Benefits of Juicing and Blending
How many people do you know that are actively juicing today?
I love juicing, especially the green smoothies I make. I still eat my fruits and vegetables but sometimes when I’m on the go, I prefer to prepare a drink. I use the Vitamix which pulverizes everything, there’s no leftover pulp so I get it all.
Technically what I’m doing is called “blending”. On the other hand “juicing” is using a machine that extracts the juice and leaves behind the pulp.
Note: Juicing discards fiber that is hard to digest and as fiber is filling, some may find themselves hungry more quickly. Juicing is also absorbed more quickly into the blood stream which can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.
Whichever you do, the resulting juice, in my opinion, is just as good as the other.
Not everyone likes to eat their vegetables or eat fresh fruit so juicing may be a good alternative to get all the benefits of these foods you may not be eating enough of.
Fruits and Vegetables Matter
We know we need fruits and vegetables in our diet, they are full of important nutrients, but sometimes it’s hard to get the amount we need daily or for whatever reason, some people don’t like to eat their fruits and vegetables, adults and kids, so juicing (or blending) is a great alternative.
For those that don’t like eating fruits and vegetables, juicing or blending allows you to get more of the nutrients you need.
And when you juice you can add things you wouldn’t normally eat, like beets, dandelion greens or parsley, you can get pretty creative. You don’t need a backyard orchard to juice; you can get your ingredients from your local farmers market or pick up some organics from your local grocery store.
Be Choosey with Your Ingredients
Pick ingredient carefully as not all fruits and vegetables are created equally, some are more suited for juicing while others are great for your blended drinks. For instance, bananas and avocados have little water content so these are ideal and more suited in a blended drink.
Juicing Favorites
- Leafy Greens – these contains lots of nutrients. Vitamins A, K and C, manganese, calcium, potassium and folic acid. We all know how Popeye likes his spinach.
- Carrots – contain many of the vitamins we need daily and they are low in calories. Carrots are sweet which can help balance the flavor of other juice ingredients.
- Beets – although beets have high sugar content they contain antioxidants, glycine, Vitamin C, magnesium, iron, dietary fibers and they can help improve blood flow and indigestion.
- Cucumbers- have high fiber content, many nutrients and are 95 percent water.
- Celery – celery has high water content and one of those vegetables that, for me, make a better juicing ingredient than a blending ingredient, although I will add the celery leaves to my blended drinks. Celery adds a nice flavor to drinks; it’s low in calories and contains antioxidant nutrients.
Blending Favorites
- Leafy Greens.
- Flaxseed – an easy way to add fiber, make sure to use ground flaxseed as whole seeds can pass straight through and you won’t get the same benefits.
- Non-fat Greek yogurt – it adds a thick, creamy texture and packed with probiotics. It’s also a great way to add protein, calcium and potassium to your diet.
- Fresh Fruits – I buy mine fresh from the farmers market. If I can’t buy what is in season, I’ll choose frozen.
- Frozen Fruits –. These add thickness, ice and you are still getting the benefits of the vitamins and nutrients they have to offer. Try frozen grapes, strawberries, peaches, pineapple and blueberries.
- Banana – high in potassium and they add some natural sweetness.
Things to Keep in Mind When Juicing or Blending
While there are benefits to juicing and blending, there are several things you should consider.
Drink It Fresh
Most juice and blended drinks are best if you use fresh ingredients and drink it right away as left to sit in the open can develop bacteria which could make you sick plus you’ll lose some of the nutritional value.
This being said if you are planning on drinking juice throughout the day and make a large batch, be sure to keep your drink in glass jars and seal them as tightly as you can but still be able to open them.
What you want to avoid is making a big jug of juice to keep all week, you won’t be getting the same benefits on Friday as you did on Monday.
Wash Your Fruits and Vegetables
Because you are using fresh ingredients, be careful. Properly wash your fruits and vegetables to remove dirt and any pesticides that may have been used during the growing season.
E coli has been found on many produce items which can easily be killed when food is heated. Since you probably don’t want to heat your drinks, make sure to clean your produce before juicing.
For thick skinned produce use a vegetable brush to clean. Use plain water to rinse most vegetables and soak other produce that have tough areas to clean for a few minutes. You can also add a few tablespoons of baking soda to a bowl of cold water and let most of your produce soak for 5 minutes or so – a couple of times during the soak, run your hands over them and give them a little cleaning.
Green Juice Recipe
- 5 handfuls spinach
- 4 kale leaves and stalks
- 4 celery stalks
- 2 apples (halved and no seeds)
- 1 cucumber (halved)
- 2 inch piece of ginger
Blended Smoothie Recipe
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 bananas
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 1 cup frozen peaches
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed
To either one of these smoothies, it’s optional to add a little cayenne pepper or chili powder. I like the added flavor, start with just 1/4 teaspoon. Adding spices is a great way to add flavor to your drinks.
Are you Juicing to Lose Weight?
If you are juicing or blending to lose weight, be sure you are doing it right, you don’t want to starve yourself. There are plenty of good books that can provide you with the proper way to juice for weight lose.
The best and healthiest way to tackle and get the benefits of juicing or blending is to think of it as you’re adding to your fruit and vegetable count, not as a replacement for all meals.
