Painkiller Smoothie – Anti-Inflammatory Pineapple Coconut Nutmeg Smoothie Recipe

Have you ever had a painkiller? The cocktail drink version, I mean? If you have, you’re familiar with how dangerously yummy they are.

This anti-inflammatory pineapple green smoothie recipe is inspired by that delicious island drink – but it’s actually packed with health benefits!

My Introduction to the Painkiller Cocktail – Island Life in a Cup

Right after I graduated from college, a few of my high school friends and I rented a villa in St. John. This off-season tropical getaway was a graduation gift, and the first day there we found this roadside shack of a bar.

The house specialty? A painkiller. Made with pineapple, coconut, nutmeg, and a whole lot of island rum. It’s the quintessential Caribbean drink – sweet, tropical, and tasty, and potentially downright dangerous because they go down way too easily!

I’m pretty sure they call it a Painkiller because it’s so tasty you can hardly tell how much rum they sneak in. And at that point, you haven’t got a care in the world 😉 Certain bars I’ve gone to even have different levels you can order – you can bet level three will have you feeling pain-free in no time! (No promises about the next day, however 😉

To this day I exercise caution and impose hard limits if I ever indulge in a traditional painkiller cocktail, but the combination of pineapple, coconut, and nutmeg is downright delicious and hard to resist!

The Health Benefits of Bromelain – A Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Found in Pineapple

When I was first diagnosed with cancer and was researching all the powerful anti-cancer foods and nutrients, I learned of the powerful anti-inflammatory benefits of pineapple – namely the high levels of bromelain they contain.

Bromelain is a protein-digesting enzyme mixture derived from the pineapple plant. As a supplement, it has been used orally to help reduce inflammation and swelling as well as as a digestive aid. It has even been used topically to help remove dead skin cells from burn wounds.

Bromelain is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Studies have found that bromelain has potentially beneficial affects for osteoarthritis, burns, cardiovascular disease, asthma, colitis, chronic sinusitis, and even cancer.

Specifically, studies have found bromelain may work in unison with chemotherapy to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Why Everyone Should Eat More Pineapple – The Health Benefits of Pineapple

Pineapple itself also contains high levels of Vitamin C and beta carotene. Both have powerful immune-boosting, cardio-protective, and anti-cancer benefits. It is also chock-full of manganese, a mineral which the vast majority of the population is deficient.

Due to it’s anti-inflammatory affects and high levels of crucial vitamins and minerals, pineapple has shown promise for helping a variety of health conditions. It is thought to help aid digestion, helping bloating and constipation, help with inflammation linked to osteoarthritis, exercise-induced asthma, cataracts, and heart disease. There is even evidence that it can help to improve fertility in both men and women.

The Birth of the Anti-Inflammatory ‘Painkiller’ Smoothie

I had incorporated daily smoothies into my diet so it immediately got my mental juices as well as my salivary glands flowing…

Why not make a legitimately healthy version of the drink in fiber-rich smoothie form!?

The beauty of smoothies is you can throw in all sorts of healthy boosters and supplements and still achieve a delicious result. So I brainstormed a powerful blend of anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer ingredients and the result was better than I imagined. The painkiller smoothie was born.

In addition to the pineapple, coconut milk, and nutmeg, I added fresh ginger and turmeric, both powerful anti-inflammatory agents, plus mango, vegan vanilla protein powder, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, spinach, and even sometimes celery. It’s easy to throw in a little spirulina, chlorella, or moringa powder, or another greens powder as well.

So without futher ado, here’s the recipe for my favorite version of the painkiller – the Painkiller Smoothie!