If there is one fruit I don’t care to eat it’s Mexican papaya. Am I the only one? Not to be confused with super sweet Hawaiian papaya which I have yet to try. A few months back I found a way to enjoy all of the health and nutritional benefits of this flavorless fruit. I shared a photo of my Tropical Papaya Smoothie on twitter and y’all retweeted & requested the recipe so many times that I had to share it here today.
The health benefits of papaya are endless. While it’s ability to heal the digestive tract is the most widely known, here are some other amazing health benefits of papaya:
- Soothes Inflammation (i.e arthritis & asthma) due to papain enzyme
- Strengthens the Blood
- Enhances Heart Health: Papaya contains folate which converts homocysteine (amino acid linked to heart disease) into other amino acids to reduce the risk of heart disease. A high content of vitamin C helps protect against oxidation of cholesterol. This further reduces the ability of cholesterol to form plaque against arterial walls.
- May Have Anti-Cancer Properties: due to high vitamin C content
- Can prevent Macular Degeneration
- Helps Prevent asthma by reducing inflammation of airway
- Slows Signs of Aging
- Fights Viral Infections
Due to its high fiber content, papaya is a great addition for those looking to curb their appetite, lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Despite the misinformation, you in fact can eat papaya seeds. They are highly beneficial for detoxification, reducing inflammation, controlling bad bacteria, yeasts and parasitic organisms and particularly for improving your digestive system. I take 1 teaspoon daily for healthy gut maintenance in addition to eating a clean whole foods plant-based diet.
How To Use & Store Papaya Seeds
After collecting the seeds and flesh of your papaya, just add the seeds to a container with an air tight lid. Splash your seeds with lemon or lime to preserve them longer in the fridge. Be sure to shake the container around to ensure even coating.
If you don’t plan on consuming papaya seeds daily, store them in the freezer for later use. All you have to do is defrost them by transferring to your fridge the night before. If you’re pressed for time, you can warm & soften them by soaking in hot water for a few minutes.
You can use them in smoothies, or in stews & dressings in place of peppercorns. If you’re brave, taken them straight by the spoon. I started with 1/2 tsp and worked my way up to 1 tsp.
Tropical Papaya Smoothie Recipe
This Tropical Papaya Smoothie has been part of my break-fast routine for the last 4 months. I added it as part of my holistic healing regimen to help heal my 6 month old daughter’s eczema. Since she’s still breastfeeding so I knew I needed to heal her digestive tract through healing my own. Remember, eczema is a gut related issue not topical. I will talk more on what helped heal my daughter as a whole in another post.
The secret to making this Tropical Papaya Smoothie delicious and much more edible than usual is adding oranges for a tangy citrus kick & dates as a natural sweetener. I also added turmeric powder as an anti-inflammatory + immune booster.
Let me know if you try my recipe!
-Healthy Hair To Toe
