Diets and health are complicated.
One day experts tell you that fat-free is the way to go, and the next day you’re told that you can eat all the fat you like, but it’s actually grains that are to blame for your symptomatic woes.
Thankfully there is one thing that everyone seems to agree on in the midst of this kerfuffle, and that’s that fruit and vegetables are healthy.
While I’m glad that there is at least some consensus in the health-care community, this article is intended to show you that nothing is healthy for everyone all the time, and that no blanket statement about nutrition is specific enough. This is why salads and smoothies aren’t always as healthy as you might think they are.
The fact is, every individual has different dietary needs, and your needs change as the state of your body changes.
The old adage, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” applies to food, too.
For example, while one person needs to eat a lot of meat for their vitality, another individual doesn’t do well with lots of protein. Someone’s body may extract a lot of nutrients from an eggplant, but it might cause headaches in their friend…you get the idea.
Conventional “wisdom” says that salads and smoothies are the golden standard for nutritional excellence, but the sad truth is, salads and smoothies aren’t always as healthy as you think.
Some people present with certain signs and symptoms that make salads and smoothies a very healthy choice for them, but for many people salads and smoothies can actually be a detriment to their overall health.
I know, I just threw another curveball into the already confusing nutritional landscape, but hear me out.
Your understanding of food is about to shift to a whole new dimension.
This article will teach you how to read your body’s signs and symptoms. When you understand what your body is telling you, you will know whether or not indulging in a salad or smoothie is a good idea.
I’ll also explain the surprising ways your metabolism reacts to salads and smoothies.
Finally, I’ll show you how you can expand your understanding of healthy food as a whole, so you can be more creative with your meals without getting bored.
Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
The Problem with Cold Food
Cold foods are generally frowned upon in Chinese medicine, and salads and smoothies undoubtedly fall into this category.
When you eat cold foods, your body has to work extra hard to warm it up so it can be digested. Over time, this extra work can weaken your digestive system’s ability to transform and transport nutrients, which can lead to a nutrient deficit throughout your body.
But salads and smoothies are extra problematic from a Chinese medicine perspective. Chinese medicine evaluates the temperature of food not just in terms of the temperature you feel in your hands, but also by the food’s impact on your body.
Unfortunately, the ingredients in salads and smoothies (such as lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, other fruits and berries, etc.) are cooling in nature. This means that the effect they have on your body’s physiology is to slow down and congeal your internal processes, eventually rendering your metabolism sub par.
Sometimes this cooling process is exactly what your body needs, but most of the time it’s not.
When to Avoid Salads and Smoothies
Generally speaking you should avoid salads and smoothies in all but the hottest weather.
If you can’t wait until it’s 95°F outside, it’s still a good idea to at least limit your consumption, especially if you’re experiencing signs and symptoms that indicate cold in your system.
Here are some signs and symptoms to look out for:
- Bloating
- Indigestion
- Gas
- Fatigue after eating
- Loose stools
- Feeling of generalized cold
- Foggy headedness
- A dull headache that wraps around your head
- The sensation of heavy limbs
- Reading, studying, or thinking too much
- Worry or obsessive thoughts
- Lack of appetite or irregular appetite
- Nausea
- Dull or aching pain that comes and goes
- Pale, puffy, scalloped tongue
If you experience any of these, you will be better off avoiding salads and smoothies for a while.
Smoothies, Sugar, and Metabolism
Smoothies are made from lots of blended fruit, so they must be healthy, right?
While fruit is generally a healthier choice than chocolate cake, the truth is that fruits still contain a good deal of fructose, which is a form of sugar. In fact, one smoothie can contain as much sugar as a large coke, or a candy bar.
And that’s talking about a smoothie made entirely of fruits and nuts.
All too often smoothies are made with non-natural ingredients, such as ice-cream, sherbert, chocolate syrup, added sugar, artificial protein powders (which have relatively low nutritional density compared to real food), etc.
I’ll assume that you’re not adding any junk to your smoothies and instead only use fruits, vegetables, nuts, and superfoods as ingredients. Even so, smoothies still aren’t the healthiest option, and here’s why:
First off, all that sugar you’re consuming in that short amount of time leads to a sugar-high followed by an inevitable energy crash. This isn’t just uncomfortable, but adds extra stress to your system which always strives toward balance and homeostasis.
Secondly, studies have shown that when you consume foods in liquid form you feel less full. This means that you’ll end up eating more calories when you have a smoothie than you would have if you had just eaten the smoothie ingredients unblended.
So are smoothies totally unhealthy? No. They still contain a lot more nutrients than regular junk food, but you might want to enjoy them as a special treat rather than a stable part of your diet.
So Aside from Being Cold, What’s the Big Deal About Salads?
Just like smoothies, salads can be a more nutrient-dense option than some alternatives, but they’re still not necessarily the best choice.
First off, most store-bought salad dressings contain a good deal of sugar and/or cheese, automatically turning your healthy vegetables into candy-covered crunch.
If you’re going to eat salad, make your own dressing with good olive oil and vinegar. For extra flavor you can experiment with chopped herbs, garlic, mustard, egg yolk, and different oils and vinegars. It’s a lot easier than you think!
Secondly, many salads aren’t actually as nutrient dense as you might think. Iceberg lettuce, for example, contains significantly less nutrients than its dark-leafy counterparts.
Third, just like smoothies, salads leave you feeling less satisfied. Eating salad as a snack or an addition to a heartier dish isn’t so bad, but salads shouldn’t replace more balanced meals.
Better Options
When the weather is less-than-hot, and when you’re experiencing cold signs and symptoms, its better to avoid salads and smoothies.
But you don’t need to distress, because they’re far from the only option. Whole, cooked ingredients are almost always a better choice.
Break away from cold food by experimenting with different easy ways to cook vegetables.
My family enjoys sautéed or steamed dark leafy greens like kale, chard, and collards almost daily. They take only 10 minutes to cook, and they taste delicious with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper sprinkled in.
Baked root vegetables with rosemary and thyme are another good option. Sweet potatoes are a really good idea, especially if you’ve got some of the signs and symptoms mentioned above. Mashed cauliflower with fennel is also great, as are spinach and sundried tomato-stuffed mushrooms, or garlic buttered baby broccoli… The possibilities are endless!
Although fruits are part of the now infamous food-pyramid, the truth is, you don’t need them to be healthy. If your meals consist of mostly vegetables, there’s a good chance you are getting all the nutrients you need.
But if you do want to eat fruit, and you don’t have any of the signs and symptoms listed above, consider eating whole fruit instead of blended. You’ll feel more satisfied, and you’ll benefit from the extra fiber too.
I hope this article inspired you to consider what’s going on in your own body before blindly reaching for foods you just assume are good for you.
To learn more about adjusting your diet to help heal your symptoms, read this.
What are your experiences with salads and smoothies?
Have you noticed times when your body reacts worse to them than other times?
Leave a comment and join the conversation below!
I eat salads about 3 times per week for lunch but generally I use spinach or chopped kale, cuke, zucchini, avacado, some sunflower seed and a spoonful of cooked quinoa, I leave it out so it is at room temperature, drizzle it with olive oil, fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Have gotten to where I crave this’s nd I am very satisfied for the afternoon.
That sounds really delicious Dawn! I would just recommend that you avoid the cucumber and maybe steam the kale or add other cooked veggies in the colder months and when you’re experiencing cold/damp symptoms. I bet your body is super grateful for the nice dose of greens you give it. Thanks so much for sharing!
Excellent article and right on the mark! Thank you so much. Am forwarding to all my friends who have smoothies everyday
I’m so glad you are Gigi! Education is key with so much misinformation out there.
Thanks once again for a wonderful piece of resource it clear some of my myths over salads…
You’re welcome Knight! I’m glad you enjoyed it
ive been eating salads and smoothies for years and never had any weight issues nor health problems.. common sense to make your own dressing and never use sugar as a sweetner in smoothies.. people need to educate themselves with food also it is what is extremely important in the end !
Such a good point. Sweetners are definitely unnecessary in both dressings and smoothies. Many people eat salads and smoothies regularly and have no problems, but it all depends on your constitution. If you ever notice that you tend to feel cold, have cold hands and feet, a scalloped tongue, loose stools, and/or a sense of foggy brain, then you might want to reduce the amount of salads and smoothies that you eat. Thanks for your comment!
This article is dumb, no facts just her own opinions, i feel if you generally eat well you’ll be healthy
Hmm. Saying the article is dumb kind of puts the focus on how the commenter presented their opinion rather than the writer of the article.
Many health nutritionists can discuss the breakdown on cold and hot foods. The information has been out there for awhile. Just investigate a little and learn for yourself. Then, maybe come back to this thread with a more articulate,educated comment
Whether you agree with the article is of course a matter of opinion. But at least
it ‘s a stepping stone towards better awareness.
Don’t you think the onus should be on the writer of the article to provide some evidence or support for their argument?
Hi Jamie,
These are traditional medicine concepts, which were developed through observation thousands of years before the scientific method was ever invented. Unfortunately, as far as I know, there have not yet been any studies on constitutional medicine or the impact of the temperature of food on the vitality of different body states. However, these theories have been used on millions of patients throughout history with great positive effect.
I recommend you do a mini experiment on yourself.
Take the Personal Constitution Quiz I offer on the website to find out if you tend to run hot, cold, damp, or dry. Then observe your signs and symptoms in different types of weather (your body will likely react differently to cold food, for example, in cold weather vs. hot weather.)
Thanks for your comment!
Warmly,
Katerina
I’m sorry, but that part about your body needing to “work extra hard” to warm up the food sounds like the biggest pseudo-scientific stretch ever. Pretty sure food achieves body temperature regardless of whether you cook it or not fairly quickly once you swallow it. Your body doesn’t “warm up” the food per se, the food becomes warmer or cooler from regular heat transfer from your gut. Unless you live at the North Pole and you’re eating ice cubes for dinner, the heat transfer is so tiny, it’s entirely negligible.
Absolutely. If this were true, you could not drink cold water with your meals because hou need a huge amount of heat to change 1 gram of water.
Let me just say this — this article is 100% accurate. Ask any dietitian or anyone in the Indian/Asian cultures such as Indians and Chinese and they will swear the fact of the matter is, cold foods are just not good for human consumption and it makes perfect sense. All my adult life I have never enjoyed eating cold foods or beverages and couldn’t understand why until I turned 45ish and now 50, I realized through learning Ayurveda techniques, Deepak Choprs’s “Perfect Weight” book and others that my body isn’t supposed to eat cold. Simple
I’m so glad you’ve listened to your intuition and found ways to take care of yourself Cheryl! Thanks for your support!
Just to be clear YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET YOUR PROTEIN FROM MEAT! There are soooo many other non animal sources! Plant foods can provide all the essential amino acids. These nutrients are protein building blocks that cannot be made by your body. Ensure that most of your meals contain good sources of protein, such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, soy alternatives to milk and yogurt, or peanuts.
You know what, you’re right, let me cut the spinach salad out and go get a Big Mac and fries. I need something warm.