We buy herbs because of their nutritional value. They’re also incredibly easy to mix into morning, afternoon and evening recipes. Unfortunately, many of us let our herbs sit in the fridge and spoil overtime. A little bit of herb goes a long way, so…what to do with the rest?
You can avoid unnecessary spoilage by adding these powerful herbs into your smoothies. We all enjoy smoothies for breakfast, lunch and as post-workout fuel- so why not enjoy them with delicious herbs?
The Health Benefits of Powerful Herbs
Herbs come with many health benefits, but it all depends on the herb you choose. Three herbs we recommend in your smoothies are:
Rosemary
Where should we begin with the benefits of rosemary, one of the most powerful herbs around? Some of our favorite benefits include rosemary’s rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It can improve your immune system and antioxidants can also assist in the treatment of harmful free radicals.
If you suffer with indigestion more than you like, rosemary is said to treat this inflammation / infection. Many swear by it, but there’s no strong scientific evidence to back this claim.
Finally, you can consider rosemary to be a “brain food“. It increases concentration, improves memory and performance. This is why we suggest that you take a rosemary smoothie as your breakfast to lunch when at work or school.
We recommend incorporating rosemary in a green smoothie recipe.
Mint
You most likely saw this herb coming, and you may know what recipe combination we recommend with it (a mint chocolate smoothie – in case you didn’t know!).
Not only is mint refreshing, it provides some of the highest antioxidants of any food.
Additionally, the menthol within mint makes it an ideal natural remedy to relieve you of the common cold. When flu season hits, make yourself a delicious, chocolaty mint smoothie everyday, and don’t forget to enjoy peppermint tea at night.
For those of us who suffer from allergies, mint contains rosmarinic acid. This is an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that can relieve you of your seasonal allergy symptoms.
Lavender
Of these three powerful herbs, lavender is a personal favorite. For mental wellness, there’s no better herb to infuse in your homemade smoothie. Because of its calming abilities, you can prepare a smoothie or even a juice each night with a small amount of lavender.
This delicious drink will improve your sleep, particularly if you’re a restless sleeper or suffer from insomnia. Lavender is known to relax your mind and calm you for a more restful night.
Work, school and our hectic lifestyles can cause us to endure stress/anxiety and depression on the daily. Studies show that the scent of lavender naturally relaxes and focuses the mind. Make a lavender honey smoothie to drink at work or school. Don’t forget to spray your office and surroundings with lavender to improve your mental well being.
Lavender also improves memory, while treating anxiety, depression and other neurological conditions accustom to a hectic lifestyle.
