The New Age Question: Blending vs. Juicing

The New Age Question: Blending vs. Juicing

By Nakeesha T. Harris, MS, CNC, CMM www.nakeeshaharris.com

             Green smoothies and freshly juiced green juices are all the rage right now. Pictures posted on social networks of smoothies blended to perfection, and fruits and veggies juiced to a lovely green color are all over. Many people think they are the same thing, and even further, many wonder which is better: blending or juicing? To answer this quickly: both. Easy right? Well let’s take a further look.

            Juicing is when one takes fresh leafy greens, celery, apples, beets, really anything one pleases and pushes them through either a centrifugal or masticating juicer. These are two different types of juices one which heats up to extract the juice and one that works slowly to extract.  Once the fruit or vegetable is pushed through the machine, it becomes a fresh watery green juice.

Blending is when all of the above and more are placed in a high powered blender with water, juice, or some type of liquid added and blended together to make a thick smoothie.

Both have many similarities:

·         Great to start the day with

·         An excellent way to ensure you are getting raw veggie and fruit nutrients, vitamins, and minerals

·         Aide in many health benefits including; lowering blood pressure, entering the blood stream quickly, and lowering cholesterol just to name a few

So what’s the debate about which is better? Well it’s simple- juicing is more of a detoxifying process. When fruit and vegetables are “juiced” the fiber is removed, thus eliminating the digestion process from having to take place. Once the fresh juice is consumed, it immediately goes straight to the blood stream without any other processes in the body having to work. Many go on a juice detox in which they drink juice only during each meal for a set amount of days. This is a great way to give your body a rest and at the same time ensure that you are receiving daily nutrients through the juice. It also is very cleansing of the colon and blood. Since the body does not have to digest anything, it gives the colon a break and opportunity to remove previous waste.

Blending on the other hand does require some digestion and really is more of a building healthy cells process. While it works wonderfully for providing the body whole nutrition quickly, digestion does still take place. Blending fresh fruits and vegetables are an excellent way to rebuild cells, provide energy, and as mentioned earlier, one receives an abundance of fruits and vegetables without having to so much as chew, pick up a fork, spoon, or cook anything.

In conclusion, both juicing and blending are exceptional. My recommendation would be for detox or cleanse- juice, and for rebuilding healthy cells- blend. If you do both, drink your juice first for a good morning energy boost, and then have your green smoothie for a whole body building nutritional vitamin. Either choice is giving your body many wonderful things that if done continuously with other wise health choices may prevent or reverse ailments, and diseases.

Give one a try today!!!

Juicing Recipe – from Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

Green & Lean

 1 Cup of Ice (only a cup, not a mug)

25 ounces Water or Coconut water

1 Lemon

1 Small Piece of Ginger

3 Large Stalks Collard Greens

1 Large Cucumber

2 Green Apples

1 Ripe Banana

5 Strawberries

½ Cup Blueberries

Blending Recipe – from www.incrediblesmoothies.com

Banana-Orange-Kale

1 medium banana, peeled

1 orange, peeled

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

2 cups kale, chopped

8 ounces of filtered water

 

Challenge: Try a green smoothie or green juice today! Looks can be deceiving you will enjoy it!!

Questions, Comments, Testimonies visit www.nakeeshaharris.com or email nakeeshasnutrition@nakeeshaharris.com