The Ultimate Morning Sickness Breakfast Smoothie

Morning sickness is not just a minor bother; for many women, it can be severely debilitating. This is backed up by the statistics from Pregnancy Sickness Support, which show that:

30% of pregnant women in paid employment take time off work with Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP).
70-80% of pregnant women suffer from some degree of NVP.
85% of pregnant women with NVP have two episodes of nausea per day; 55% have three or more episodes per day.
Between one in 100 and one in 150 pregnant women are admitted to hospital with severe pregnancy sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum).

You may wonder if there’s much a mere smoothie can do to make things better and, no, a smoothie will not cure any woman of hyperemesis gravidarum. However, in many cases, drinking a specially designed morning sickness smoothie may help to reduce symptoms. After all, Pregnancy Sickness Support also reports that taking on foodstuffs reduces the nausea of NVP in 50% of women.

So without any further ado, here is our recipe for the ultimate smoothie for fighting morning sickness. Not only may it offer some relief, it is also super healthy and super tasty, so there’s nothing to lose in giving it a try?

Ingredients – for one serving

One banana: fresh or frozen (we prefer using frozen for this smoothie – remove the skin, break into pieces and place in a sealed container in the freezer overnight).
Half a teaspoon of juiced or grated fresh ginger
One teaspoon of lemon juice: add half a teaspoon of lemon zest as well, but only if using an organic lemon as non-organic lemons are coated with potentially carcinogenic pesticides.
Three tablespoons of live yoghurt: can be substituted for a non-dairy alternative such as almond yoghurt, oak milk, coconut yoghurt, or even tinned coconut milk.
Optional ingredient: a teaspoon of honey, maple syrup or agave nectar to sweeten.

Method

Place the ingredients into your food processor or blender and pulverise until smooth and creamy.

What makes this smoothie so special?

This recipe is all about reducing symptoms of nausea while also offering other helpful pregnancy nutrients.

Ginger’s anti-nausea properties are well-documented (1) and this smoothie may also provide the following benefits to boost your health and feelings of well-being:

improved blood circulation
a boost for the immune system
help with nutrient absorption
a natural heartburn remedy
anti-inflammatory properties which may help with the aches and pains of pregnancy

There are few foods as easy to digest as the humble banana and they are also a great dietary source of potassium, a mineral essential for maintaining a healthy fluid and electrolyte balance. This is very important in the early stages of pregnancy, because it’s a time when your blood fluid needs increase due to your expanding blood volume.

Bananas are also full of vitamin B6, which studies have shown to be effective in keeping nausea at bay. (2)

Lemons offer a refreshing sharpness to the smoothie and the aroma of lemons have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of morning sickness-related nausea and vomiting.(3)

The final ingredient, live yoghurt, adds creaminess and is full of probiotics to help boost your gut bacteria and immune system. It also includes B vitamins, calcium, vitamin D and potassium.

Go on – give it a try

While it is not a miracle cure and won’t be to some pregnant women’s taste, it’s always worth giving these sorts of recipes a try – if you don’t like it, you won’t have spent a fortune on the ingredients and if it helps you face the day without that horrendous nauseous feeling, then that’s a great result.

The Ultimate Morning Sickness Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients – for one serving

Method

What makes this smoothie so special?

Go on – give it a try

Further Reading

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