Smoothies get my day started off right! They are, without question, my “go-to” most days of the week. When made correctly, smoothies offer a quick and easy breakfast (or snack) solution that is not only delicious but able to sustain you for hours. What more could a busy gal ask for?
What I love most about smoothies is that you can pack so much amazing nutrition into them, and this particular recipe is a great example of this.
Inflammation is now linked to pretty much every health condition. It plays a major role in some of the most challenging diseases today, including heart disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, asthma, even Alzheimer’s! It’s no wonder more and more people are looking to follow anti-inflammatory diets and learn which foods fight inflammation.
In short, the foods that cause inflammation include: Sugar, Trans fats, Omega-6 oils (e.g. corn, safflower, sunflower, soy, peanut, and vegetable), and products high in omega-6 fats (think commercial salad dressings and mayo), Refined carbohydrates (i.e., products made with white flour aka “wheat flour”), Food additives like MSG, Alcohol, Artificial sweeteners (e.g. aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium), and finally Gluten and Casein (if sensitivities/intolerances are present; not all people digest these ingredients well but continue to eat them).
Foods that fight inflammation – in short – include: Vegetables, Fruit, Water, Beans and Lentils, Healthy Fats (like avocado, fish oil, flax, chia, hemp, extra-virgin olive oil), Herbs and Spices (like cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garlic, rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley), some teas (green, oolong, and white teas), and fresh pressed veggie and fruit juices that include powerful anti-inflammatory foods like: celery, cucumber, ginger, pineapple, spinach, and lemon.
Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 cups organic spinach
- 1/4 cucumber
- 1 thumb-size piece of ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon organic turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon-flavored fish oil I use Nutrasea
- 1-2 tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk or hemp milk
- 2 scoops vanilla collagen protein powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. If you like a thinner smoothie add more coconut milk or water.
