My First Forty Days Post Partum Smoothie Recipe

theultimateWeekendGetawayOn July 14th I will be co-hosting a special event with Amber from The Bundle Store called At The Village Table: An Evening of Postpartum Insight & Preparation, an evening of insight and preparation as moms to be anticipate the arrival and care of their newborn baby. At the event will discuss the roots and rituals of caring for and nurturing the new mother as she bonds and grows with her child. This will include the five common themes of postpartum care, factors that influence the postpartum period, creating your nest, recipe samplings that nourish and heal, achieving emotional balance, and accessing your village. To find tickets for this limited seats event, click here.

Along with some great speakers, we will be trying some samples of recipes adapted from the book "The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother" by Heng Ou, based on her own postpartum experience with zuo yuezi, a set period of “confinement,” in which a woman remains at home focusing on healing and bonding with her baby, The First Forty Days revives the lost art of caring for the mother after birth.

As modern mothers are pushed to prematurely “bounce back” after deliver­ing their babies, and are often left alone to face the physical and emotional challenges of this new stage of their lives, the first forty days provide a lifeline—a source of connection, nourishment, and guidance.

The book includes 60 simple recipes all formulated to support the unique needs of the new mother, and this week I have adapted one of their smoothie recipes to share with you guys here on Mamatoga. For local Saratoga readers, all of these smoothie ingredients can be found at Healthy Living Market and Cafe, and you can also find the book locally at Northshire Bookstore.

A few recipe notes from me: I like the sweetened coconut milk because of the flavor it adds to the smoothie, and the vanilla flax milk is also a great choice.

smoothie

Half an avocado Vanilla coconut milk Half a banana Ground flax (find in bulk section) Warrior Vitality Blend: Maca & chia & cacao nibs powder Turmeric powder Black sesame seeds Green superfood powder Sprinkle with fenugreek seeds on top (find in bulk section)

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For all of these ingredients I add about a teaspoon, with a tablespoon of both the chia blend and the Warrior blend, but you can adjust it according to consistency. I tend to make big smoothies so if you are making an 8 oz. one you might have to adjust these amounts so it isn't too thick.

The Moringa powder is known to increase breast milk production, as well as the flax and the fenugreek seeds. This smoothie is great to add to a breakfast routine to make sure you're getting at least some of these lactation boosting benefits during the day and you can play around with the recipe and add berries, take out the avocado and add some peanut butter with the banana, the possibilities are endless.