STOP! These smoothie combinations can turn toxic rather than nutritious

The popularity of smoothies has surged in the wellness world due to their quick and simple preparations! Smoothies are a go-to staple for fitness enthusiasts and weight watchers. They are even recommended by nutritionists and dietitians to increase the intake of nutritional values from fruits and vegetables. But do you know that some smoothie combinations can be toxic?

Enjoying the wellness of smoothies at home can feel satisfying but considering their nutritional value when the ingredients are churned together must be kept in mind. Packed with all the greens, fruits, nuts, seeds and milk, the choice of ingredients are unlimited. But making smoothie combinations can be a tricky subject without knowing the nutritional values of all the ingredients. Ayurvedic health coach Dimple Jangda, shared a detailed post on Instagram guiding us about the safe smoothie combinations.

What are smoothies, and how to make them?

Smoothies have a liquid base, such as fruit juice, water, coconut water. Fruits and vegetables are blended together in this base to get a smoothie. Pureed fruits and vegetables can be mixed in yoghurt and ice cream as well. However, one needs to be careful of what one mixes together. “Did you know, the wrong combination of smoothies are the leading cause of chronic gut health issues and serious skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema, body acne, urticaria and such,” Jangda captioned her post. It is important to understand why shouldn’t you mix fruits and vegetables in smoothies.

How can smoothie combinations be toxic ?

Drinking a smoothie packed with the richness of health-benefiting nutrients can be a healthy and delicious addition to any diet. But the combinations of certain ingredients can prove to detract you from your health instead of being wholesome – even in a smoothie bowl! Therefore, it is important to note what should you not mix in a smoothie.

While fruits and vitamins provide us with a lot of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fibre, excessive or inappropriate intake of these ingredients surely isn’t a good thing.

Also Read

Is it safe to eat chicken during bird flu? Read Now

Jangda suggests a few permutations and combinations for a toxic smoothie:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Dairy
• Yogurt

Let us see how:

1. Fruits:

   Mixing fruits and vegetables in smoothies is not a good idea. Jangda says, “Eat it alone or leave it alone!”. Fruits have active antibacterial enzymes that react with everything they’re mixed with. In all healthy smoothie recipes, fruits cannot be mixed with milk, yogurt, vegetables, grains and pulses or meat! Fruits turn toxic when combined with other food groups and can trigger skin disorders. Hence, it is highly recommended to eat fruits without mixing with other ingredients.

2. Vegetables:

   It is advised to never blend vegetables with fruits. Jangda says, “Do not mix vegetables”. Vegetables cannot be mixed with fruits in smoothies as they create toxic gases which can trigger digestive issues and skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema, acne, urticaria and such.

3. Yogurt or Indian curd:

   Curd or yogurt is loaded with gut friendly bacteria, but it is considered the heaviest food in Ayurveda, according to Jangda. It is an important ingredient in healthy smoothie recipes as long as it is not mixed with fruits.

Mixing dairy with fruits may slow down your digestion and take longer than usual to get absorbed by the body.

Come, check out Dimple Jangda’s post for yourself!

But how can we consume these ingredients?

Fruit combinations in healthy smoothie recipes

Here are a few recommendations by Jangda on how to include fruits in your smoothie:

• You can have a single fruit or similar fruit groups together, in stewed or raw forms
• Astringent fruits like apples, pear, berries, cherries, strawberries, or sour fruits like tangerine, orange, grapefruit, lemon, or sweet fruits like mango, custard apple etc can’t be mixed with other groups
• You can also have single fruit juices during the summers. 

How to include vegetables in your smoothies?

Here’s how you can put vegetables in your smoothies, without them causing them harm to you.

• You can cook them or consume them raw
• Vegetables should be either steamed, cooked, or made into a soup for easy digestion
• Vegetable juices are a new lifestyle habit, but must be consumed under a doctor’s guidance to avoid chronic long term side effects
• Carrot, celery juices are the safest to consume.

How to include yogurt or curd in your smoothies

As far as curd and yoghurt go, here are healthy ways of including these.

• Instead of mixing the curd with fruits, add some spices, salt or even sweeteners like jaggery or honey
• You can even consume it raw or with your main course.Also Read: Weight loss alert! Gulp a glass of this smoothie to shed the extra kilos

Forbidden smoothie combinations

According to Jangda, these combinations can trigger digestion issues and skin diseases like psoriasis, eczema, acne, urticaria or skin issues. Therefore, avoid blending these combinations:.

• Vegetables + Fruits
• Fruits + Milk
• Fruits + Yogurt
• Fruits + Grains

Safe smoothie combinations

• Fruits + Nut milk
• Fruits + Dry fruits
• Vegetables + Yogurt, spices
• Vegetables + Grains, spices
• Milk + Dry fruits, spices
• Yogurt + Dry fruits, spices

Try out these combinations as a healthy and nourishing smoothie bowl or slurp these on your way to work or at home!