The Ultimate Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie

Looking for a healthy tasty treat that’s quick and easy to make? This delicious, anti-inflammatory smoothie is dairy free, loaded with vitamins and minerals and sure to satisfy your craving. You’ll be surprised how good healthy can taste!

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Diabetic Friendly – Low Sugar Content

This is a smoothie with a very low glycemic index so it doesn’t spike your blood sugar. Although I’m not diabetic I try to limit my sugar intake so I only use a few dates to sweeten this smoothie instead of using other fruits. Dates are a wonderful natural sweetener and safe in moderation for people who are diabetic because they have a low GI (Glycemic Index). The fiber in the dates help the body absorb the sugar slowly which reduces the spikes in blood sugar and mixing them with other high protein items such as nuts or seeds also manages the spike.

Health Benefits of This Green Smoothie

• Loaded with vitamins and minerals – This smoothie is made with spinach, raw pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, chia, hemp hearts, unsweetened coconut flakes, medjool dates, and unsweetned coconut milk all of which contain a host of vitamins and minerals. You’ll get vitamin A, vitamin B1, B3, B6, B12, vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Folate, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Zinc, Iron, Calcium, Manganese, Selenium, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, beta carotene and more.

• Great way to get fiber in your diet – The greens alone provide good fiber but when you combine that with the seeds and dates, this recipe is fiber rich!

• Anti-Inflammatory – This recipe does not contain any food that causes inflammation. In fact, this smoothie is nutrient rich with anti-inflammatory ingredients. Thus it helps reduce the inflammation in your body.

• Powerhouse – This smoothie will provide you with energy and alertness for the whole day. It is better than a cup of coffee in the morning and will fill you up as well.

• Lose Weight – Because this recipe is low carb and packed with fiber it fills you up and keeps you satiated until your next meal.

Alternatives:

This is a smoothie so if you don’t like something you can always change it out or omit it. Obviously that will change the taste and I highly recommend trying it first as is.

• Don’t like spinach – change out your greens with other options such as kale, collard greens, cilantro, carrot tops, beet tops, or chard.

• Healthy fats – Add nuts; pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pistachio, brazil nuts or add an avocado.

• Less sweet – Omit the dates. However dates are rich in Magnesium, copper, potassium and Vitamin B-6

Ingredients

• Spinach – It doesn’t matter if you use baby spinach, or regular spinach. Spinach is what makes this smoothie green! It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals. If you don’t like spinach you can always exchange it for another type of green leafy vegetable such as kale or beet tops.

• Unsweetened Coconut Milk – This is not the kind you buy in a can, although you certainly could use that. I use Silk Unsweetened Coconut Milk but any non-dairy milk would work.

• Cinnamon – Cinnamon believe it or not adds sweetness. I have made this smoothie without dates because I was out, but it was still sweet tasting because of the cinnamon. According to the National Institutes of Health cinnamon is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering and cardiovascular-disease lowering compound.

• Raw Pumpkin Seeds – The health benefits of things like nuts, coconut milk, and avocados might be well known but you might not be aware that pumpkin seeds are also good source of healthy fats. This makes them great for your heart and immune system. They also help reduce inflammation amongst other benefits like lowering cancer risks, helping to maintain blood sugar levels, even helping your sleep better. They are full of magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, and selenium. Be sure to use raw and not roasted or salted.

• Chia Seeds – Chia has become so popular in the last decade. I’ve watch the price in my local grocery store go from $.90 a pound to over $12.00 a pound in it’s peak popularity. It’s now around $4.00 a pound. What makes chia so special is that it’s a complete protein and contains all 9 essential amino acids that cannot be made by the body. It’s a great source of fiber and rich in omega 3 fatty acids. It has a host of other benefits also just like all the ingredients in this recipe.

• Hemp Hearts – Hemp hearts are rich in nutrients just like the other ingredients in this recipe. They are high in fiber and omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. They also have a high amount of magnesium (which is one of those minerals that everyone seems to be deficient in.) The other nice thing about hemp hearts is that they are great for your gut bacteria and reducing unwanted toxins in your gut. If you’ve never heard of hemp hearts, they are safe to eat, as in they aren’t going to get you high or anything despite the plant in which they come from.

• Unsweetened Coconut Flakes – I use unsweetened macaron flakes but any unsweetned coconut flakes will work. Coconut is rich in antioxidents and believe it or not, helps with blood sugar control. It’s also is rich in fiber and MCT’s which help in weight control.

• Medjool dates – Dates are what make this smoothie sweet but they are completely optional. I use medjool dates because they are soft and big. If you prefer no sweetener than you can totally omit them. However they are loaded loaded with nutrients and a host of health benefits of their own! They are known to stimulate the immune system, reduce inflammation, prevent DNA damage, improve hormone regulation, and lower your risk of heart disease. They are even okay for diabetics because the fiber in the dates help the body to absorb the sugar slowly, which reduces the blood sugar spike. I have found that Costco has medjool dates at a good price along with US Foods Chef’s Store or you can buy them for a great deal on Amazon. I prefer the non-pitted ones because they seem to stay more moist and soft. Once they are pitted they tend to dry out more. Just be sure to remember to remove the pits and the stem caps before using.

How to make

• Pack fresh spinach in blender until it reaches the 4 cup mark.

• Fill the blender with coconut milk to just a little above the packed spinach.

• Add remaining ingredients.

• Blend well.

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