I’ve been enamored with acai bowls ever since I saw them first pop up on my Instagram feed. As a recovered cereal and frozen yogurt addict, they seemed like the best of both world. Cold and creamy like frozen yogurt, and topped with everyones favorite breakfast fruits like bananas, strawberries, and blueberries. I was determined to make my own acai bowl that was more than just a sugar shock, but one that was actually satiating, and even had gut healing qualities.

So, why “gut healing”?

Whether or not we want to admit it, we’re pretty much all in the need of a little gut healing. Leaky gut, and gut health issues in general are coming more to light, and they deserve our attention. Digestive issues, gut imbalances, and even leaky gut are entirely more common and easier to develop than we realize. The lining of our small intestines Just some of the risk factors to develop gut issues include…

  • Overuse of NSAID’s
  • Use of birthcontrtol
  • Prolonged use of antibiotics
  • Food poisoning or parasitic infection
  • Gut bacteria imbalances like candida or SIBO
  • Acid Reflux (low stomach acid)
  • A poor quality diet
  • Eating too quickly
  • Not chewing well
  • Stress

Phew.

I first became acquainted with the term leaky gut when I was receiving the news from my doctor that it was what had been causing my mysterious food allergies, my fatigue, and was likely the root cause of my Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism. 80-90% of our immune system in located in our gut, so when we damage it with the risk factors above, we can be in for all of the problems that I experienced, and more, including…

  • Digestive issues
  • Acne and skin issues
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Food interlaces and allergies
  • Adrenal fatigue
  • Gut bacteria imbalance
  • and so forth…

I was suffering with a chronic autoimmune disease and was the perfect candidate for gut issues. I ate a poor quality diet, I had reflux, I ate too quickly, I was stressed, and I took entirely too many NSAID’s. I was deep in the throws of gut issues and foods like cereal and frozen yogurt were off limits. However, I wasn’t doomed.

Healing a leaky gut is indeed possible, and I note in my gut healing guide. It takes diligence, work, effort, and the help of a professional like an nutritional therapy practitoner (like myself) or naturopath. It is possible, and it helped me manage and heal my Hashimoto’s. And luckily, you can make gut healing foods taste good too and with tasty things like this gut healing acai bowl.

Gut Healing Acai Bowl

Gut healing ingredients

Gut takes more than just cutting out foods (like grains, gluten, etc.), but adding in healing, nutrient-dense foods like bone broth, liver, tons of veggies, and as well as some of the ingredients that I packed into this acai bowl.

First, collagen powder. Collagen is what I like to call a real-food protein powder, that’s made from beef collagen. Don’t worry, it doesn’t actually taste like anything. It’s one of the most abundant proteins in the body, and supports elasticity of the skin, joint health, and of course, it supports the gut lining. It also helps to round this acai bowl out by giving protein, and helping it to be more satiated.

 

Why Acai?

Though I love a good gut healing green smoothie as well, I can’t deny my love for an acai bowl. They’re super trendy right now, but I promise there’s more reason to like it rather than you just saw Kylie Jenner eating one…

  1. Acai berries are indeed full of antioxidants. I mean, so are blueberries, but let’s give credit where credit is due.
  2. It’s delicious. Duh.
  3. It makes the perfect little smoothie bowl. Also, duh.
  4. It’s surprisingly low in sugar.

It’s worth mentioning that acai is not cheap , but it’s worth the splurge for a treat every now and then.

It’s also worth mentioning that acai is not a nightshade. Rather, goji berries (which often top acai bowls) are nightshades. So, no need to worry!

Gut Healing Acai Bowl

Gut Healing Acai Bowl

Ingredients

For the bowl

  • 1 pack frozen acai puree (be careful, some have soy… this is the brand I use)
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk or water
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 scoop collagen powder

For topping

  • 1/2 ripe banana
  • 3-4 strawberries
  • 1 handful blueberries
  • Shredded coconut if desired

Instructions

  1. Add the ingredients to a high speed blender like a vitaminix and blend until thoroughly combined. The contents should be smoothie-like, but still Tip: you may want to eave the frozen acai pack out for about 10 minutes, or let it thaw in the microwave just a bit so it’s easier on the blender, but don’t let it get too liquid-y. You want the bowl to be thick.
  2. Add the contents to a bowl, and add toppings as desired.
  3. Serve with a spoon and enjoy!

I hope that you enjoy this cold, tasty treat as much as I do! Have it as a fun weekend breakfast, a summer afternoon treat, or however the heck you saw Kylie Jenner doing it on Instagram! #acaibowl, y’all.

Gut Healing Acai Bowl (paleo, aip, dairy free)

This was shared on the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable.