This article originally appeared on People.
Since being diagnosed with endometriosis, Tia Mowry has reformed her diet to help ease her symptoms. She stays away from dairy and processed sugars, and often goes on “vegan detoxes” when she’s feeling sluggish but primarily, the actress focuses on a diet filled with “whole foods.”
“That’s fruits, vegetables, seeds, and whole grains,” she tells PEOPLE. “It’s foods that are not processed and packaged.”
So as a busy mom, the Tia Mowry At Home star, who partnered up with Baileys this spring to help launch their new dairy-free, gluten-free almond milk liqueur, Almande, is constantly looking to fit those foods in on the fly.
“Smoothies are the perfect way to get your fruits and vegetables all in one sitting. It’s so easy, it’s quick, you just throw everything in a blender and then you’re ready to go and go about your day,” she says. “Smoothies are definitely something that I load up on every single day. That’s my go-to.”
Her preferred blend includes frozen bananas, frozen strawberries and coconut milk. “It’s just nice and creamy and then you have your potassium in there to help you throughout the day,” she says. “You can throw in an avocado to get your healthy fats, or you could throw some spinach in there if you want.”
Smoothies are also Mowry’s secret weapon for sneaking in healthy foods into her son’s diets. “[Cree, 5] doesn’t even notice! And all the while, he’s getting fiber, vitamins and minerals,” she writes in her new cookbook, Whole New You.
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Mowry’s own daily food diary might also include gluten-free pancakes, kale and almond fried rice for lunch and a light fish with veggies for dinner. “What I eat and what I put into my body is extremely important to me,” she adds.
In addition to a healthy diet, Mowry relies on fermented foods to fight the severe abdominal pain caused by her endometriosis. “A lot of people don’t know about fermented foods and their benefits,” she says. After working with a dietician, the Sister, Sister star discovered the healing powers of foods like miso, kimchi and sauerkraut.
“They are loaded with good bacteria that just keep the gut flora nice and balanced and able to fight off inflammation and free radicals in the body,” she says.
