Here is an anti-inflammatory smoothie that will blow your taste bud socks off: nutrient-dense, great for any digestive issues you may be experiencing, and is frosty and decadently creamy! I came up with the ingredients on a rainy day, when I was feeling down after battling against stomach issues, and just needed something to set off my spark.
It features one of the healthiest foods in the world, Turmeric. I use only fresh Turmeric Root for this smoothie because it adds a special peppery zing. As a potent anti-inflammatory, Turmeric is an effective treatment for people suffering from stomach ailments throughout history. Another anti-inflammatory ingredient in this pink elixir that protects the digestive tract is celery. Celery is chock-full of anti-oxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, beta-carotene, and manganese.
this is what real turmeric looks like!
Beets play a vital nutrient and color role in this smoothie while helping cleanse the body of toxins. The nutritional value of beets provide a healthy dose of magnesium, fiber, vitamins A, B, and C, and iron. It is so much fun adding the bright purple flesh of beets to recipes and they turn everything into a purple dream. Pear is potent anti-inflammatory element in this drink that I love for its unique sweetness (and keep the skin, it holds half the fiber content in this fruit). Pear nutrition facts include phytonutrients like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory flavonoids while slashing our cancer risk in the gut. The pear fiber binds with a special group of bile acids called secondary bile acids, and this binding decreases the concentration of the acids in the intestine and lowers our risk of developing cancer!
Frozen bananas paired with unsweetened almond milk make this smoothie taste like decadent thick ice-cream. The night before I peel bananas, chop them up and freeze them so they are blender ready the next day! The nutritional value of a banana includes vitamin B6, manganese, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, biotin, and copper while the almond milk supplies plenty of vitamins A, D, and B-12 for a healthy immune system.
Last but not least my secret ingredient, coconut oil, makes a creamy and brain function boosting addition. Coconut oil contains Medium Chain Triglycerides (fatty acids of medium length) that shoot to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a zing of energy for up to 24 hours! The fatty acids in coconut oil are potent enough to kill pathogens and stave off infections in the body.
If for some reason you cannot find Turmeric at your food market, Ginger makes a great replacement!
Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 celery stalk (cut into pieces)
½ raw beet (grated)
1 ½ -2 cups unsweetened almond milk (depends on your desired thickness)
1-1/2 cup of frozen banana slices
1/2 pear (cut into pieces)
1 tablespoon freshly grated turmeric
1 healthy tablespoon of coconut oil
Directions:
Before throwing in these amazingly beneficial ingredients into your blender, I do recommend putting in your banana slices first and blending them until thick and creamy. Then just add the rest and it shouldn’t take more than 3 minutes to have the most beautiful color appear in a frosty like smoothie that you won’t believe is not a dessert. The color is reason enough make this healing drink, let alone the nutritional benefits and taste!
Nutritional Information Sources:
Related: Carrot Almond Mint Smoothie
Strawberry Spinach Green Smoothie
Also by Irena: 5 Tips for Better Digestion
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Photo: Irena Stanisic
