Blueberry, Chamomile & Almond Calm Smoothie
Cooled chamomile tea blended with blueberries, almond butter, and oats into a soft violet drink for the end of a long day.
Why it works
Using brewed chamomile as the liquid is the whole idea: it puts the apigenin, chamomile's main active compound, into the drink rather than leaving it in a teabag. Apigenin binds weakly at the same receptor sites as anti-anxiety medications, which is a real mechanism at a very gentle strength, and a randomized trial of chamomile extract over eight weeks showed a modest reduction in generalised anxiety symptoms. The rest of the glass is doing the unglamorous work: oats and almond butter give slow carbohydrate and fat, which keeps blood sugar from dropping in the evening, and a late blood sugar dip is a common and overlooked reason for feeling wired and unsettled at night.
Chamomile extract has randomized-trial support for generalised anxiety symptoms, though at extract doses higher than a cup of tea provides. Treat this as a calming ritual with a plausible mechanism.
Ingredients
- 300 ml strongly brewed chamomile tea, cooled (2 bags)
- 150 g frozen blueberries
- 30 g (1/3 cup) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tbsp (16 g) almond butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp honey, optional
Method
- Pour the liquid into the blender first, then add the soft ingredients, then anything frozen or hard on top. Blending in that order keeps the blades in liquid instead of spinning against a frozen block.
- Brew the tea at double strength and chill it in advance, or the ice needed to cool it will water the whole thing down. A jug in the fridge covers several days.
- Blend on low until it breaks up, then on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until no flecks remain and the texture is even.
- Taste and adjust: a splash more liquid if it is too thick to pour, a squeeze of citrus if it tastes flat, a few more ice cubes if you want it colder.
- Drink it soon after blending. The texture separates within about ten minutes, and the colour dulls as the cut surfaces oxidise.
