Photos by Sergia Dupoux, Edits by Farrah Evita
I fell in love with fennel since I started having digestive issues. It all started when I was 21 year-old. I was ecstatic to be living my “best life,” which essentially meant drinking, partying, less sleep and eating what I wanted without any apprehensions because I was trying to maintain a social life.
Well, I sure learned an immense lesson. From all of that partying, lackadaisical eating and disregard for rest and might I add daily stressors, I started having symptoms such as bloating, incessant burping, the feeling of nausea and even regurgitating my food after I would eat it. I was so stressed! I then did my research on how to resolve these symptoms especially the incessant burping. Here’s an alkaline smoothie I found online from great4you.co that I recreated with the ingredients that constantly save my life and gut health.
- 130g cucumber (I used a Zucchini)
- 1/2 fennel bulb
- 2 cups of spinach (60g)
- 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
- 2 serves of avocado (60g)
- 1 serve (30g) of sprouted rice and pea protein powder (I used hemp protein powder but definitely go with their suggestion)
- 1/2-cup of coconut water (from a young coconut – you can purchase at most organic stores)
- 2 tablespoons of Sea Moss Gel
- 1/4th of ginger root
- I omitted the 1/2 cup of ice (I don’t prefer my smoothies with ice most times)
The benefits of foeniculum vulgare, or more known as fennel, include it’s incredible ability to aid digestion (with issues such as indigestion, bloating, IBS and constipation), helps regulate blood pressure, reduces water retention, purifies blood, is great for acne and improves eyesight.
Not to mention that according to Ayurveda, it is said that fennel is able to reduce all 3 Trodosha (Vata, Pita, Kapha). Essentially it has a cooling effect on the body so if you have extreme inflammation or feel very hot, it is a great idea to consume a cup of a fennel based drink or smoothie.
Pass me some fennel tea and smoothies please!
If you have any suggestions, leave a comment here or on my instagram account @farrahevita.
