Juice or Smoothie: Not Equal?! Which Is Better?
Juicing has major health benefits.
Ever since reading about the amazing healing experiences others have had juicing, and having my own juice fasting experiences, I have been clear on the benefits of juicing. Improvement in every body system, from digestion to liver to skin, and a more positive mental and emotional state are some of the benefits that seem to occur across broadly different groups of people.
However, could the very thing that make juice so awesome might cause it to be edged out by some competition?
Juice is chock full of immediately bioavailable nutrients.
Everyone loves a tasty, green smoothie
When is this a benefit? This is why people who are seeking to heal themselves from terminal and severe illness need juice. The nutrients are raw and ready and packed into a small space, so a little goes a long way. Cleansing, healing, reviving — all are helped by the instant pick-me-up of juice. Everyone can benefit from the nutrition in even a small glass of fresh juice.
So What’s the Drawback? Juice is so instantly available because all the fiber has been stripped away. When families are sacrificing to buy organic instead of conventional or fresh instead of processed, it seems less practical to purposefully make a daily habit of throwing away fiber the body can use. Even composting the pulp, while helpful, doesn’t make up for the “full feeling” many people could benefit from when transitioning to a healthier diet or working to eat well with a busy life.
Juice vs. Smoothie?: Consider the equipment.
Juicer With the amount of money spent on the produce, it can make good sense to spend extra to get a high quality juicer. Some things to consider:
- There is no juicer that can squeeze every actual bit of juicy goodness out of whole foods, although some are extraordinarily efficient and effective. Not only are you losing the pulp but you’re also losing a bit of juice really.
- The juicer juices well, yes. That’s all it does.
- Juicers can’t add things that aren’t whole foods. Supplements are inferior in many ways to whole foods, absolutely. Still, if you’re looking to add some things to pump up your glass of goodness, it won’t happen with a juicer.
- My “research” on smoothies vs. juice (article here from Green Smoothies Blog) got me thinking about how life with a 3 yo and a 1 yo has a tendency to mean remaining breakfast beverages…and smoothies have shown a potential to last without oxidizing…
Blender I. Love. My. Vitamix. I do. I lent it away because I was in a down cycle and neglecting it a bit. I thought, “I’m not using it enough anyway. I won’t miss it.” I miss it.
- I’ve got a counter full of yams and squash waiting to be roasted and pureed for soup.
- I’ve got pineapple (great for throat irritation and UTIs) in the fridge and fall-picked frozen blueberries waiting for smoothies.
- There is no way to make dosa batter except with the powerful motor of a Vitamix or equivalent blender.
- There’s been talk of hummus in the house. (We also made the most amazing pesto with the basil from the garden.
- My daughter asked for a smoothie pop last week; another reason to choose a blender for smoothies. (unseasonably warm winter?)
It is true Vitamix can be costly even if you’re buying used. (Although, compared to the cost of bad health, is a well-used juicer worth the expense?) You see, though, how it does much more than one thing? Plus, I can throw in some probiotics, coconut oil, flax oil and hemp seeds along with all that filling fiber to cleanse and nourish my whole family.
