Unless you’re a sedentary person with a perfect diet, you suffer from inflammation. I certainly do.
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is a protective mechanism triggered by your body. It’s your body’s response to a localised injury. It’s often visible in the form of redness or swelling. Picture a rolled ankle, a cut on your hand or a rash. You hurt yourself and your body sends a repair team to fight and heal, causing inflammation.
What we don’t see is all our internal inflammation. If you fill your body with processed foods you’re effectively injuring your liver, your stomach, your colon. If you smoke darts, how red do you think your lungs are? Just because you can’t see your internal organs as easy as your hands doesn’t mean we should be oblivious to the discomforts and inflammation.
Healthy Inflammation
And there’s the good kind of inflammation. Like when you hammer out a good workout, your first one in weeks, and you feel sore for days. That’s your body repairing your muscles and joints. Your body is building you back, hopefully better than before.
How To Help Inflammation
Naturally, you can help your body repair more efficiently. And I don’t mean popping ibuprofen like you’re a 38 year old pro footballer.
There are specific foods that help. And lucky for us, these foods also have other benefits. So not only will your specific injuries heal quicker and provide relief that way, but these foods perform so many functions that you’ll feel the best you can.
I’ve spent time researching the strongest anti-inflammatory foods but if you need more proof, then go for a Google your self. Every clickbaity top 10 anti-inflammatory list will include walnuts, pineapple, ginger, turmeric and green leafs. I’m helping you get to the next step faster, by find a delicious and efficient way to digest these foods. With a medicinal grade smoothie.
When To Have Your Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
I dig into anti-inflammatory recipes when I’ve been eating unwell. Usually that means not eating as many veggies as usual and always saying yes to dessert. My sweet tooth gets me in trouble. Sneaky bites of sugar add up.
Additionally, this recipe is brilliant for after a workout. Or the morning after a workout. You’ll notice how much faster your body repairs when you get these ingredients into you. If the 10-11 grams of protein isn’t enough then you can always add some more plant based powder. And while you’re looking at the back of your protein powder label keep your eyes peeled for bromelain. Almost all protein powders add bromelain into the recipe because it’s a unique anti-inflammatory. And where does bromelain come from? Pineapple. Further evidence that our raw recipe is going to do more for your inflammation than any powder or pharmaceutical.
Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
- takes 4 minutes
- makes 1 serving
Ingredients
- Spinach – 2 cups
- Frozen pineapple – 1/2 cup
- Walnuts – 1/2 cup
- Turmeric – 1 teaspoon
- Ginger, peeled – 1 inch (or 1 teaspoon ground)
- Raw honey – 1 tablespoon
- Almond milk – 1 cup
- Optional – Ice – 1/2 cup
Method
- Blend until creamy
Article by James Mcloughlin – Green Press
