Pear, Prune & Flax Regularity Smoothie
Pear and prunes blended with kefir and ground flax into a mild caramel-coloured drink for when things have slowed down.
Why it works
Prunes are the rare home remedy that outperformed the pharmacy option in a head-to-head trial: a randomized crossover found dried plums more effective than psyllium for stool frequency and consistency in chronic constipation. They work through three things at once, sorbitol drawing water into the bowel, insoluble fiber adding bulk, and polyphenols that appear to speed transit. Pear adds sorbitol of its own along with soluble fiber, ground flax contributes mucilage and a mild lubricating effect, and kefir supplies live cultures and liquid. That last part is the step people skip. Fiber without enough water makes constipation worse rather than better, which is why this is deliberately a thin, drinkable smoothie rather than a thick one.
Dried plums beat psyllium in a randomized crossover trial for chronic constipation. Flaxseed and kiwifruit have similar smaller trials. Sudden large fiber increases cause bloating; build up over a week.
Ingredients
- 300 ml plain kefir
- 1 ripe pear, cored and chopped (about 170 g)
- 4 pitted prunes (about 40 g)
- 1.5 tbsp (15 g) ground flaxseed
- 120 ml water
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
- Pour the liquid into the blender first, then add the soft ingredients, then anything frozen or hard on top. Blending in that order keeps the blades in liquid instead of spinning against a frozen block.
- Soak the prunes in the water for ten minutes first if they are dry, and tip the soaking water in as well. It blends smoother and none of the sorbitol is left behind.
- Drink a full glass of water alongside it. Fiber without enough liquid makes the problem worse, not better.
- Blend on low until it breaks up, then on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until no flecks remain and the texture is even.
- Taste and adjust: a splash more liquid if it is too thick to pour, a squeeze of citrus if it tastes flat, a few more ice cubes if you want it colder.
- Drink it soon after blending. The texture separates within about ten minutes, and the colour dulls as the cut surfaces oxidise.
