Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

This powerful anti-inflammatory smoothie is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds making it the perfect healthy start to your day—easy to make in just 5 minutes at home. Vegan, gluten free, nut free and soy free.

Why You’ll Love This Smoothie

• Refreshing and light
• High in anti-inflammatory compounds
• Flushes toxins from the body

This powerful anti-inflammatory smoothie has a bit of a ‘green’ taste to it, but it’s definitely worth drinking for the health benefits. The tropical fruity base adds some sweetness to this super healthy drink. It can be enjoyed any time of the day as a healthy snack or when an extra boost of energy is needed.

Spinach and arugula are greens in this smoothie which are packed full of antioxidants, including violaxanthin. Violaxanthin has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, as well as effectively remove toxins like heavy metals.

Spirulina is a type of algae which can be purchased in powder form. It comes in blue and green varieties, each with their own taste. Consuming spirulina powder helps maintain a strong immune system and provides many essential vitamins and minerals like B12, iron and magnesium. It can also help reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, making it a great healthy addition to any smoothie. It may also be effective in absorbing toxins which are then excreted along with urine.

Ingredients Needed

These are the ingredients you will need to make this powerful anti-inflammatory smoothie.

Spirulina powder: The key ingredient in this healthy smoothie. Choose a high quality green spirulina powder for a more pleasant algae taste.

Arugula & spinach: Wash any dirt from the leaves before adding to the blender.

Frozen pineapple & mango: Creates the cold, fruity base of the smoothie and adds a tropical flavour.

Cold water: The liquid that brings all of the other ingredients together to blend smoothly.

For ingredient amounts and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Benefits

Hydrating

Staying properly hydrated is a basic requirement for optimal health. By incorporating daily smoothies you can maintain your ideal hydration level more easily. Start each morning with a smoothie for easy hydration!

High fibre

Easily get more fibre in your every day diet! In addition to being generally healthy, getting enough fibre can be extremely helpful for weight loss as it helps keep you feeling full for longer, without adding calories. Fibre also helps improve our gut health.

Nutrient dense

Vegan smoothies are a great way to get more nutrient rich foods in each day. By blending them into a single meal, it’s super quick, easy and fun! Choose ingredients like dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, seeds and fruits to make your smoothies nutrient rich.

Variations

Make it creamier

For a creamier smoothie replace the cold water with oat milk or another plant milk. This will increase the calories but won’t change the anti-inflammatory properties of the drink.

Lessen the green taste

If the taste of spirulina is not something you are accustomed to you may find it slightly overpowering. The taste is also dependent on the quality and brand of spirulina powder used. Try using only 1 teaspoon of powder in this smoothie to start with. If it’s very mild, experiment with adding more until you have reached the full 1 tablespoon recommended.

Make it sweeter

For a sweeter anti-inflammatory smoothie add 1-2 frozen bananas. Don’t add agave or maple syrup as the flavours of these syrups tend to clash with the flavour of spirulina powder. Go for a more subtle source of sweetness like bananas or more mango.

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to blender.

• Start blending at low speed for 5-10 seconds. Increase to high speed and blend for 1-2 minutes. Use the blender tamper to push ingredients down towards the blades.

• Pour into a glass and serve your powerful anti-inflammatory smoothie.

Prep & Blending

Use frozen greens

Dark leafy greens can boost your smoothies nutritional content easily. Greens don’t have to be fresh for blending. Frozen greens like kale and spinach are perfect for adding into smoothie recipes. Be aware that if you want your smoothie to be a certain colour, greens may alter it.

Add ingredients in the correct order

Always add liquid ingredients to your blender first. Then add powders, nut butters, nuts and seeds. Then add fresh greens and fresh fruit. Finally add your solid ingredients like frozen fruit. If using a small blender container with a twist on lid, reverse the order so that when you turn the container over to blend the frozen ingredients are farthest away from the blades.

Use a tamper

Push ingredients down towards the blades while blending using the tamper that comes with your blender. This helps to avoid thick smoothies from getting stuck, so you don’t have to stop blending and scrape down the sides of the container.

Don’t over blend

Try to blend your smoothie for less than a couple of minutes. If blended for too long, even thick smoothies will become thin. This is because the heat generated by the blades and motor of the blender heat up your ingredients while they are being blended.

Use a high power blender

For smoothies that have a perfectly smooth and creamy texture use a high powered blender such as a Vitamix. It can break down any ingredients to much finer particles than standard blenders, and more nutrients are released. A high speed blender also reduces the time you need to blend your recipe, which helps keep it nice and cold.

FAQ’s

Can I use blue spirulina powder instead of green?

Yes, blue spirulina powder can be used in this recipe instead of the green type. Blue spirulina is extremely healthy and usually has a milder taste than green spirulina.

Can I lose weight with smoothies?

Smoothies are an excellent weight loss food! This is because they are generally lower calorie and higher in fibre and nutrients. Due to high water content, the large volume of a smoothie helps your stomach to feel satiated. And the fibre keeps you feeling full for longer, without feeling weighed down or tired like a huge meal would.

Can smoothies be refrigerated?

Smoothies are best enjoyed immediately after blending, while they are freshest. However you can refrigerate most smoothies for 1-2 days in an airtight container such as a jar.

Can I make smoothies without a high speed blender?

Yes, you can still make smoothies with a regular blender. It might take more patience depending on the recipe, but it can work. Turn off the blender to scrape down the sides of the container, and secure the lid before continuing to blend. Repeat as needed. Alternatively you can add a small amount of additional liquid to the recipe, which should help.

How can I increase the protein?

If you wish for your smoothie to have a higher protein content, you can simply add (more) protein powder to the recipe. Plain unsweetened plant based protein will work in any smoothie. Alternatively you can try adding hemp seeds or even silken tofu.

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