Power Pineapple Smoothie for Fitness

Super sweet and nutritious, a pineapple smoothie has lots of vitamins for a productive fitness routine. Here is a recipe and the benefits of this super cool fruit.

Benefits of Pineapple

1. May aid digestion

Being a rich source of fibre, fruit like pineapple may help support a healthy digestive system. Furthermore, the enzymes in pineapple, help proteins into their smaller building blocks of amino acids and peptides, and is active in both the acid environment of the stomach and the alkaline conditions of the small intestine. This makes it an extremely useful digestive aid for those who don’t digest their food properly, especially for those with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition in which the pancreas fails to produce enough digestive enzymes.

2. May promote healing after injury

A number of studies suggest that bromelain helps reduce inflammation, swelling and bruising after injury. It can even be useful if taken before dental surgery, when it appears to help reduce pain and provide as much relief as anti-inflammatory medication.

3. May help relieve the symptoms of arthritis

Numerous studies, dating back as far as the 1960s have demonstrated how useful bromelain can be in the relief of the inflammatory pain associated with arthritis. It appears to have this analgesic action through a direct influence on the chemical mediators that are involved in our perception of pain.

4. May support immunity

A nine-week study of people who ate either a moderate amount of canned pineapple (140g) or a large amount (280g) every day, had a significantly lower risk of catching a viral or bacterial infection than those who ate none. In addition to this, those who ate the higher amount had four times the number of infection-fighting white immune cells.

Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients 

• 14 oz coconut milk 1 ½ cups*
• 1 whole banana frozen
• 2 cups pineapple frozen
• 2 TBS honey 
• ½ tsp vanilla 

Instructions 

• Place ingredients in order listed into the container of a Vitamix blender (or another high-powered blender).
• Blend, starting on low speed and increasing to high, using the tamper to push the ingredients into the blades.
• Blend on high speed for 30-60 seconds, or until the ingredients are blended and the mixture is smooth but thick.

Super cool fitness smoothie!