Nutritious, inexpensive, and easy to make. It’s no wonder smoothies make for a perfect healthy companion to a busy-bee lifestyle. The catch, however, is: behind every smoothie lies a well-researched, balanced set of ingredients that don’t clash with each other. Shivani Dua, a Gurugram-based corporate professional, learnt it the hard way when she turned to Dr Google, instead of a nutritionist, in her search for a perfect blend for weight loss. Though she tried many combinations, it was the spinach, peanut butter, banana and milk combo that became her go-to morning drink.
Two weeks later, while she did not shed an ounce, what she did lose was her gut health. “I ended up with gastric issues and skin breakouts. A nutritionist then told me that mixing spinach and milk was the root cause of my problem,” says Dua. The expert broke it down for her: the oxalates in spinach combined with the calcium in milk require a massive amount of energy to be processed, which leads to a weakened digestive system.
A concoction of fruits, vegetables and dairy may appear refreshing and healthy, but like all men, not all smoothies are created equal; some combinations may end up doing more harm than good. “Made up mainly of raw ingredients, certain blends can be a recipe for disaster as they weaken the digestive fire and release toxins,” says Dr Nitika Kohli, Director and head consultant of AIMIL Healthcare.
The trick of the trade is in knowing the correct food combinations. “While citrus and sweet fruits like grapefruits and mangoes are incompatible, apples and berries can be mixed together,” says Ruhi Rajput, a Gurugram-based nutritionist. Smoothies based on ayurvedic principles are designed to provide a natural energy boost while promoting overall wellbeing. By using ingredients such as ginger, giloy, gooseberry, ashwagandha, aloe vera and holy basil in the right proportion, one can easily improve their metabolic strength and correct their hormonal balance.
Ayurveda also terms mixing milk or yoghurt with fruits and vegetables as a bad combo. “Milk and fruits together are considered apathya, an unsuitable blend that harms gut health. Our digestive enzymes can’t process fruits, nuts, vegetables, dairy, peanut butter together, resulting in bloating and gastric issues,” Rajput adds.
Kohli warns against mixing yogurt with sour fruits too. Throwing in carrot, leafy greens, bottle gourd, melons and oranges with milk are also a no-no. “Try blueberries, strawberries, bananas and cardamom smoothie, which is rich in fatty acids and helps keep your heart healthy. Ginger and peach smoothie aids digestion. Also opt for plant-based milk, such as soy, oats or almond, and avoid pasteurised and homogenised milk, as it causes constipation,” she says.
ashwagandha & almond butter smoothie Ingredients: ● 2 cups oat milk, unsweetened ● 1 tsp. almond butter ● ½ tsp. ashwagandha powder ● ½ tsp. shatavari powder ● ½ tsp. chia seeds ● ½ tsp. cinnamon powder Directions: ● Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
