Gut Health Morning Shots
Starting your day with a healthful ritual like a gut health morning shot can be an energizing practice for your mind and body. If you ever wake up feeling sluggish or bloated, add a gut health shot (and plenty of water) to your morning routine before turning to caffeine. With a balance of nutritious ingredients, these gut health morning shots activate your digestion.
When you improve your gut health, you benefit your overall well-being. Our gut plays a crucial role in digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function. A healthy gut also promotes a healthy brain, as the gut and brain are interconnected through the gut-brain axis. Starting the day with a morning gut health shot realigns your systems and gets everything off to a great start.
Why Take a Gut Health Morning Shot?
Health shots have become a bit of a fad. While they may not be a golden shortcut to health, they can be a powerful supplement to support your body’s systems. Gut health shots are a concentration of nutritive ingredients that aid in digestion. When you take the shot every morning, you wake up your GI tract and start things off on the right foot. They can reduce bloating, increase nutrient absorption, improve your gut biome, and help manage blood sugar levels.
They are typically consumed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to maximize their benefits. These ingredients offer digestive benefits any time of day, but when consumed on an empty stomach, your body can absorb the nutrients more quickly. But aside from digestive benefits, improving your gut health can impact other areas of your body. Here are three other benefits of taking a gut health shot.
Reduced inflammation: Inflammation in the gut can lead to a variety of health problems, including bloating, gas, and even more serious conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. The anti-inflammatory ingredients in gut health shots can help reduce inflammation and promote a healthy gut.
Boosted immune function: A healthy gut microbiome is crucial for immune function, as about 70% of our immune system resides in our gut. The probiotics and other gut-supporting ingredients in gut health shots can help boost immune function.
Increased energy: When your gut is healthy, you may experience increased energy levels throughout the day. Starting your day with a gut health shot can help kickstart your digestive system and provide a boost of energy.
The Healing Power of Plants
In this recipe, we highlight a few digestive plant stars, but there are many takes of gut health morning shots. But to start your creative (and digestive) juices flowing, here are the benefits of the ingredients included here.
Apple Cider Vinegar
This ingredient is a popular choice for gut health shots because it promotes a healthy gut microbiome and is generally nutritious. Make sure your apple cider vinegar has the living culture of yeast and bacteria (Mother) in it. Between the acetic acid in the vinegar, the nutrients (B vitamins and antioxidants) from apple juice, and the probiotics from the mother, ACV is a potent choice for waking up the digestive tract.
Citrus Juice
Drinking lemon juice or lemon water in the morning has also been a bit trendy, but it’s not all hype. Pectin in the pulp promotes the liver’s production of digestive enzymes. Lemon juice is a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation in the gut. In our recipe, we added a bit of orange juice as well to tame the acidity with a few more natural sugars.
Ginger
Ginger is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and can help soothe the digestive tract. The phenolic compounds in ginger help reduce bloating and speed up digestion. Ginger is a common natural medicine to treat nausea because of its long-reported use as a digestive aid.
Turmeric
Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is well-known for being an immune booster. Added to a routine shot every morning helps keep your immune system supported.
Chia Seeds
Full of fiber, chia seeds help get everything moving in the morning. They can also reduce bloating and alleviate constipation. They also support nutrient absorption so you can get all the benefits of the rest of the shot.
⇒ The 10 Plants That Help Every Part of Your Body At Once (Video)
Gut Health Morning Shots Recipe
Morning gut health shots are a simple and effective way to support your gut health and overall well-being. With a variety of ingredients to choose from, you can customize your gut health shot to fit your needs and preferences. Here’s a recipe to start you off, but feel free to tweak to your own liking.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 lemon
- ½ orange
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
- 1 tbsp fresh turmeric (and a pinch of pepper)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 tsp honey (for sweetness)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Step 1: Prep ingredients. Measure out one cup of water, then juice in the lemon and half the orange. The high acidity in the citrus and vinegar can be harsh on the system. In fact, the high acidity can damage your teeth and throat. Always water down your gut booster shots when they have such highly acidic ingredients.
Step 2: Grate the turmeric and ginger. Using a zester, grate the fresh turmeric and ginger roots. Both these roots are high in fiber and have highly nutritious peels. If you can find organic options, then you can leave the peel on. Otherwise, it’s best practice to peel your roots before adding them to your gut health shots.
Step 3: Mix it all up. Add the grated roots, the pepper, the apple cider vinegar, the honey, and the chia seeds.
Step 4: Stir or blend. You have two options. You can either stir it well or choose to blend the ingredients to make a more homogenous mixture.
Here’s what the mixture will look like if you stir it.
Here’s what the mixture will look like if you blend it.
Step 5: Enjoy and store. Pour yourself a 1.5-ounce serving and enjoy the fiery, tangy boost to your morning. Store in a sealed container for a week.
Other Ingredient Ideas
There are so many different takes on a morning health shot. You can switch up the recipe based on your tastes or your nutritional goals. Here are a few other ingredients that work well in a morning health shot.
Cayenne pepper: Capsaicin in spicy peppers promotes healthy digestion and a thriving gut biome. If you enjoy a bit of pep to start your morning, add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to your morning gut health shots.
Beetroot powder: Full of the juicy red compound, betanin, beetroot powder promotes enzymatic activity in your liver that is detoxifying.
Greens: Blending in leafy greens adds a hearty dose of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Takeaway
Incorporating gut health morning shots into your daily routine can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being. The plant-based ingredients in gut health shots, such as apple cider vinegar, citrus juice, ginger, turmeric, and chia seeds, offer a host of digestive and health benefits. While the recipe provided is a great starting point, you can customize your gut health shot to your needs and preferences. Let us know what your favorite additions are!
is this good for childrens 6-10 yeras old?
Hi Maria,
We do not recommend this morning shot for children as it is too potent. But you may add some ginger and turmeric to their food in moderate amounts.
However, it is always better to consult a healthcare provider before including herbal remedies in your child’s diet.
Many blessings and good health!
Can dried ginger and turmeric be used?
Hi Melesa,
Fresh ginger and turmeric are better choices, but you may use them dried as well.
Many blessings and good health!
Can i use flax seed instead of chia?
Hi Cyndi,
Yes, you can replace chia with flax seeds.
Many blessings and good health!
Account info
Is it ok to take with thyroid meds
Hi Tina,
Studies have linked certain spices, including turmeric and ginger, to a reduced frequency of thyroid disease, including hyperthyroidism.
However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist with your current meds. Always consult your healthcare provider about mixing medication and herbal remedies.
Many blessings and good health!
Do you keep it in the fridge for a week or is it ok left out?
Could it be a bit intense cold from the fridge on the gut first thing in the morning ?
Hi Sohalia,
You’ll have to keep it in the fridge if you intend to store it for a week.
It is best to try it yourself and see if a cold morning shot works for you.
Many blessings and good health!
This is a great recipe. Could you suggest when to drink it? My mornings start with 1 liter of lemon water. Should we/I drink it like 30 min before breakfast, or right after my lemon water, or 30-40 min after the breakfast?
Hi Marina,
Thank you for your interest in this recipe.
This health shot should be taken in the morning, before breakfast, for optimal absorption, so you can drink it after your lemon water. It is best to try different options and see which one works best for you.
Many blessings and good health!
How long after I take it should I wait before eating or drinking?
Is it ok to sip on water after? How long after I take it should I wait before eating or drinking?
30 minutes is always a good amount of time to wait, but I usually just wait until I feel hungry / thirsty. You’ll feel it when you need it 😉
Curious, with a night shade allergies, is there a substitute for Chyanne pepper?