No matter how hard you try, avoiding bloating isn’t always a walk in the park—especially when hormones aren’t on your side, or the chaos of daily life derails any hope of a consistent workout routine. And then, of course, there are those days when menstruation rolls around and makes everything just a little more unbearable.
And I’m not just talking about aesthetics. That constant, uncomfortable feeling of a swollen belly—that leaden, sluggish bloat—can be genuinely draining.
The silver lining is that nature, in her infinite wisdom, offers us a thousand ways to fight back: detox juices, herbal infusions, and smoothies that are as delicious as they are effective.
Just ask Isabel Preysler, who swears by a juice made with broccoli, green bell pepper, kale, spinach, apple, zucchini, and lime. Or Victoria Beckham, fashion and beauty mogul extraordinaire, who starts her day with a blend of spinach, broccoli, celery, cucumber, avocado, apple, lemon, and ginger.
Your honour, I rest my case.
How to make the perfect green smoothie
Montse Prados, an endocrinologist, nutrition expert, and author of La medicina que necesitas eres tú, shares one of her go-to green smoothie recipes—one that delivers real results.
The secret? As with most things in life, balance. It’s about combining effective, nutrient-rich ingredients without compromising on flavour.
“Choosing the right ingredients for your smoothie can help reduce abdominal bloating and tackle chronic low-grade inflammation,” says Prados. “It’s about selecting components with antioxidant power—ingredients that are visually appealing and taste good—so you won’t feel the need to add sweeteners.”
Recipe:
- 1 cup of plant-based milk, while I like oat milk, I know it's not the healthiest.
- 1 kiwi, an ideal source of potassium and vitamin C.
- 1 pear, which is hydrating and filled with magnesium and calcium.
- A handful of spinach leaves, which have high doses of magnesium and fibre.
- A heaping spoonful of chia seeds, which are filled with fibre, vitamins, and minerals, as well as an ideal source of omega-3s.
- 5 mint leaves, in addition to providing fibre and vitamins, have an anti-bloating effect.
When is the best time to have a green smoothie?
"Best mid-morning, after a protein breakfast with healthy fats, or before exercise, as it is a healthy alternative to juices and shakes with added sugars. In addition, it is not advisable to break the fast with a food rich in sugars, so taking it just before starting a physical activity will help modulate glucose and insulin peaks," Prados points out.
