10 Healing Herbs for Juicing + Delicious & Detoxifying Recipes - Plant Thyme

Can you juice herbs? What are the benefits of juicing herbs? If you’ve ever wondered about juicing herbs and which ones provide the most bang for their buck, I’ve got you covered.

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I got myself on the juice kick a few years back after reading Ross Bridgford’s living energized blog. If you have ever heard about the acid/alkaline balance, or especially if you haven’t, you should head over and check out his blog. He provides an easy explanation of acidity and alkalinity within the body and why it matters. He also discusses how to detoxify the body and why that is important for overall health.

You can also check out some of his alkaline juice & smoothie recipes by clicking the link below.

https://liveenergized.com/category/juice-smoothie-recipes/

Okay, so can you juice herbs? The answer is yes, you can juice many herbs and you should! Juicing provides you with another way to consume your daily plant medicine. I will discuss some of the best herbs to juice, how they benefit your body and some detoxifying recipes to try at home.

Juicing provides your body with a significant dose of vitamins in a convenient way to consume. I am a strong proponent of juicing, but be careful what you are juicing.

High-sugar fruits should be used sparingly in juices because you are eliminating any fiber that helps slow down the absorption of sugars. You’re better off just consuming the entire fruit, as opposed to juicing it (at least as far as health benefits are concerned).

If you are juicing for health benefits, try sticking to mainly vegetables, herbs and low-sugar fruits such as citrus and green apples. Some of the best plants to use as a base for your juices (those that yield the most juice) would be celery, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and green apples. (carrots do contain a significant amount of sugar though, so keep that in mind)

So, are there actual benefits to juicing, or are we better off consuming the whole plant instead? Well, if you are trying to choose between one or the other, then it is more beneficial to consume the actual plant over just the juices. However, there are plenty of actual benefits to consuming juices.

For starters, juicing provides you with an abundance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants without taxing your digestive system. These vitamins and minerals are absorbed quickly and efficiently for a nice boost of energy.

Juices can make a nice morning breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up if you can spare the time to make one. If not, consider making it the night before.

Juices allow you to consume a large variety of plants in one sitting as opposed to eating many different fruits/veggies and herbs throughout the day. This allows you to reap all of the different benefits these plants have to offer in one convenient cup.

Each plant offers its own unique plant components (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, medicinal properties, etc.) so it’s nice to be able to expand your diet without having to consume massive amounts of plants all day long. That can be time consuming, to say the least.

Consuming green juices help the body to maintain its preferred alkalinity so it doesn’t grab those alkalizing minerals from different areas within the body. Studies have suggested that consuming green juices (green veggies, wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina, chlorella, etc) on a regular basis can help boost the immune system, maintain its proper ph level, aid in the removal of toxins, regulate digestion, provide glowing skin and help the body maintain an ideal weight.

Okay, so now we know that it does indeed benefit our bodies to consume green drinks. Let’s move on to what herbs we can start adding to liven up our boring old celery (sorry celery, no offense).

Table of Contents

BASIL

Move over pesto, it’s the juice’s time to shine! Basil is the first herb on our list that can be juiced. Basil provides a nice dose of vitamins A, C, K, and iron along with providing quite a few medicinal benefits as well.

Basil contains strong anti-inflammatory properties which can help fight off various dis-eases (disease is just simply saying the body is at dis-ease, more times than not, altering your lifestyle can help to reverse & prevent many common dis-eases)
Basil can assist in strengthening and repairing your digestion by helping to restore the proper ph of the digestive system
Basil contains antioxidants which help to eliminate free radicals that damage the cells
Basil helps to strengthen the immune system, lowers cholesterol and even helps stabilize blood sugar levels
Basil is also beneficial to the skin, can help to detoxify the body along with it just being quite tasty.

Basil has a long list of medicinal benefits to the body, so if you are currently a juicer, consider adding in some beautiful basil to reap the benefits.

CILANTRO

I have been adding cilantro to my juices for quite a while now. One reason is that I read years ago that it helps remove toxins and heavy metals, such as mercury, from the body. If you have ever eaten fish in your lifetime, you have most likely ingested mercury.

Another reason is that I buy it for guacamole and always have too much cilantro and not enough avocados to make a second batch.

Cilantro helps fight inflammation within the body
Cilantro contains large amounts of vitamins A,K,C, potassium & manganese
Cilantro can also be a digestive stimulant by encouraging elimination (healthy poos)
Cilantro can aid the body in removing heavy metals

PARSLEY

That lovely garnish seems to serve no real purpose other than to decorate a delicacy or deter most kiddos from eating one. Parsley is oh so much more than that though!

Parsley is another herb that I have continuously added to my juices because of the medicinal properties that it possesses.

I will say that none of the herbs mentioned will yield much in the way of juice, but they do provide a powerful punch even in small doses.

Parsley acts as a diuretic which helps remove excess fluid in the body
Parsley can help expel or dissolve gallstones or kidney stones (or prevent them)
Parsley can help stimulate the digestive system, alleviate air bubbles in the stomach and help ease indigestion
Parsley can help purify the blood including strengthening blood vessels, capillaries and arteries

GINGER

On to ginger, that spicy, sinus-clearing, motion sickness-relieving rhizome that offers us so much healing! Ginger is another regular on my list of juicing ingredients. Ginger is just such a superstar plant because it has so many benefits to offer.

If you’re like me and choose to purchase large amounts of ginger to have on hand, go ahead and freeze it. Take it out about an hour before it’s needed. It becomes much softer and easier to use in a juicer.

Ginger has so many medicinal benefits that I will try to do it justice with my list, but unlikely that I will.

Ginger Improves digestion and can help alleviate air bubbles in the stomach and/or constipation
Ginger helps with motion sickness & digestive upset
Powerful anti-oxidant & anti-inflammatory properties which can help with edema and swelling of the joints (arthritis)
Helps detoxify the liver
Helps strengthen the respiratory system
Helps alleviate menstrual pains

GARLIC

Glorious garlic ranking number 4 on my list. I personally will find a way to get garlic into my daily or at least weekly regimen, but juicing would probably not be one of them. Perhaps if your base is tomato juice and you’re going for a bloody mary-type juice, then why not give it a try.

Garlic is most definitely one of the most, if not the most medicinal plant known to man! Let’s see why.

Garlic is loaded with antioxidants which help protect cells from damage that free radicals cause
Garlic helps with most gastrointestinal discomfort- bloating, gas, indigestion, heartburn, stomach aches, constipation, etc.
Garlic has anti-viral and anti-microbial properties which help strengthen the immune system and help fight off infections
Strengthens the heart
Reduces high blood pressure
Helps strengthen hair follicles for luscious locks
Helps to prevent certain types of cancer

PEPPERMINT

Mint is a fun herb to add to juices because it really does add a nice flavor to them. Mint offers a lot more to your well-being than just minty fresh breath (although that’s a pretty nice benefit)

If you enjoy adding mint to your juices, you should definitely try growing your own. Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow. I do caution you though, it can be quite invasive, so you may want to contain it in a, well, container. Otherwise, this baby will take over your garden bed.

Peppermint can help aid in the digestion process and help to alleviate air bubbles & indigestion along with symptoms of IBS
Peppermint also acts as an anti-inflammatory, helping to relieve joint pain
Helps to relieve respiratory ailments such as coughs and sore throat ( fresh mint juice mixed with some honey is a lovely way to remedy a sore throat)
Peppermint can help to remedy headaches, induce muscle relaxation and sound sleep as well as aid in weight loss
Peppermint contains potassium, vitamin B and a variety of different antioxidants

Now that we have learned what herbs we can add to our juices to help fancy them up with all sorts of medicinal miraculousness, let’s start experiementing with some flavorful combinations, shall we?

RECIPES

*Depending on your style of juicer, you may need to cut the fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces but you can always refer to your manual to be safe*

**Fresh juices should be consumed immediately after making, however, if sealed in an air-tight container they will keep fresh for 24-48 hours, after that time frame, they begin losing their nutrients**

Basil, Strawberry, Lime & Cucumber

1 ½ cups strawberries (fresh or frozen) let thaw if frozen
1 full cucumber (no need to slice as most juicers will allow for the full veggie)
1-2 limes (personal preference) with the peel removed
2-4 stems of basil with the leaves
Add all ingredients to a juicer, transfer to a container and consume within 48 hours

Lemon, Ginger, Cayenne, Honey, Filtered Water

3-4 lemons with the peel removed
½ -1 cup water (again this is based on personal preference)
About 1 inch of ginger root (personal preference to add more or less)
About ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup
Add the lemons & ginger to the juicer and mix that with your water, cayenne and honey
Stir or shake vigorously to mix in the sweetener. You may need to adjust ingredients depending on your tastes
Best to consume within 48 hours

Celery, Green Apple, Mint, Cucumber

4-6 stalks of celery, preferably with some leaves on them ( a lot of nutrients in the leaves)
1-2 medium-sized green apples (more if you prefer a sweeter juice, less if you don’t)
3-6 stems of mint with leaves intact
1 full-size cucumber
Add all of the ingredients to your juicer and consume within 48 hours

Ginger, Apple, Parsley, Romaine Lettuce (or any leafy green of your choice)

About 1- 1½ inches of ginger root
2 medium-sized green apples
10 stems of parsley with leaves intact
About 10 lettuce leaves ( more will provide you with more juice or you could always add water to your juice)
Add all ingredients to your juicer and consume within 48 hours

Melon, Raspberry, Peppermint

One small melon of choice, peeled and cut into chunks
About 25 raspberries (give or take)
A handful of mint leaves (5-6 stems of mint)
Wrap the peppermint leaves around the raspberries when juicing and alternate between melon and raspberries
Consume juice within 24 hours

Cilantro, Lemon, Ginger, Cucumber, Apple

1 large handful of cilantro
2 lemons peeled
1-½ inches of ginger root
1 full cucumber
1-2 medium size green apples
Add all ingredients into the juicer and consume within 48 hours

Tomato, Garlic, Dill, Lime, Cayenne, Filtered Water

4 ripe tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic peeled
3-4 stems of dill with the leaves
¼ teaspoon of cayenne (unless you like it spicy then have at it)
Filtered water to your liking
Add all ingredients into the juicer and mix with filtered water to taste
Consume within 48 hours

Apple, Strawberry, Lime, Cinnamon

4 Apples of choice
2 limes peeled
15 or so ripe strawberries
Add all ingredients to the juicer
Sprinkle with1 tsp ground cinnamon or garnish with a cinnamon stick

Pepper, Garlic, Parsley, Tomato, Lime

2 Red (or color of choice) bell peppers
2 cloves of garlic- peeled
3-5 stems of parsley
2 ripe tomatoes
1 lime-peeled

Add all ingredients into a juicer and consume within 48 hours

Carrot, Cucumber, Olive, Basil

Large handful of fresh basil leaves (stems can stay on)
10 pitted olives of choice
3 large carrots
1-1 ½ cucumber
To make juicing the basil leaves easier, wrap them around the olives and other vegetables prior to juicing them but personally, I juice herbs with the stems on
Add all ingredients to the juicer and consume within 48 hours.

Other herbs that can be juiced include rosemary, sage, oregano, fennel and thyme. These herbs do not have a high water content, so you would need to add quite a bit of them in order to reap the benefits.

If you’re not wanting to use up all of your fresh herbs into just one cup of juice, consider adding a few of them to some boiling water and enjoying a nice cup of tea instead. Whatever method you do choose, cheers to our super-herbs 🙂

I wish you all health!

Thanks for reading!

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