Put the Smoothie Down

Why it's time to rethink your favorite breakfast, according to Ayurveda.

Before Ayurveda came into my life, I had no idea why my body felt so heavy all the time. I was eating healthy organic foods—plenty of fruits, vegetables, and supplements—and exercising daily. Given the opportunity, I’d happily reach for a smoothie or a salad because I knew it was good for me. I often wasn’t hungry at regular mealtimes, but I ate anyway.

I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do.

There were entire days in college when I’d eat only raw food because I believed it was cleansing. I remember having sharp stomach pains after my second raw kale salad of the day and feeling confused. I was eating so healthy—what was the problem?

When I started learning about Ayurveda, something finally clicked. It wasn’t just about what I was eating—it was how I was eating, which foods I was combining, and when.

These insights helped me realize that while those smoothies and salads were nutrient-dense, they weren’t necessarily bioavailable.

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Ayurveda 101: Digestive Health

In Ayurveda, everything revolves around digestion.

Agni—our digestive fire—is what transforms food into energy and nourishment at the cellular level.

It is the mechanism that breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and assimilates them into the body. You can think of agni as the fire that fuels everything else. Just as a flame transforms wood into heat, agni transforms food into vitality. When tended well, it builds resilience, strength, and deep nourishment.

If you’re new here, Ayurveda is the ancient holistic healing science of India, and I’m an Ayurvedic Practitioner—meaning I help people get their digestion back on track using these time-tested tools.

In Ayurveda, digestion is seen as the gateway to all health. Struggles with sleep, skin, immunity, and energy often trace back to the gut.

This means that how we eat is just as important as what we eat, and learning to feed ourselves in ways that support digestion is essential.

When your agni is strong and supported, your body has what it needs to repair, replenish, and thrive.

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Nutrient-Density vs. Bioavailability

Nutrient-density typically refers to foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. Bioavailability is the degree to which a nutrient is absorbed and retained in bodily tissue after consumption.

Nutrient-density does not guarantee bioavailability. Just because something has high nutritional content, doesn’t mean that your body is able to utilize it well.

Factors that Increase Bioavailability:

1. How the food is prepared.

2. Your digestive capacity.

Ayurveda has understood this for thousands of years. If you’re curious about how to unlock and absorb nutrients more effectively, you are in the right place.

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The Trouble With Smoothies

Based on what Ayurveda teaches us about bioavailability, smoothies might not be serving your digestion the way you think.

I know it sounds counterintuitive—smoothies are marketed as the healthiest choice. But here’s what I’ve learned...

The trouble with smoothies has everything to do with the format of a cold, protein-dense, all-in-one type of drinkable meal that often contains more ingredients than you could comfortably fit on one plate—not to mention the lack of chewing that results from drinking our meals. (Chewing is a critical step to kickstarting digestion and metabolism.)

With all of these factors combined, the components of your average smoothie quickly become a recipe for indigestion—especially bloating, low appetite and poor absorption of nutrients. If you’re looking for sustained energy and nourishment, smoothies are often one of the least effective formats for this. In fact… they’re kind of an Ayurvedic nightmare.

If you’re wondering…What about soup?? Don’t worry—soup is safe. Soup is a great example of how to make a meal more digestible: warm, slow-cooked, spiced, simple proteins, and plenty of vegetables. The key differences between soup and smoothies highlights so much of what Ayurveda has to teach us when it comes to supporting healthy digestion.

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✦ 5 Reasons Smoothies Disrupt Digestion

Here’s why your morning smoothie might be throwing off your gut:

1. Fruit and dairy don’t digest well together.

2. Cold foods dampen digestive fire.

3. Too much raw food causes bloating.

4. Frozen foods lack prana (life force energy).

5. Isolated ingredients (like pea or whey protein) are hard for the body to recognize and digest.

6. Mixing too many (3+) different proteins can overwhelm the system.

Let’s break down each of these.

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Raw Fruit and Dairy

Raw fruit digests quickly and has a light quality. When consumed with foods that are heavier and slower to breakdown, it can aggravate the digestive process.

Combining raw fruit with dairy (or other dense proteins) quickly dampens digestive fire. Not only do these items digest at very different rates, but they require different enzymes. This tension can compromise metabolism, create excessive churning in the gut, and cause irritation in the digestive system—but most of all, it can inhibit our food from being fully transformed into easily absorbable nutrients. Instead, the undigested food particles—called ama—build up in the body as a metabolic waste that clogs the channels and creates further imbalance. This difficult food combination can also lead to bloating and gas (due to excessive churning), as well as fermentation in the gut, which can lead to a sour or sensitive feeling in the belly.

Best time to eat raw fruit?

Enjoy raw fruit between meals—at least 30 minutes before or 90 minutes after eating.

Any exceptions?

Cooked fruit is the exception—cooking changes the qualities and makes it easier to digest with other foods. Pomegranate seeds are another exception that can typically digest well when paired with a meal.

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Cold and Frozen Foods

Cold foods and drinks constrict bodily channels (srotas)—from the esophagus and intestines to subtle energy pathways. They dampen digestive fire, require extra energy to be brought up to body temperature, and can slow down the gastric emptying of the stomach. This is especially true for frozen foods, which also lack the lifeforce energy (prana) that fresh foods offer.

To keep your channels open and digestion smooth, favor freshly prepared foods and drinks served at room temperature or warmer.

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Cooked vs. Raw

Generally speaking, cooked food digests better than raw food. The process of cooking pre-digests foods, unlocking more nutrients to be absorbed and assimilated. This also enables more comfortable digestion and steady energy. Not to mention—cooking things like kale reduces oxalate acid, which can be hard on the kidneys in large amounts.

Eating too many raw foods tends to increase vata dosha (the wind element within us), leading to gas, bloating, and pain.

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Highly Processed Ingredients

This may surprise you, but most protein powders are considered ultra-processed. To create a protein powder that can be easily scooped into a smoothie, the protein must be isolated and extracted from its original source. This process strips it of other beneficial nutrients like fiber, carbohydrates, and fatty acids. Like many ultra-processed foods, sweeteners, flavors, and preservatives are often added. Protein in this form becomes difficult for the body to recognize, and therefore, to digest, absorb, and assimilate efficiently.

Ayurveda recommends eating foods closer to their whole form to support vitality.

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Too Many Proteins

Eating too many different types of protein at once overwhelms the digestive system. In this case, I am not speaking to the quantity of one particular protein, but rather the variety of multiple different types of protein showing up in one meal (or, in one smoothie).

For example, drinking a smoothie with some combination of protein powder, AND nut butter, AND yogurt, AND seeds creates a surprisingly daunting task for the digestive system. Most bodies can’t handle it well, so digestion becomes taxed, and proteins may not be fully broken down. Partially digested foods ferment in the gut, producing toxic ama that clogs channels, slows you down, and hinders nutrient absorption.

When in doubt, keep it simple. Stick to one or two main proteins per meal—in a quantity that feels good in your body.

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A note on protein trends—

Despite popular TikTok claims, most people are getting enough protein—often too much, and not enough fiber. Protein is essential for building tissues, muscles, and organs, but excess protein (beyond what your body can assimilate in one meal) can tax your liver and kidneys.

Ayurveda teaches that overconsumption of protein can clog channels, hinder digestion, and even decrease longevity.

Protein is an important part of a well-balanced diet, just make sure you eat it with cooked vegetables, healthy fats, digestive spices, and whole grains—and in a quantity that feels satisfying and appropriate for your unique constitution.

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So, Who Are Smoothies For?

In Ayurveda, there is a concept called Samagni, which translates to balanced digestion—think of the digestion of a teenage boy. Most people do not have this level of robust and resilient agni, but those who do have the greatest chance of digesting a smoothie well.

If you occasionally drink a simple smoothie and feel satiated, have steady energy, good bowel movements, glowing skin, and generally feel cheerful and centered—this smoothie may be OK for you.

If you are struggling with frequent bloating or constipation, try something warm instead.

In my Ayurvedic Practice, I offer several simple easy-to-digestive smoothie recipes to my clients. These recipes tend to be different than what people are used to, but they quickly become household favorites.

[Below is one of them!]

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Beyond the wall: 11 Key Ayurvedic Guidelines for Healthy Digestion, plus an Almond Date ‘Smoothie’ Recipe for rejuvenation…

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✦ Ayurvedic Guidelines for Healthy Digestion

To support digestion and enhance bioavailability, here are the Ayurvedic tips that I live by and recommend to all my clients: