Cucumber Lemon Balm Mocktail
by Ghislaine Ball, CG
I’m the person who has a fridge magnet that says “Xanax…because some days whiskey doesn’t cut it.” This organic mobile unit did not come with the emotional maturity upgrade installed, so, for a while, my version of ‘self-care’ looked more like ‘burning effigies’ or calling my neighbor, who has a membership at Stock & Barrel.
That’s a lot of fear to be carrying around, and let’s face it, the things we don’t address are the things we choose not to.
Cannabis is one tool at our disposal that helps us navigate change. Which, whether welcome or not, often triggers fear. Change introduces uncertainty, and uncertainty can evoke a sense of danger in our nervous system. At the same time, change is essential for growth. Fear doesn’t always mean something is wrong; it means something important is happening.
Cannabis, particularly the cannabinoid CBD, activates our Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), helping to shift us out of ‘fight or flight’/stress mode and into a state of recovery and balance. Chronic stress maintains elevated cortisol levels, which can disrupt sleep, metabolism, and immune function. Some studies suggest that cannabis use may reduce cortisol secretion and help regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the system that governs stress hormone production.
All cannabis use is medicinal. But as the herbalists say, ‘the difference between medicine and poison is dosage.’ In lower doses, THC may reduce anxiety and support the PNS; however, in higher doses, THC can (but not always) trigger our PNS, which leads to an increased heart rate and feelings of anxiety and panic.
Cannabis alone can’t do that kind of heavy lifting. Enter your microbiome. First published in 2016, The Mind-Gut Connection by Dr. Emeran Mayer, a gastroenterologist and neuroscientist, explores the powerful connection between our brains and our digestive systems (microbiome/gut bacteria) and how this bi-directional communication influences brain chemistry, neurotransmitter production, and factors linked to depression, anxiety, and cognitive health. Sound familiar?
“Let food be thy medicine.” - Hippocrates (the same Greek physician and philosopher that we know for the Hippocratic oath that medical professionals still recite today).
The cucumber juice and lemon balm in this beverage are incredibly medicinal, and remember, cannabinoids potentiate plant medicine. Cucumber juice contains compounds like cucurbitacins and antioxidants such as vitamin C and beta-carotene, which help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. And its high electrolyte content (specifically potassium and magnesium) makes it uniquely hydrating.
Traditional medicine uses lemon balm to ease nervous tension, anxiety, insomnia, and digestive complaints. Research on lemon balm suggests that its calming properties are derived from volatile oils, such as citronellal, geraniol, and rosmarinic acid, which may modulate GABA activity in the brain, similar to how some anti-anxiety medications work. Cucumber juice and lemon balm feed our digestive bacteria in all the good ways - all of them.
Happy gut, happy mind.
Bright Sunny Days Lemon balm Mocktail
Makes 1-4 6-oz servings.
Ingredients
3 whole cucumbers
1 packed cup fresh lemon balm
2 limes (juice)
Simple Syrup
Water-soluble, whole plant CBD tincture
Instructions
Coarsely chop the cucumbers and lemon balm.
In a food processor or blender, purèe the cucumbers and lemon balm.
Strain the purèe through cheesecloth or a nut bag, squeezing the bag to get as much juice as possible.
Add the lime juice and simple syrup to taste, stir until incorporated, and pour into individual glasses.
Add the desired amount of water-soluble CBD tincture to the glass, stir, garnish, and serve.
Pro-Tip: Order a case of cucumbers through your local food coop for a nice discount, juice all of it at once, and freeze it into pint containers that you can use as needed. It’s cheaper, and processing in bulk saves time.
1Cservenka, A., Lahanas, S., & Dotson-Bossert, J. (2018). Marijuana use and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning in humans. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 472. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00472
2Awad, R., Muhammad, A., Durst, T., Trudeau, V. L., & Arnason, J. T. (2009). Bioassay-guided fractionation of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) using an in vitro measure of GABA transaminase activity. Phytotherapy Research, 23(8), 1075–1081. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2712
