Juicing or Blending?

 This topic brings many questions because it’s so popular right now, with the Cleanses and Detox diets.  Whether you’re doing it to lose weight, to cleanse, or for nutritional value, the question is which is better and what’s the difference? 

Well let’s talk about juicing.  When juicing we end up having a pile of pulp on the side that’s not consumed. This pile is all the fiber contained in our fruits and veggies.  The pulp or fiber helps our digestive system. Now when we blend, and here’s the difference, we end up drinking all the fiber and feel satiated. Many times smoothies may feel like a meal. Which are great but not everyone is use to fiber intake through fruit and veggies; this may be a little overwhelming on the digestive system.

But one good thing about juicing is that all the vitamins, nutrients and minerals are absorbed immediately into our bloodstream, since there’s no fiber to breakdown. You just have to be very careful with the amount of sugar when juicing. Sometimes our taste buds might get carried away with the tasty mixtures. A few options to avoid excess sugar intake may be to use coconut water, green apples, more vegetables for the base, and don’t forget the seeds like chia or flaxseeds.

So as you can see both have their pros and cons. But it all depends on which one is better for you?  If you simply won’t eat your healthy greens, why not drink them?

Personally I prefer juicing especially on a warm summer day. So drink up and enjoy a light and refreshing juice or smoothie. 

Green Juice: 2 green apples, 3 pieces celery, 1 cucumber, 1 piece of ginger, 1 lemon 1 lime, 1 bunch of parsley, 2 cups of spinach.

Tip: Separate and clean ingredients in a plastic bag the night before

So you will not have excuses or delays. This is my favorite recipe: celery, carrot, orange, and beets.

Cecília Fernandes