I only started to understand the impact that my daily diet had on my entire well-being a few months ago. Better late than never, as they say.
The days that I could devour one poutine (extra cheese), drink 2-3 Bloody Caesar and eat a whole bag of skittles, right before going to bed and sleep like a baby, are officially over.
Now, as soon as I eat too much pasta, my stomach feels like it’s catching fire, making it hard to sleep at night.
Over the past few years, I’ve started to be more interested in health and natural nutrition. Among other things, I’ve added cold-pressed green juices to my daily diet and I’m 100% happy with how I’m feeling.
But, most recently, a new trend caught my eyes: SHOTS!
Here, I’m not talking about the shots your friend paid for at 2 AM in some bar… 🙄
I’m talking about HEALTH shots!
It’s a very popular trend right now in the U.S. I read that shots can support the immune system and improve digestion.
What are the best wellness shots?
There are many different flavors, but they almost always contain lemon and ginger. The only snag: their taste is intense and doesn’t please everyone. 👀
I read so many great reviews about them that I decided to ignore the weird taste and told myself I had to try it at all costs.
You see, the past year was quite intense for me. I officially became a freelancer, I moved, I had to plan many different events… these are all exciting things but they become stressful when they all happen at the same time.
Without giving away too much detail, usually in the past, the more stressed I would get the more I would visit my friend the toilet… Let’s just say that my digestion wasn’t at its best! 💥
So I really wanted to try these shots which, according to my research, had many impressive digestive benefits.
I first turned to my friend Google to find some recipes… but I knew myself too well: I was way too lazy to make my own shots every morning.
Luckily for me, I quickly realized that DOSE, the site where I ordered my juices, had their own shots and could deliver them to my place.
I ordered 14 small bottles of their gutshot – lemon, ginger, turmeric and black pepper, to drink once a day for 2 weeks.
Two days later, when my box was delivered, I was surprised by the size of the product (it was much smaller than I had thought it would be). “It’ll be easy-peasy” I told myself before taking a first sip.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
I had forgotten all about what people were saying about the taste. 😳
It’s not that it tasted bad… it’s just that it was VERY VERY sour.
Picture the sour candies you ate when you were a kid, you know the ones that actually hurt your tongue and mouth? It’s kind of the same thing but you won’t get hurt as you only have to drink 75 ml.
Every sip felt like I was biting into a lemon.
To be honest with you, I found the taste surprising but not unpleasant.
But I have weird culinary tastes: when I was 8 years old, I’d ask my mom to give me olives and blue cheese in my lunches… but I would get nauseous anytime I drank milk🥛 or ate a banana. 🍌
All in all the taste of the shots is bold and acidic, so you might need a little time to adjust.
Do wellness shots really work?
HOW DID YOU FEEL? Ah! That’s the question.
During the first two days, I honestly didn’t notice much of a change. However, I was getting a cold so the results were skewed. 🤧
But I kept up the habit of drinking one shot every morning at 11 AM. I do intermittent fasting, which consists in not eating anything for 16 hours after dinner, so the shot was the first thing my body would ingest.
I quickly felt like it gave me more energy because drinking a sour and intense shot isn’t as comforting as drinking a hot and soothing cup of tea. The shot made me wince but most importantly, it gave me the boost that I needed to stay focused.
Also, as I mentioned, I was getting a cold… I don’t know if it’s because of the shot but my symptoms subsided! Other than a headache and a dripping nose, I had nothing. Yasssss!
AND YOUR DIGESTION? Ahhh! Let’s get to the heart of the matter.
My abdominal cramps: gone.
My almost-everyday nausea: buh-bye.
My nightmares on the toilet: finally over.
I was still feeling stressed, but my digestion was much, much better. 🌷🌿
Some research helped me figure out why! The shots contain ingredients that promote regularity.
Why are these shots good for you?
Lemon🍋 is known to stimulate our liver to produce bile, which then produces digestive enzymes that aid in the digestion of fats.
Ginger⚡️ helps maintain good intestinal flora and may relieve bloating and nausea.
Turmeric🌾 is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. In India, it was traditionally used to heal stomach ulcers and inflammation by inhibiting the secretion of gastric acid.
Fun fact: there seems to be a correlation between high consumption of turmeric and low incidence of some cancers in India and other Asian countries where turmeric is consumed daily. We love you, turmeric!
Finally, black pepper⚫️ is essential as it activates curcumin, the compound that is responsible for most of turmeric’s benefits. When we combine black pepper with turmeric, research shows that we absorb the curcumin 20 times more. Black pepper also helps relieve bloating, flatulence and constipation.
It’s not surprising that my belly was so happy!
Cloé, “I can no longer live without my daily shot”, Lachapelle