I just got back from the farmer’s market where I got some gorgeous beets and blueberries. And I can’t decide whether I’m going to use them in a salad or juice or blend them.
What’s the Difference Between Juicing and Blending Fruits and Veggies?
We know fruits and vegetables are good for us and most people could stand with eating a bit more (or MUCH more). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people in this country simply aren’t getting enough produce in their diet. Juicing and blending definitely make it a lot easier for people to increase their fresh produce intake.
So what’s the real difference between juicing and blending produce?
When you juice fruits and vegetables, you are removing all of the bulky fibrous material, leaving only the liquid inside of the produce.
When you blend fruits and veggies, you keep all of that pulp and fiber and drink that down with the juice.
Well, when you juice, all of the vitamins and minerals are far more concentrated. You couldn’t possibly eat or even drink enough blended vegetables to really flush your system with vital nutrients. But when you juice you can, because you are only getting that juice and not the fiber. So for instance, you probably could not handle blending and drinking 8 large cucumbers, a head of celery and 5 heads of spinach in an afternoon, but you could get ALL of the nutrients of these in one tall glass of green juice.
In addition, because there is no fiber with juicing, your body has an easier time absorbing the nutrients. This is why so many people looking for natural cures for cancer drink green juices, because is an excellent way to flush their system with curative nutrients.
Having said this, there are some fruits and veggies where you’ll find cancer-fighting antioxidants in the pulp and fiber. For instance, a 2012 study compared the antioxidant compounds found in grapefruit juice vs blended grapefruit and found that the blended version – the one with all of the pulp and fiber – had higher concentrations of these beneficial compounds.
Fiber offsets the effects of fructose (the sugar in fruit) so eating an entire apple will not spike your blood as much as drinking a glass of apple juice. This is really important for diabetics to understand.
But fiber requires your digestive to system to work as hard as ever. One of the benefits of juicing is that without any bulk or fiber, your digestive system can get a break, and all of the energy typically required to digest your food can go to different bodily needs, such as healing and repairing.
The bottom line is, both juicing and blending offer pros and cons. To know which one is best for you, you’ve got to determine what your goals are. If you are fighting cancer or another disease and are looking for a way to boost your overall health, I would definitely suggest juicing, with a focus juicing GREEN vegetables.
The thing is, sugar is just not good for us, even if it comes from a fruit. And when you have cancer, you do NOT want to give your body any sugar. So stick with juicing green veggies. If you need the juice a bit more palatable, you can add a small green apple or some beets for sweetness.
If you are a relatively healthy person and don’t need to lose any weight, then it may be okay for you to blend up some fruit in the morning for a quick, nutrient packed breakfast.
I hope this has cleared things up. If you have any questions, just drop them in the comment section. And if you are someone that regularly juices or blends, share some of your recipes with us!
This content was originally published here.
