Taking herbs in a green smoothie

Some people advise against making green smoothies with both greens and fruit in it because our body uses different sets of enzymes to digest the two foods. Would you say this is true of herbs too?

Also, I am a full time student, what herbs do you suggest for focusing, energy, and stress reduction?

Thanks!

I was not aware of the different enzymes thing with fruit and greens, but I have not noticed any issues with digesting those things together either. I always assumed my stomach would figure out what to do as long as the food is of decent quality.

I am a student as well and I like lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus to help focus and stress levels.

There are some who prescribe to the food combining set of wisdom. I say if it works for you, keep going. There isn't anything in the history of herbal use that suggests there is any inherent issue with combining. However, each herb has a different energy to it and not all are universally appropriate for every person. There are considerations of which herb may not be right for each constitution.... take cayenne for example- not appropriate in chronic dosage for someone who runs hot, is fiery in nature, has active ulcers or eruptive skin conditions. One of the natural health systems where you can find some of this information is ayurveda.

I like lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) for focus and calm.

Do you think you could overdo with fresh herbs in the diet? My gut feeling is that it would be hard to consume enough - even in a green smoothie, there is only so much "green" one can pack in. My understanding is that dried herbs are much more concentrated and often more potent then fresh. Your thoughts?

Fresh herbs are almost always best (just a couple are better and sometimes safer when dried). Yes, it is possible to overdo anything, even things that are healthy. It is important to listen to the body and change up your herbal routine if you notice any negative effects. I agree though, it is can be really hard to over consume in food!

One of the natural health systems where you can find some of this information is ayurveda.

I like lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) for focus and calm.


Thanks Dawn,

My girlfriend started auyrveda a few months ago, and thats how this topic was brought up. We've been making green smoothies for years, and one day I was just about to load the blender up with kale and thats when she brought up the enzyme thing. She now takes tablets with a mix of dry herbs. I know Aristotle said "let food be thy medicine" and most likely meant fresh like you said in a later post.

I put mint and dill into smoothies. I also add nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and pretty much anything that isn't meat.

Haven't died.