Healthy Drink

After doing all the posts about healthy foods, colds, flu, and allergies, etc, I decided to try something out to help alleviate the constant pain in my elbow and wrist. As well, any natural help with allergies is always welcome!

So, I re-read it all and made some notes and made a tasty juice drink. The recipe:

3/4 of a fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks (including the core)
2 mangoes, peeled and pitted, cut into chunks
2 bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
about 3/4 cup of shredded, unsweetened, coconut
1/2 - 3/4 cup of local honey
Water

Fill the blender about 1/2 full of fruits, add a little water and blend until it's liquified. As it liquifies, add more of the fruits and honey (and water as needed) until it's all liquified. I kept it fairly thick. When I wanted to have a glass of juice, I poured some into a glass and added water to make it thinner and easier to drink.

To my amazement, after the first glass of juice at work last Tuesday, about 1/2 way through the day, I realized that the constant burning ache in my elbow and wrist was nearly gone. It was gone to the point that I couldn't hardly feel it and could move quite easily without pain.

Pineapple is full of bromelain and is the only dietary source for that enzyme. Bromelain performs many services, one of which is being a natural anti-inflammatory. Pineapples are also packed with Vitamin C. Local honey is good for desensitizing your immune system to help manage allergy season. Coconut oil increases the immune system, but I don't know if shredded coconut meat does that, but I like it and it seemed like a tasty idea to add it! LOL Bananas are full of Potassium and Tryptophan which are helpful for blood pressure and production of the "happiness hormone" Serotonin. Mango is full of Beta-Carotene, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, all of which are helpful to overall health.

I don't know if any of it helped my allergy issues since allergies ebb and flow depending on the level of allergens floating around. But it did definitely help with that pain issue. I think I will make another drink since this one is almost gone. Maybe some Pineapple, Papaya, grapes, and kiwi with honey or molasses.

Oh, and it also made a good mixer with Rum and would make a nice milkshake additive too!