I just had wisdom tooth surgery (owie!) So, since I can’t really eat hard food, I’ve been going wild with the endless possibilities of smoothie recipes. Like any exercise of trial and error, it’s hit and miss but you’re lucky you have me as test dummy so that I can share the really delicious combos with you!
Today I made a papaya shake. I’ve been off dairy recently for the sake of feeling good (and having eaten my weight’s worth of delicious fromage in Paris a week ago) so this shake is made on almond and coconut milk. Papaya is relatively low in sugar (good good) and has some really great anti-inflammatory enzymes that have shown to improve healing. It’s also super high in vitamins E & C, and beta-carotene, which are also inflammation reducing. I threw in some ginger, another anti-inflammatory superstar, and cinnamon, an anti-microbial that not only gives the illusion of sweetness but nicely regulates blood-sugar levels. I find that coconut milk really helps regulate my blood-sugar levels throughout the day (which is especially good while I’m on a liquid diet) so that my evil ‘hangry monster’ doesn’t rise to haunt everyone at 3pm.
Im definitely not saying that this smoothie is a cure for inflammation but by habitually eating foods that inhibit or reduce inflammation in the body, you will find that fighting illness or recovering from things like surgery will be much faster. Forming good habits will always mean that you can be back up on your feet quickly when life throws snowballs at you. It’s never too late to start.
An Anti-Inflammatory Papaya Shake
You will need
a handful of ripe papaya (choose one without any bruises or rotten parts), skin and seeds removed, cubed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 thumb of fresh ginger, skin removed, finely grated
almond milk (homemade is best, or organic unsweetened store bought is ok)
3 tbsp coconut milk (if you have access to fresh it’s ideal, if not, organic canned will do)
pinch of sea salt
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
wedge of lime
raw honey (optional)
Add everything except honey to a blender and top up with almond milk to 1cm below the papaya. Blend until smooth and taste. If it needs sweetening, add honey to taste. Pour into a chilled glass and serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over before drinking.
