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Over the last few years, studies have shown that inflammation contributes to a number of health conditions and symptoms. Things like skin rashes, digestive troubles, headaches and migraines, brain fog, and fatigue can often be attributed to inflammation. Blend ingredients to combat this with my anti-inflammatory smoothie recipe.
Ingredients Youโll Need
One way to combat inflammation is by incorporating anti-inflammatory ingredients into your diet. This blend of powerhouse ingredients not only tastes great but also works wonders in reducing chronic inflammation, supporting heart healthy fats, and boosting your immune system.
Here are a few of my favorite anti-inflammatory foods to whip up into a rich and flavorful smoothie:
- Kale is rich in antioxidants, particularly flavonoids and vitamin C. These dark leafy greens help reduce inflammation by neutralizing harmful free radicals in the body.
- Beets are packed with betalains, compounds that have potent anti-inflammatory properties and support heart health by lowering blood pressure.
- Oranges are high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation and boosts the immune system by protecting cells from oxidative damage.
- Mixed berries like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries contain anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that reduce inflammation and help this berry smoothie protect against chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
- Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme known for its ability to reduce inflammation and aid digestion, especially after injury or surgery.
- Ginger root has strong anti-inflammatory effects due to compounds called gingerols, which may help reduce muscle pain and arthritis-related inflammation.
- Coconut oil contains lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can support immune function.
- Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory effects and support heart health while also providing fiber and protein.
How to Make An Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
This nutrient-packed anti-inflammatory smoothie is perfect for kick-starting your day or as a refreshing afternoon pick-me-up. Loaded with superfoods like kale, beets, and berries, it helps fight inflammation, supports digestion, and boosts your immune system. Plus, it’s delicious and easy to make!
- Wash and chop vegetables and peel and remove the seeds from the orange before adding to your blender with water.
- Puree on high until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of chunks of the green stick to the sides of the blender.
- Add frozen berries, frozen pineapple, fresh ginger root, coconut oil, and chia seeds to the blender. Blend again on high until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Pour the smoothie into your favorite glass or jar. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with extra chia seeds or a slice of fresh orange for a pop of color. Enjoy immediately to get the most nutritional benefit from all the fresh ingredients!
Foods that Cause Inflammation
A diet high in the following foods will most likely cause you to feel cruddy for a variety of reasons. If you’re susceptible to inflammation, these foods can make symptoms even worse.
- Red meat: Highly acidic and can take up to four days to get through your digestive system.
- Deli meat and preserved meats (pepperoni, sausage, etc): Offer close to zero nutrients and often contain damaging chemicals and artificial substances. They also suck nutrients from our bones, our cells and our entire system due to their acidity. They place a huge burden on our liver and kidneys (which are responsible for breaking down chemicals).
- Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese): Dairy is highly acidic and difficult to digest. It can contribute to excess mucus formation in the body.
- Gluten (flour, starches): Gluten creates a sticky substance in the gut, taking significantly more energy to digest. The word โglutenโ comes from the Latin term for โglueโ and is a protein composite found in wheat, rye, barley and other grains.
- Refined sugars: Refined sugar is acidic and leaches nutrients from our bodies, highly addictive and can contribute to mood problems, weight gain and tooth decay. It also leads to spikes in our blood sugar, giving us false โhighs,โ followed by crashes in energy that leave us more tired than we were to begin with.
Foods that Fight Inflammation
Consuming a diet that is full of foods that fight inflammation and reduce joint pain is a great place to start. Looking at anti-inflammatory foods, focus on whole foods that are very similar to a Mediterranean diet, making it super doable for most people in the Western world. Heck, I can get all of these foods at my local grocery store! It’s hard to make excuses when it’s accessible, right?
Here’s a food list to focus on when fighting inflammation:
- Tomatoes
- Olive oil and coconut oil
- Kale, spinach and cruciferous veggies
- Low glycemic fruit, berries, beets
- Garlic
- Citrus – lemons and oranges
- Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids – salmon, sardines, mackerel
- Ginger
- Turmeric
Certain seeds also have inflammation-fighting propertiesโ like chia, hemp, and flaxseed. You can enjoy them all in my homemade protein powder, which has 10g of protein! Try this powder with the anti-inflammatory smoothie below to give it a boost. You can add it to any one of my healthy smoothie recipes for an extra kick of protein.
Common Questions
Citrus cilantro smoothie, anti-inflammatory smoothie, lemon smoothie, and pineapple ginger smoothie for inflammation are all at the top of my list.
Outside of smoothies for inflammation, there are lots of great and simple tonics with ingredients like ginger and turmeric that can help soothe the body.
For sure! Bananas are rich in antioxidants and fiber, making them a great addition to your anti-inflammatory diet.
An anti-inflammatory green smoothie with plant-based protein is a great way to start the day. Fight inflammation before it creeps up by consuming fruits + veggies like leafy greens and berries first thing in the morning.
More Anti-Inflammatory Recipes
Here are a few of my fav easy anti-inflammatory recipes to help fight inflammation. Add these to your meal roster over the next few weeks, then let me know how you feel!
If these simple anti-inflammatory recipes are right up your alley, then sign up for my newsletter to get plant-based recipes just like these delivered to your inbox. Don’t forget to give the anti-inflammatory smoothie below a blend and let me know how you liked it with a rating + review!
Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
Ingredients
- ยฝ cup kale
- ยฝ cup beets peeled and chopped
- 1 cup water
- ยฝ orange peeled
- 1 cup mixed berries frozen
- ยฝ cup pineapple frozen
- 1 tsp ginger root peeled
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Place kale, beet, water, and orange into a blender.
- Puree until smooth.
- Add remaining anti-inflammatory smoothie ingredients.
- Blend again until smooth.
Equipment
Notes
- Carrots can be substituted for the beets.
- Mango can be substituted for the pineapple.
- Baby kale or spinach can be used to make the smoothie less bitter.
- Use at least 1 frozen fruit for a refreshingly cool smoothie.
Is the coconut oil an anti-inflammatory; was wondering if I can leave that out?
Thank you!
Hey Amanda,
Yes, the coconut oil is an anti-inflammatory so if you can tolerate it I would definitely keep that ingredient.
Hello,
I would like to try this shake, but I have an allergy to pineapple. Do you have any recomendations for a replacement?
Mango is a good replacement for pineapple.
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Thanks for sharing the green smoothie love! ๐
Can you use cows milk ?
Hi Villa,
Great question! Dairy can be pretty tough on your digestion, for that reason you won’t find it in our recipes – especially our Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie above where we want to show your belly some extra love. Including dairy in your diet – is definitely a personal decision. For us here at Simple Green Smoothies we’ve found that diary doesn’t make our bodies feel great, and if you’re not reaching for organic milk you can find yourself drinking a lot of additives, and lastly – dairy is actually the #1 undiagnosed food allergy. Love dairy and the way it makes you feel? Then go for it – and try adding it to a green smoothie recipe. I’d just suggest skipping our Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie as this recipe specifically is designed to heal your gut!
Every time i use spinach in my smoothie i have heart burn
Hi Christine.
Spinach not making your body happy? Swap out spinach for another leafy green you love! Here are a few of our favorites…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/leafy-greens
Love your website and all the information! However, should there be a concern about the high levels of sugar and carbs that are in the recipes? How does this fit into an overall healthy lifestyle? THANKS
Hi J,
Great question. Each smoothie has 3 cups of fruit in it, and it is recommended that an adult has 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit a day. When you drink 16oz of our green smoothie recipe you will be meeting, or just under your daily intake for fruit. If you feel like that is too much fruit, feel free to do 2 cups of fruit in each smoothie with 3 cups of leafy greens. Hope that helps. ๐
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/
I tried this one today. It was first time I’ve used Kale. Having just completed the 10 day kickstart. I really enjoyed the kick the ginger gave it and I love fresh beetroot anyway. I had 2 servigs cos my hubby wasn’t keen. So now I’m stuffed like a little piggy ๐
Hi,i have one question and i wanna know what do you think about it,i heard some rumors that when you blend your food you lose fiber and nutrition from it,personally i dont believe in that especially if you use a high power blender that can blend all food in 30s,i searched on internet and i cant find any studies that confirm that rumors,but i want to know your thoughts about it ๐
Hi Strahinja,
Great question! We do believe that nutrients begin to “go away” and oxalate, but we don’t believe this happens right away. Our stance is that green smoothies stay good for you for up to two days, as long as they are in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
And while some nutrients may oxalate before you finish your green smoothie. If green smoothies help you add leafy greens + healthy nutrients to your body, we say some nutrients are better than no nutrients at all. #win!
Amanda, I’d like to make a correction to your reply to Strahinja. I believe you meant to say ‘oxidize’ instead of “oxalate” ~calcium oxalate is a crystal found often in urine and is a common cause of urinary/bladder/kidney stones.
Respectfully, Joanna B.
I’ve read that you lose the fiber when you use a juicer to process fruits or vegetables. I think with using a blender, everything stays in place. I’ve never used a juicer. I’ve been told that there is a filter/screen in juicers that catch everything except the liquid.