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Smoothies vs juicing. That is the question! Or, at least, it’s one of those confusing questions with which most of us have confronted ourselves at some point in time. So, which is better? How about healthier? It’s OK if you don’t know the answer, neither did we…at least in the beginning. And frankly, that’s what we’re here to clarify. We’ve gone through some serious research, and some delicious and nutritious testing, to understand exactly what is juicing, and how much it differs from a blending smoothie. So sit back, relax, and prepare to be served with two equally tasty and healthy drinks in one shot. And to find out each significant difference between juicing and blending!
The actual question up for debate is, what do you prefer more, squeezing or blending fresh fruit in your top-notch blender? And, does one method bring more healthy nutrients to the table than the other?
No matter how you put it, both methods can play an important part in any nutritional program meant to improve your lifestyle and health. Both sides have strong advocates and for a good reason. We firmly believe that we’ve learned all about juicing, and also what is blending, each method can be extremely beneficial and helpful, but in different ways.
Here is a brief comparison that explains the difference between juicing and blending, as well as some of the specific benefits of each:
What is Blending?
Unlike raw juices, trendy and delicious smoothies are made by blending the whole fruit or vegetable. It may or may not include the peel, but one thing that’s for sure, it will contain all the pulp and the fiber of the vegetable or fruit blended. While you could try to achieve this process manually, by stirring, our recommendation would be to get a blending smoothie machine, as it will make your life so much easier and pleasant.
But back to what is blending. This process breaks down the pulp, which does make fruits and vegetables easier to digest. Still, it also helps to create a slow and uniform release of nutrients into the bloodstream and avoids extremely sudden increases in blood sugar levels. Due to all that pulp and all the fibers it contains, smoothies will always give you an extended feeling of satiety. They are generally faster to make than juices, especially if you have a quality blending smoothie device. Thus, you can always count on them in the morning. It is the fastest and healthiest alternative to an otherwise substantial breakfast. That’s not to say that they don’t also work great as quick snacks during the day.
And since we include the pulp and possibly the peels, the smoothies will have an increased volume. You can also add more kinds of fruits and vegetables in one single-serving smoothie, as opposed to having to juice each fruit and vegetable in part, and then combine the results. And the best part, juicing with a blender is also possible! So if you buy the best blender for juicing out there, you could have the two processes available through one single device.
Now, since this is ultimately a juicing vs smoothies debate, there are some minor setbacks to the latter, as they are in case of the first. For instance, it would be advisable not to combine fruits with vegetables, the only exception being apples. It is because the combination of the two can affect the normal functioning of your digestive enzymes. It might not be the case when you’re making green juices or green smoothies, but when you use vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, or lettuce, these do not mix well with fruits, due to the high content of starch. It is a well-known fact that starchy foods should be eaten separately, as starch is digested with enzymes different from those used for any other food group. Combining starchy foods with fruits can cause fermentation and gas.
Another thing you should really keep in mind would be to consume the smoothie immediately after you’ve made it. It is because, after 15 minutes, the light and the surrounding air will destroy most of the nutrients. If you cannot drink it immediately, transfer it to a sealed, non-transparent container until you have more time on your hands to savor it.
So, we’ve covered the essentials of what is blending. Let’s take a closer look at the alternative as well.
What is Juicing?
Squeezing the juice out of fresh fruit is a process that extracts all the water and all the nutrients from the product, leaving behind the pulp, which is not that easily digestible.
With all of the pulp removed, your digestive system will not have to work that hard to break down the food and absorb all of its nutrients. In fact, this makes the nutrients more easily absorbed by the body and in larger quantities nonetheless. So, if you’re asking what is juicing against consuming whole fruits and vegetables, the answer would be a much faster nutrition process.
It can be a major factor, especially if you know you have a sensitive digestive system, or suffer from any possible conditions that inhibit the body’s ability to process fibers. Fibers from plant products help slow down the digestive process and provide a uniform release of nutrients into your bloodstream. When asked what is juicing, some experts in the field prefer to define the whole process as “a nutrition espresso!” Freshly squeezed vegetable juices play an undeniable part in the most popular healing and detoxifying programs of today. Since they are so rich in nutrients, they can nourish and help the body recover, at the cellular level.
And since we’re here to tell you all about juicing, there is also a minor disadvantage you should know about, and take into consideration – when you remove the pulp from the fruit, the liquid juice will be very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. If you only squeeze the fruit for its juice, this can cause an extremely rapid increase in your blood sugar! And, as you may already know, unstable blood sugar levels can lead to very fast changes in mood, energy loss, memory problems, and several other unpleasant effects! Another minor downside would be the fact that fibers can give you a feeling of satiety for a more extended period. Without them, the fiber-free form of juice will have many people feeling hungry in a short time.
This process is usually done with the help of a citrus juicer, an efficient and highly affordable kitchen appliance.
So as you can see, there is a significant difference between juicing and blending, and both of these processes have their own pros and cons. With all this being said, there’s only one pertinent question left to ask.
Is There a Wrong Way of Eating Raw Veggies and Fruit
For maximum benefits from your juices and smoothies, it is vital to use appropriate devices. Juicing with a blender can give you the best of both, in the same kitchen appliance. Alternatively, you can choose to invest in a high-quality juice squeezer or a powerful blending smoothie machine. Pay attention not to choose one of those cheap, centrifugal juice machines, which can introduce oxygen and heat into your juice and destroy enzymes and nutrients from fruits and vegetables. Although it may cost a little bit more, a premium juice squeezer will produce higher quality juice and will allow you to extract more nutrients from fruits and vegetables. This way, you would end up saving in the long run. And these are also the devices that will generally last longer. In contrast to the hard extraction of the centrifugal ones, the high-quality juicers with chewing or cold pressing will compress the fruits and vegetables and “squeeze” absolutely all of the juice out of them.
The same thing goes for a blender. You want a blender that is gentle with the fruits and vegetables you will put inside it, and one that does not heat the enzymes when it breaks down the fibers. And like we said, getting the best blender for juicing and smoothies you can find remains the ultimate solution. If you think about it, we are used to spending a lot of money on so many gadgets, clothes, restaurants, and other luxury items, so why not invest in our health just as much by buying a high-quality product that will make your life so much easier?
Juicing vs. Blender : Summary and Key Points
The bottom line, there are many pros and cons in the case of both methods. Juicing vs smoothies remains an open debate that can only reflect each person’s needs and preferences. The important thing is to choose one of them and stick to it, or maybe even both.
But all of us here at MyKitchenAdvisor are curious to find out your opinions and your personal experience with either one of these two methods. Remember that here we learn together!
