Blasted after a good workout? Need a pick-me-up to help you make it through those last few hours of work? This natural smoothie is not only absolutely delicious, but it's going to help restore a lot of that energy you used up during your workout. What makes this smoothie so awesome: the pineapple! Pineapples are loaded with bromelain, which is a natural anti-inflammatory. You can reduce post-workout aches by drinking my favorite tropical smoothie.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of frozen pineapple (slice one up into cubes and keep it in the freezer for instant smoothie delight)

• 1 mango

• 4 oranges

 

Preparation

Run the oranges through your juicer, or squeeze them by hand to burn another 15 or 20 calories (every bit counts, right?!). Pour the juice into your blender, and add the frozen pineapple cubes into the cup as well. Use a knife to peel the mango, and slice the flesh from the seed. Add the mango flesh into the blender cup, and hit the "Pulse" button. Pulse the blender until the smoothie is nice and thick, and set it on the "Puree" setting until all of the fruit has been chopped up properly. (For a nice alternative, throw a few strawberries into the mix instead of mango.) There are few smoothies more refreshing than this one, and it will help you cool off after a long run, a sparring session (every Tuesday and Friday for me), or your daily HIIT. Handy Tip: If you wait until the pineapple has matured, it will be sweeter and tastier than a freshly ripened pineapple. Bring the fruit home with you, let it sit on the counter for a couple of days, and squeeze it daily. When it has softened to the point that you can squeeze it fairly easily, it is ready to be cubed and frozen for your smoothies. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Cheers!