Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric & Ginger Smoothie

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Turmeric and ginger are two incredible roots that are helpful in reducing inflammation. Turmeric has extremely powerful anti-inflammatory effects in addition to it being an antioxidant. It is bright orange in color and will stain just about anything it touches (so beware). I always tell people to eat foods that stain your hands, and turmeric (along with beets, berries, tomatoes, etc.) is a great example of that. The color in fresh fruits and vegetables are powerful antioxidants, so the richer the color the richer the antioxidants! Ginger is known for not only it’s anti-inflammatory properties, but also it’s ability to aid in digestion.

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Both roots have a bittery spiced earth flavor and hearty stringy texture, so eating them raw (or ground) can be a little difficult if you’re not a huge spice lover. I find it difficult to incorporate these medicinal roots into my own diet, so I came up with an awesome smoothie recipe to help myself benefit from their anti-inflammatory effects.

You may intimidated by something that looks like it could be inedible, but have no fear; fresh turmeric and ginger root are super simple to prepare! They can be found in almost all grocery stores in the produce section. They’re usually by the garlic, potatoes, and other non-refrigerated/dry produce. Most all grocery stores sell them both by the pound, so you just can buy as much as you want to have at a time.

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My Favorite: Teas

Tea is an amazing thing, especially when it starts getting cold outside. I love sipping tea while studying, or watching TV. It’s a completely guilt-free drink with added health benefits that you can especially enjoy throughout the fall/winter seasons. I thought that since it is beginning to get pretty chilly outside, I would share with you my favorite teas and why they are so great.

It took me a while to really appreciate, and enjoy drinking green tea. Green tea is probably one of the best teas that you can drink, because of the beneficial antioxidants and compounds that it contains. It also alkalizes our bodies, which is really important when it comes to our digestion. Our stomachs want to have a pH of 7 (neutral), but certain foods (dairy, meat, sugar, corn, coffee, salt) can cause our pH to drop and become acidic. Drinking green tea can help to regulate our body’s pH. After trying, and hating, many different types of green tea I finally found one that I loved. Bigelow’s Green Tea with Lemon is by far my favorite type of green tea.  The lemon adds a hint of flavor that neutralizes the bitterness of the green tea. It’s the perfect combination!

Chai tea is another one of my favorites, especially during the fall. I love adding a few drops of liquid Stevia to give it a hint of sweetness. My favorite type of chai tea is one that I just recently discovered at Trader Joe’s, it’s their Ruby Red Chai tea. This tea contains all organic warming spices, which are great for digestion, reducing inflammation, and boosting the immune system.


I didn’t think that I would like hibiscus tea, but I surprisingly loved it! I tried this type by BADIA, and it is delicious. It has an interesting flavor, that is sweet yet slightly bitter. I love drinking it when I want something a little sweet, or fruity because it has both flavors that work so great together.

Earl Grey tea was one of the first types of tea I began drinking. It is such a great tea to start out with if you’ve never really drank hot tea before. It has a smooth and comforting taste to it, and it’s great to have with breakfast if you’re not really a coffee drinker. Again, early grey tea has a list of great health benefits such as immune support, oral health, digestion aid, and even stress relief. 


Chamomile tea is one of my favorite kinds of tea to drink right before going to bed, it’s so soothing and comforting it usually helps me fall right to sleep. Bigelow makes a delicious Cozy Chamomile tea that is completely caffeine free and has a smooth and light taste to it, which makes it the perfect pre-bedtime drink, there is a reason it’s called Cozy Chamomile. Not only does it help you go to sleep, but it also helps relieve stress, improve your immune system, and promotes good digestion. 

Mint Lemonade

It’s summer time, which means it is hot hot hot! I have a beautiful mint plant that is in full swing and I wanted to make a drink using the mint, so I made this delicious and refreshing lemonade. This is the perfect drink for a summer day, and lemon and mint are two great detoxifiers! So not only are you getting something to sip on, but you’re also helping your body out.

For three servings, all you’ll need is…

Two lemons
Three to four springs of fresh mint
Three to four fresh stevia leaves (or your preferred sweetener, but I definitely recommend organic Stevia either in the liquid or powdered form)

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Orange Ginger Smoothie

Thanks to Earth Fare, I got a free bag of oranges that I need eat. So after a long workout today, I decided I needed a smoothie that would rehydrate me and would be super sweet…..and this is what I came up with.

Disclaimer: use frozen bananas, I didn’t have any bananas that were frozen, so it wasn’t as creamy.
What you’ll need:
  • three small juice oranges (or two large oranges)
  • two bananas (USE FROZEN, it is seriously so much better!) (also, make sure the skins are as spotty as possible!)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk- homemade is definitely better, but I didn’t have any made 😦
  • ginger root- this is optional, but I think it gives it a little zing, plus it has tons of health benefits!
First….
    get all your ingredients together, obviously..
    also, the minion is optional, but I mean who would want to leave him out?!

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