Holli Thompson

Juice or smoothie? Smoothie or juice?

 
Some people love their smoothies, and some swear by their juice.  Which one should you try? Which is better for you? Which gives you the most amazing glow, and which one keeps you skinny?

The truth is that both vegetable smoothies and juices are a bonus for your health.  The debate goes like this;

Smoothies (for this purpose, we are talking about vegetable and or fruit smoothies only) are blended veggies, with the occasional fruit added in.  People often use a Vitamix or another type of high-speed blender that will grind the veggies and liquefy them, leaving a pulpy residue.

Adding in liquids, like water, makes the consistency more palatable and juice-like.  Many people prefer adding fruit to their smoothies, and fruits are beneficial for cleansing.  I recommend up to ¼ of your smoothie containing fruit, otherwise your smoothie becomes high in sugar and can create issues like yeast overgrowth.  You don’t have to add fruit; I prefer mine with a drop of lemon flavored liquid stevia to take the edge off.  That’s hard-core:)

Smoothies are easy to make- toss the veggies in your blender and turn it on, and it’s easy to clean up afterwards.  This makes the smoothie a great solution for rushed mornings and busy people.

Most importantly, you retain the fiber of the vegetable and all of the nutrients, so you are not “wasting” any part of your pricey organic veggies.  Fiber is highly beneficial for our digestive track, so most fans of smoothies prefer them for this reason.

Juices are made by extracting the fiber from the vegetable, and your choice of blender will determine the level of nutrients the juice contains.  A home blender, for example, like the Breville Juice Fountain, uses centrifugal blending to remove the juice from the pulp.  I recommend the Breville for one reason, it’s easy to use and clean.  (I find with my ultra busy clients that if it’s not easy, it doesn’t happen.)

Pressed juices are made using a Norwalk brand juicer, a professional juicer that grinds the vegetables to a pulp and then presses the pulp to extract the juice.  Pressed juice fans, (of which I am one) claim that the juice contains more nutrients and lasts longer.

Centrifugal juices last a few hours, and should be consumed immediately for freshness, while pressed juices last up to 3 days under refrigeration.

Juices contain concentrated nutrition; more veggies are needed to create the juice, and the nutrients enter your bloodstream quickly, without the fiber of the smoothie to slow it down.

Some people prefer the energy of the smoothie, and the slower absorption of nutrients, and others prefer the high-octane infusion of a juice.

This is a personal preference, and I recommend you try both—see how you feel when you drink it, and which tastes better to you.  Consider which is sustainable for your lifestyle and which will you actually do each day, that’s the key point.

Sometimes I crave the high energy that I get from juicing, and other times I want a Vitamix full of smoothie that I can sip all morning.  I tend to go back and forth.

Just remember, it’s not religion, it’s a green drink.  Have fun with it!