PMS Smoothie with Carrot, Turmeric, Maca, & Pineapple (dairy-free, nut-free, Whole30)


The next time you’re experiencing a PMS headache, back ache, or cramps, try this anti-inflammatory PMS Smoothie with adaptogenic maca and pain-relieving pineapple and turmeric. Carrot helps detox excess estrogen. It’s dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan or Whole30-friendly!
Another way to make your food your medicine? Cooking with essential oils!
Download our FREE Guide to Cooking With Essential Oils here to get started!
Once a month, no matter what season, I buy 2 pineapples.
I peel them, cut the flesh away from the core, and cube it up for my kids or freeze the chunks to use in smoothies.
Then, I put the cores in a baggie and stick them in the fridge (or cube them up and freeze).
Why do I save the cores?
Pineapple cores aren’t exactly edible, are they? Not really. They’re tough and chewy, and typically, they’d go in the compost.
Except I discovered a magical nutrient that’s super-concentrated in pineapple cores — a sulfur-based enzyme called bromelain.
PMS’s Worst Enemy
Most notably, bromelain has pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory properties. The majority of bromelain in pineapples is found in the stem and core. Therefore, this smoothie is a great use of your resources because nothing goes to waste!
Bromelain’s properties make it a useful tool in combating the cramps, headache, and backache that often come in days leading up to and the first couple days of our periods.
The cramp-busting, headache-healing powers of this PMS smoothie don’t stop there, however.
Carrots & Turmeric: Hormone Benefits, Pain Relief, & Less Depression
Two more secret weapons to combat PMS? Carrots and turmeric!
Carrots are extremely helpful in hormone balance.
They help the body detox the excess estrogen that causes symptoms such as tender or swollen breasts, mood swings and depression around cycle time, heavy menstrual bleeding, and night sweats.
And turmeric… Because it’s anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, and pain-relieving, turmeric can be especially helpful during a woman’s menstrual cycle — particularly during the days leading up to the beginning of the cycle and the first couple of days of the period itself (source).
Turmeric is known to decrease pain and intensity of periods because it’s anti-spasmodic properties alleviate cramping. This powerful little herb’s pain-relieving abilities are extremely helpful for the abdominal, lower back, and often, full body pain that periods sometimes cause. Turmeric, believe it or not, is actually a wonderful, natural alternative for the NSAIDs, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen many women reach for to ease menstrual pain. — from my recipe for The Best Period Drink Ever.
And yes, because piperine in black pepper activates turmeric’s curcumin and makes it more bioavailable, there’s a bit of black pepper in this PMS Smoothie, too. 🙂
Add in hormone-balancing, energizing maca and healing collagen (or this vegan protein powder), and this PMS Smoothie ends up being a girl’s best friend and PMS’s worst enemy!
Maca: Your Hormones’ Best Friend
Another amazing ingredient full of minerals like magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, and nearly 20 amino acids? MACA!
Maca is an adaptogenic, hormone-balancing superfood. Find my favorite maca here.
Maca contains no actual hormones, yet it shows evidence that it nourishes the entire endocrine system, including the adrenals and thyroid. Its adaptogenic qualities may help balance and support the endocrine system, resulting in optimal hormone production and balance. Furthermore, the minerals and fatty acids in maca support hormone balance, especially for the 2 main hormone regulators: the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. (Source.)
If you’ve never used maca before, it’s one of those foods you should incorporate slowly and gently into your diet, starting with about 1 teaspoon per day.
If you find yourself feeling a little nauseous after consuming maca, it’s possible that you consumed too much. So, reduce to 1/2 teaspoon for a few days. Allow your body to adjust to this adaptogen by increasing in small increments.
Consuming more than a tablespoon of maca per day is unnecessary and may cause digestive upset. This PMS Smoothie contains just 1 teaspoon — a very balancing amount.
How to Keep This PMS Smoothie Whole30-Friendly and/or Vegan
Simply omit the stevia and use grass-fed collagen for a Whole30-friendly smoothie. <– Save 10% on my favorite grass-fed collagen with my discount code ALLTHETHINGS!
If you find it’s not quite sweet enough without the stevia, you can blend in a date or 2.
This plant-based protein powder is amazing, but it’s not Whole30-approved since it contains brown rice.
It is vegan, though! So, if you need a vegan PMS smoothie, use my favorite Perfect Plant Protein Powder instead of collagen!
How to Make This PMS Smoothie with Carrot, Turmeric, Maca, & Pineapple
Start by adding 1-1/2 cups of your favorite dairy-free milk to a high-speed blender, like a BlendTec.
Slice 1 medium-large carrot and add the chunks to the blender.
Next, add the powders: the turmeric, black pepper, maca, and collagen and/or plant protein powder. Then, add the MCT oil. (I use the MCT oil for a boost of fat that converts straight into energy — highly needed on PMS days! Save 10% on my favorite MCT oil with my discount code ALLTHETHINGS.)
Last, add the cubed pineapple core (or about 1 cup of frozen pineapple if you don’t have the core) and 8 frozen peach slices.
If using stevia or dates, add those also.
Blend until smooth and serve!
TIP: If you’re seed cycling, add your seeds to this PMS Smoothie as well for extra benefits. Remember, during your follicular phase (onset of menstruation to ovulation) use 1 tablespoon flax seeds + 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds. During your luteal phase (ovulation to day before menstruation) use 1 tablespoon sesame seeds + 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds.

PMS Smoothie with Carrot, Turmeric, Maca, & Pineapple (dairy-free, nut-free, Whole30)
The next time you're experiencing a PMS headache, back ache, or cramps, try this anti-inflammatory PMS Smoothie with adaptogenic maca and pain-relieving pineapple and turmeric. Carrot helps detox excess estrogen. It's dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan or Whole30-friendly!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2cupsdairy-free milkI used homemade. Learn how to make your own dairy-free milks here. If using canned, do 1/2 cup coconut milk + 1 cup water.
- 1carrotcut into chunks
- 1tablespooncollagen powderUse my code ALLTHETHINGS for 10% off your order at Perfect Supplements!
- 1scoopPerfect Plant Protein Powder(optional, vegan, not Whole30)
- 1teaspoonmaca
- 1teaspoonturmeric
- 1/4teaspoonblack pepper
- 1pineapple core(or 1 cup frozen pineapple)
- 8frozen peach slices
- steviato taste (use dates for Whole30)
- 1tablespoonMCT Oil
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a high-speed blender in the order listed.
- Blend on high or use the Smoothie cycle on a BlendTec.
Pour into a glass and suck down the whole thing!
Recipe Notes
Low-Carb/Sugar-Free Friends -- you're right, pineapples are high-glycemic. In this instance, however, I have purposely paired them with low-glycemic peaches and emphasize using stevia or my DIY Sugar Alternative Blend as your sweetener. This is a prime example of using food as medicine. If you're living an otherwise low-carb/low-glycemic lifestyle, having this smoothie for 2 or 3 days out of a month probably isn't going to impact your blood sugar negatively. Consult your healthcare provider if you have concerns.
Pin it!
Helpful Links & More Nourishing Smoothie Recipes:
- Learn how to make your own dairy-free milks here!
- How Turmeric Benefits The Female Reproductive System
- For another powerful combo of pineapple, carrot, and turmeric, check out The Best Period Drink Ever.
- Save 10% on Plant Protein Powder, MCT Oil, and Grass-Fed Collagen with my discount code ALLTHETHINGS
- The EVERYTHING Smoothie
- Chocolate Orange Smoothie with a Secret Green Ingredient
- Soothing Stomach Smoothie + 10 Ways to Get Through a Stomach Bug Naturally
- 3-Ingredient Healthy Peach Slushie (low-carb, vegan, THM:E)
- 4-Ingredient Cherry Lime Slushie
Do you use food as medicine? Have you ever tried food-based PMS or menstrual pain relief?
Originally published on March 17, 2017. Updated on July 25, 2017. Recipe improved, new photos and updated text added on July 15, 2019.
[…] Cramp-Busting PMS Smoothie — The next time you're experiencing PMS, try this anti-inflammatory smoothie with adaptogenic maca and pain-relieving pineapple and turmeric. […]
Excited for the core but in your seed cycling tip, Could you check the labeling of follicular phase and Luteal phase, I keep getting confused 🤷♀️ with every website calling them something different
The follicular phase is the 1st half of your cycle, from Day 1 of menstruation through the day before ovulation. The luteal phase is from ovulation to the day before your period starts.
How cool is this? I actually have a pineapple core in the fridge right now! I think I’ll whip this smoothie up just for kicks, it sounds delish!
I really hope you liked it!
Will have to try this! I take a bromelain supplement for pain relief and it works really well!
That actually sounds REALLY good! Gonna have to give it a try… in a few days. :/