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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 You’ll 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 “gluten” comes from the Latin term for “glue” 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 “highs,” 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 properties– 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
- ½ cup kale
- ½ cup beets peeled and chopped
- 1 cup water
- ½ orange peeled
- 1 cup mixed berries frozen
- ½ 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.
Can you use jarred beets? Or is the skin important?
Hi Kathleen! Great question – the beets you find in a jar are similar in nutritional properties, yet will contain more sodium than fresh. And yeah, you do lose additional nutrients (like vitamin A and C, plus antioxidants) when you avoid the skin, yet it’s def better than no beets at all!
It took me several rounds of buying the fresh ingredients before I tried making this smoothie. I found that my beets went bad after 2-3 days, so if i didn’t make it right away, they’d be rotten. BUT, I finally got the beets and kale at the same time and whipped up a batch of this stuff. I admit, I expected it to be gross and earthy-tasting, but none-the-less, good for me. WRONG – it’s actually delicious! The pineapple and berries do alot to “cover up” any beet taste, and the beets add the most beautiful color! It is so good, it’s more like drinking kool-aid than it is like drinking V8. Don’t be scared. I felt stronger and really smart 😉 almost immediately after drinking a batch!
How often can I drink this juice? I love it.
I think you could drink one of these every day if you like, Ronae. 🙂
Thanks
How often and how long does it take to start working?
Hey Bob! Everyone’s body is different so I can’t really say how long it will take. I think if you’re dealing with inflammation, you’ll want to drink this smoothie at least a few times a week and alternate with other green smoothies. You could start feeling better in as short as a few days. Good luck!
I just made this smoothie for the first time — HOLY TOLEDO IT’S SO GOOD. I’m not the biggest fan of beets nor ginger, so I wasn’t expecting to like this THAT much. The flavors compliment each other perfectly. I only had spinach on hand, so I used it instead of kale, and it still tastes so good.
It’s surprisingly good, isn’t it?!
Are the beets raw or cooked?
Hey Sydney! You can actually use either, it’s more of a personal preference. Raw beets are a bit more earthy while roasted or cooked beets have a slightly sweeter taste.
I made this, it tastes great, I also added a tablespoon of plain yogurt
Any smoothie with anti-inflammatory properties is a winner in my book. 🙂
What out a recipe including cucmber & celery?
We have one, Cathy. Here’s the link to that recipe: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/immune-system-booster 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I am following a lectin-free diet to deal specifically with inflamation, The Plant Paradox plan, as I wrote you about.
I will try it to see if alleviates my pain in my hands and shoulder from arthritis.
I like that you give options, in case I don’t have everything right now and as both of those options are better for me, but this time I will have to try the pineapple and don’t have beets so I will do the mango!
Love your website, have followed you since 2016 I believe and recommend you to everyone I possibly can!
Thank you for coming up with this, per my request!
Glad you like this recipe! I make this smoothie often and I love it. 🙂
hello im pregnant can i take this smoothie ? my inflammation is a lil worst but i see it has 30 sugar is that lot , im trying to be careful with my sugar intake ?
Hi Erika! I would suggest speaking with your healthcare provider and/or nutritionist regarding your diet while pregnant. They know you + your body best! 🙂
Really tasty. Been having this every night before bed.
This is definitely a great one!
Tatse good.. hope it works on the inflamation.. thank you
Muy bueno este articulo los tengo que aser sufro de artritis en una pierna gracias
¡De nada! Lamento saber de tu artritis. Espero que esto ayude.
Love the color of it, looks so refreshing!
Hi Jen, just wondering if I have roasted the beets are they still beneficial in a smoothie? I assume you are using them raw. Thanks,
Donna
Amanda, I know I have a lot of inflammation in my body. I have severe fibromyalgia and have been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. The above Smoothie looks great but I know it’s too much sugar for me so I see you said to substitute a cup of berries for another cup of greens. 1) will it be too bitter for a newcomer and what should I add or take away for my Fibromyalgia. and 2) is there a list of smoothies for my issues for variety?
Thank you,
Barbara in MD
Hey Barbara,
You can always just add less of the fruit and more of the greens with this recipe instead of adding the berries. You can always add in some dates or honey to naturally sweeten it up a little.
Also, since we are not nutritionist we do not have a specific recommendation for you but I would suggest sticking with these ingredients to fight the inflammation.
Hope that helps!
What blender do you use? I loved this, so tasty but need a large blender for 6 that makes the smooth smooth, I had lots of chunks from the beets and kale. Thanks