Why I Prefer Blending vs Juicing

It’s well known that increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables is beneficial for you. The more fruits and vegetables you consume, the greater the benefits! But I can understand that it can be difficult for some people, including myself, to consume the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Therefore, I choose to drink my veggies. Blending my vegetables into a smoothie is an easy way to get my daily servings in.

Why do I prefer blending vs juicing and what’s the difference? There is a lot of talk these days about the health benefits of juicing and blending. Below are some of the differences.

Juicing

Juicing is a process that involves extracting the nutritious juices from fresh fruits and vegetables. Many people use it to detox or to add more nutrients to their diet. Juicing contains a high amount of nutrients and vitamins. However, juicing takes away most of the solid matter, including the seeds, peel and pulp, from whole fruits and vegetables. Removing most of the fiber in my opinion takes away the key ingredient. Fiber is an essential ingredient to maintain healthy digestion, control your blood sugar, and lower the risk of heart disease. Even though juicing might be easier to drink, we must not forget that some of these juices are very high in sugar. Some may contain as much or more sugar than soda.

Blending

With blending, the whole fruit or vegetable is being used. The volume of the drink, which is often called a smoothie, will be much greater than that of a juice made from the same amount of fruits or vegetable. You will retain all the fiber for healthy digestion. The fibrous parts of the fruits and vegetables are also filled with antioxidants. The benefits of drinking a green juice or smoothie are endless.

I prefer to add more veggies than fruits to avoid the high sugar intake. I have about 16 ounces of green juice every day. Note, I don’t have my smoothie as a meal replacement. I usually have it before a morning workout, or before breakfast. I also do eat additional veggies throughout  my day. I particularly drink this recipe for the health benefits. Leafy greens like kale, chard and parley are a fantastic way to get some extra antioxidants for healthy skin cells. They provide the body with Vitamin A, (which works against dry, flaky skin), Vitamin C (undoes the sun’s damage to collagen and elastin) and Vitamin E (helps fight against inflammation). I mean, let’s be honest… who doesn’t want glowing skin?

Keep in mind I’m not a nutritionist, but this combination of greens works for me. I recommend you find the right mix for you!

What Goes in my Green Smoothie?

• 1 Persian Cucumber
• Handful of organic Black Kale
• Handful of organic Green Kale
• Handful of organic Green Chard
• 6 to 8 stems of organic Parsley
• 1 small organic Green Apple
• Squeeze 1/2 a Lemon
• Small piece of fresh Ginger
• 1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds

Throw everything into the blender, add a few ice cubes and blend for two to three minutes.

It is also important that you drink your smoothie fresh rather than storing it. If you must store it, I suggest drinking it within 24 hours.