A smoothie is a fantastic way to start your day or as a meal replacement when you’re hungry but don’t feel like eating. For me, smoothies are a fantastic option when I’m feeling bloated, or my gut is not feeling the best.

Over the last couple of years, I found adding two tablespoons of flaxseed to my smoothies adds a subtle but fantastic taste, plus it keeps me feeling full for hours. You can add more if you like, but I find that much more than two tablespoons, and I think flavor starts to mask the flavor of the other items in my smoothie.

If you’re wondering how much flax seed to put in smoothie, I highly recommend using ground seeds or grinding your own. I prefer to get farm-fresh flaxseed, store it well, and grind it as needed. Ground flaxseed is easier to digest and gives you the maximum benefits of flaxseed, as the absorption is so much easier. But it’s also just as easy to buy already ground flaxseed.

When deciding on brown vs. golden flaxseed, I go with what the other items in the smoothie are. If I’ve added ginger, chard, or onion, the buttery flavor of the gold is better. The brown adds a nutty flavor to almost all other items, which I sometimes enhance with just a pinch of nutmeg. You can add ground flax seed to any smoothie combination to make it a flax seed smoothie, so feel free to get creative!

Here’s my favorite morning smoothie:

• Fresh lemon juice (from one small to medium lemon)
• 2 oz Olive Oil
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger (cleaned but keep the skin on)
• 1 heaping cup fresh baby spinach
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 cup of water
• 10 baby carrots
• 1/2 of a medium avacado
• 2 tablespoons of ground golden flaxseed

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve right away for the best taste and texture. Any leftover smoothie can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but the flavor will change as it sits.

This one is my preferred meal replacement:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 green apple
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• small handful fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons brown flaxseed

The great thing about smoothies is you can just try anything, which is usually good. Feel free to pick any smoothie recipe you like and just add the flaxseed. Try one a day for two weeks, and I bet you will notice a positive difference in your digestion!