Anti-inflammatory green shake
The flax seeds in this feed bifidobacteria in the gut which can help to reduce inflammation in the body - think of any condition with an "itis" on the end and you'll know what I mean. Eg arthritis, cystitis, bronchitis etc. Pineapples contain the enzyme bromelain which also have anti-inflammatory powers, as does ginger which is a cox-2 inhibitor - meaning it has a similar mechanism of action to Nurofen. This pain-busting shake is also a brilliant daily housekeeper of gut health, hormones, and healthy stool movements. I make various versions of it for breakfast.
To make it you'll need:
1 American cup of washed spinach leaves (use a mug if you don’t have an American cup measurer)
1 cup of pineapple or a frozen tropical mix which includes pineapple
2 cm (or about 1 inch) of peeled ginger
2 tablespoons of flax seeds (ground or still as seeds grind down in a powerful blender)
100ml of water (about 1/8 of a pint)
Put the ingredients together in a powerful blender and pulse till smooth. Drink straight away before the ingredients separate.
Frozen fruits are convenient, cheaper than fresh, and create a cold shake rather than a room temperature one which happens with hot motors on powerful blenders.
Jeannette Hyde Nutritional Therapist
Jeannette Hyde is a leading central London-based gut-health nutritionist, writer, and educator. She is author of The Gut Makeover and writes a weekly Substack of the same name.
