The Health Detective
Blueprint Kitchen
Your skin is basically a walking report card for your gut. When digestion is sluggish, inflammation is high, or your liver is working overtime, the results tend to show up on the outside — in dullness, breakouts, puffiness, or that general feeling of being not-quite-right. This smoothie was designed with Case #11’s findings in mind: it leads with leafy greens for their gut-feeding fibre, adds healthy fats to calm inflammation, and brings in antioxidants that your skin actually absorbs and uses. Blend it up in the morning. Think of it as your inside skincare routine.
Anti-Inflammatory Green Goddess Smoothie
A thick, creamy anti-inflammatory smoothie packed with gut-loving leafy greens, avocado for healthy fat, and skin-supporting antioxidants from cucumber and pineapple. No protein powder required — just real whole food ingredients that work together to support your microbiome and calm internal inflammation. Ready in under 5 minutes.
Ingredients
Method
- Prep your ingredients. No need to peel the cucumber — just give it a rinse and chop it roughly. Grate or slice your ginger. Have your avocado halved and ready.
- Add the liquid first. Pour the coconut water into your blender. Starting with liquid helps everything blend smoothly and protects your blender motor.
- Layer in the soft ingredients. Add the avocado, cucumber, and ginger on top of the liquid.
- Add the greens. Place the spinach on top — it blends best when it's not directly against the blades.
- Add the frozen fruit. Drop in the frozen pineapple chunks last. The cold keeps the smoothie thick and chilled.
- Add flaxseed and lemon. Spoon in the flaxseed and squeeze in the lemon juice.
- Blend. Start on low, then increase to high. Blend for 45–60 seconds until completely smooth. If it's too thick, add a splash more water.
- Taste and adjust. If you'd like it sweeter, add a small drizzle of raw honey or maple syrup and blend briefly.
- Drink immediately. This smoothie is best fresh — the greens start to oxidise and the colour dulls if left sitting.
Notes
🍳 Notes for the Cook
- On the greens: Spinach is mild and blends invisibly. If you want a stronger green flavour and even more gut support, swap half the spinach for baby kale or a few flat-leaf parsley sprigs.
- On the avocado: This is what gives the smoothie its velvety texture and what keeps you full. Don't skip it — the fat also helps your body absorb the fat-soluble antioxidants (like those in spinach).
- On the flaxseed: Ground flaxseed is better absorbed than whole seeds. Keep your ground flax in the fridge to prevent it going rancid. You can also use chia seeds as a swap.
- On sweetness: The pineapple usually provides enough natural sweetness. If you're managing blood sugar, leave out the optional honey and lean on the pineapple for that tropical balance.
- Batch tip: You can pre-pack individual smoothie bags — all ingredients except liquid — and freeze them. Pull one out each morning, dump into the blender, add your coconut water, and blend. Done in 90 seconds.
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