Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

Chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on our health. One simple way to help your body fight chronic inflammation is by drinking this anti-inflammatory smoothie every day.

But first, let’s talk about the problems that can occur with chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation is helpful to our bodies. Chronic inflammation, however, can increase the risk of a multitude of conditions, including:

• Cardiovascular disease (1, 2)
• Cancer (3)
• Diabetes (1, 2)
• Mood Disorders (4)
• Brain Fog (5)
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia (6)
• Swelling and Puffiness (7)

Acute Vs. Chronic Inflammation

Acute inflammation occurs after an injury, illness, or infection, and lasts for only a few minutes to a few days. Acute inflammation causes swelling, heat, redness, and pain in the affected area. While these symptoms are unpleasant, they are an important part of the healing process.

Chronic inflammation is not helpful, however, and can last weeks, months, or even years. Poor nutrition, stress, illness, chronic infection, and aging can cause inflammation. Chronic inflammation can damage and destroy cells. Damaged cells lead to chronic pain and swelling, and increase the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Fortunately, anti-inflammatory foods and supplements can significantly reduce inflammation. Many of my clients and patients are amazed at how much better they feel after they have taken steps to reduce inflammation.

Anti-ingredients in this Anti-inflammatory Smoothie

This anti-inflammatory smoothie is one of those impactful steps you can take to combat inflammation. It’s easy to make and, of course, super tasty.

Each smoothie ingredient was carefully selected.

The blueberries, matcha green tea, flaxseed, and dark chocolate are packed with polyphenols. Extensive research shows that polyphenols prevent damaging free radicals from forming in the body (8, 9). Polyphenols also prevent proinflammatory cytokine formation (9).

Blueberries contain an antioxidant called anthocyanin. The anthocyanin and other antioxidants found in blueberries are known to promote optimal brain function. In one study, older adults ate 1 cup of blueberries for 90 days. After 90 days, their memory and their ability to accurately switch tasks significantly improved (10, 11).

Matcha green tea may help with brain function as well. One study found that people who consume Matcha green tea performed better on cognitive tests compared to the placebo (12). 

Flaxseed contains a polyphenol called lignan. Flaxseed contains about 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods (13).

Dark chocolate contains two important anti-inflammatories- antioxidants and prebiotics.  According to one study, participants saw improvements in their mood after eating dark chocolate. These improvements may be due to the prebiotic and antioxidant properties of dark chocolate. dark chocolate

The Greek yogurt in this anti-inflammatory smoothie is a great source of probiotics. Animal studies and clinical trials suggest that probiotics may help decrease inflammation (12). Furthermore, probiotics have also been found to improve symptoms of inflammatory diseases like IBD and ulcerative colitis (13)..

How to Decrease Inflammation

If you are suffering from inflammation, I recommend drinking this smoothie regularly. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is beneficial as well. You can find a list of anti-inflammatory foods here.

Along with eating an anti-inflammatory diet, you may want to consider adding anti-inflammatory supplements, like the SwellNoMore Supplement. This supplement not only provides five anti-inflammatory ingredients but also contains natural diuretics. The combination of natural diuretics and anti-inflammatories helps reduce swelling and puffiness. Therefore, SwellNoMore may help if:

• You are struggling with chronic inflammation
• You are suffering from swelling in the feet and ankles, puffiness, and edema caused by inflammation.

In fact, SwellNoMore is America’s #1 Anti-inflammatory diuretic! SwellNoMore is the best natural diuretic anti-inflammatory over the counter!

Summary

So, to recap, you can take steps to reduce chronic inflammation and improve your health. These steps include:

• Eating an anti-inflammatory diet (See a list of anti-inflammatory foods here)
• Adding an anti-inflammatory supplement like SwellNoMore, which is America’s #1 anti-inflammatory diuretic.
• Adding this Anti-inflammatory Smoothie into your daily routine (recipe below).

Anti-inflammatory Smoothie Recipe

Serves: Makes 1 smoothie

Ingredients:

• ½ cup blueberries (have a few available for a garnish as well)
• 1 banana
• 1 Tablespoon Dark Chocolate chips (have a few available for a garnish as well)
• 1 teaspoon Matcha green tea powder
• 1 Teaspoon flaxseed mill
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• Three fresh raspberries for garnish, optional*

Instructions:

• Set a few berries and chocolate chips aside to use as a garnish. Combine the rest of the blueberries and chocolate chips with the remaining ingredients in a blender.
• Blend until the ingredients are well blended.
• Pour the smoothie into a cup. Sprinkle a few blueberries and dark chocolate chips on top and enjoy!

Nutritional Facts

Calories: 369

Total fat: 9.3 g

Saturated Fat: 4.6 g

Sodium: 157 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 52.3 g

Total Sugar: 33.9 g

Protein: 24.5 g

Vitamin D: 1 mcg

Calcium: 358 mg

Iron: 2 mg

Potassium: 882 mg

Important Note: *Please schedule an appointment with your doctor if you are suffering from chronic edema. Talk with your doctor about any possible interactions your supplements might have with your medications or medical conditions.

 Written By Lacy Ngo