, pastured egg yolk
• 1 Tbl high quality gelatin (where to buy)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!
2. If making into popsicles, pour into molds and freeze for 4-6 hours

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If your little one is picky about what type of liquid they take in, pour into popsicle molds and freeze for about 5-7 hours or until hard. This recipe will fill these popsicle molds twice. Since I only have one set of the popsicle molds, I pour what I can and keep the rest of the smoothie in the refrigerator. As Andrew eats the popsicles, I continue to fill them until I run out of smoothie mixture.