Juicing vs Smoothies: Which is Better?

To juice or to smoothie? Both are exceedingly popular and both have their pros and cons.

Let’s first become clear on one thing, juices and smoothies are not meals. All the weeklong juice cleanses touting health benefits are a nutritional disaster. Our bodies were designed with teeth for a reason. Biological needs are met when food is chewed. Yes, it’s true there is a lot of nutrition packed into one cup, yet the human body cannot run on a liquid diet.

The act of chewing food actually begins the process of digestion. It starts in the mouth. When food it chewed it is mixed with amylase enzymes found in the saliva, which helps break down the food. This prepares it for the entire digestive system.

The idea around juicing and smoothies is this, “let’s cram as many vegetables, fruits, powders, nut-butters and fancy superfoods into one cup and call it a meal.” While it may sound like a recipe for optimal nutrition, it’s easy to go over the top.

Think of juices and smoothies as a supplement.

 

JUICING

CONS:
1. Juicing a fruit or vegetable strips away the fiber, leaving only sugar behind. The liquid form absorbs quickly in the body and causes spiked insulin levels. Plants in their whole form are naturally rich in fiber and this fiber helps to slow down the body’s absorption. For those with insulin regulation issues its best to stay away from juices.

2. If enjoying juice with a meal, the water content competes with and interferes with the hydrochloric acid in the stomach, causing inference with digestion and absorption of nutrients from the other food.

PROS:
1. Juice can be used as a tool for detoxing for those in good health. For example pomegranate juice increases the body’s glutathione levels and can be incorporated for this benefit.

2. When struggling to get the necessary nutrients needed for proper body functioning, juicing is a good way to get more nutrients into the body. If you have a less than stellar diet, a green juice can help with some nutritional deficit, you just need to make sure to get the best easy clean juicer, this way you get the best juicing quality. 

 

SMOOTHIES

CONS:
1. Many smoothies from restaurants and popular chains can be categorized as dessert. And there’s nothing wrong with that if you’re treating it as such. Throwing some kale into a mango, coconut, pineapple smoothie does not make it just as nutrient dense as a salad.

2. Smoothies pack in the sugar and calories per serving. Think about how many strawberries, mangos, blueberries and pineapple are in one glass? That’s quite a bit of fruit. Pureed fruit goes down quicker than if you were to devour a large fruit bowl. Now if you’re mixing vegetables into your smoothies the amount of sugar will greatly decrease.

3. Raw vegetables are not always best for nutrient absorption. Each vegetables is different like each person’s body is different. Some are absorbed more easily when cooked down. Kale is known to be difficult on digestion. And be cautious when starting out on a whole foods diet. The body needs time to adjust to eating large quantities of fiber-rich vegetables, so go gradually.

PROS:
1. Smoothies contain the whole food, fiber and juice for full nutritional benefit.

2. A blend of fruits, vegetables and protein make an ideal post work-out meal.

3. Adding smoothies to kids diets is a good option for those strongly resistant to all vegetables. By blending up greens with mango, the fruit masks the vegetables enough to avoid a battle.

4. For those trying to gain weight, smoothies are a good option. Make one with protein, either grass-fed whey powder or a nut-butter. Then add some fat like avocado, coconut cream, or full-fat dairy. The fat allows for the nutrients in the plants to be more absorbable and it will keep you full longer.

 

Juices and smoothies definitely have their place at the nutrition table. Look at them as a supplement to enhance your regular three meals a day. Now I’m going to enjoy my green super smoothie, as dessert.

 

 

Wellness Beets Episode #10: Detoxing with Megan Rand of Ginger Newtrition

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GIVEAWAY!

Before we get to the questions that we covered in our interview with Megan, we shared some news: we’re doing a Special 10th Episode Giveaway!

Here’s how to enter:

Leave us a review on iTunes over the next 7 days (from May 6th to May 12th) and you’ll be entered for a giveaway. We’re giving away a signed copy of Real Life Paleo by Paleo Parents, a personalized hand-made lotion by Alex, and 3 kitchen-rockin’ spice mixes made by Brittany.  And of course, you’ll all get a sincere thank you from both of us!

You can leave us a review by going to the showpage of Wellness Beets in iTunes or Podbay and clicking the “leave a review” link.


Interview with Megan Rand 
Megan is a functional diagnostic nutritionist…you can read all about her awesome approach to holistic health on her website: gingernewtrition.com. She has helped people with all sorts of problems, from weight issues, skin problems, gut dysfunction, and infertility (just to name a few).  But in this episode, we picked her brain about healthy detoxing.  And it was awesome.

These are all the questions–and there are even more!–that we addressed in this interview:

Question #1: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came into nutrition?

Question #2: How did you get interested in detoxification issues? Why did you think it was so important to use an elimination diet as well as the other detox interventions?

Question #3: How do you diagnose detoxification issues? What is bio-individuality?

Question #4: How do you go about addressing detoxification issues? How does a person find their own customized plan?

Question #5: What do you think are the most high yield day-to-day things a person can do to support detox pathways? How do you feel about things like dry skin brushing, oil pulling, and tongue scraping?

Question #6: What are the benefits of your adrenal cocktail recipe?

 

Where to find Megan:

Website – gingernewtrition.com

Instagram – gingernewtrition

Facebook – gingernewtrition

 

Megan’s Spring Detox

Go to digprimal.com/springdetox for more information about detoxing and free content that helps you go through Megan’s Spring Detox.  You’ll find all the details about the program through there!

Megan also has a free webinar coming up about the Spring Detox so keep your eyes peeled on her social media accounts and website for more information.

 

Lastly, stay tuned for Megan and Alex’s Detox for Hormonal Health Webinar Series. 

 

We love questions! Send us yours at [email protected]

 

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Don’t forget to check out more about Megan’s Detox by clicking here!