The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.
There is a lot of information and merchandise out there for juicing. There are also new fancy blenders and lots of smoothie recipes out there on pintrest. So what is best for our bodies? Juicing, blending, or eating just eating our fruits and veggies raw? There are so many different opinions out there, but today, I am going to give you the pros and cons!
Juicing: Pros and Cons
Juicers are a passionate bunch. From spinach to kale, lemon, carrot, ginger and everything in between, they often make trips to the farmers market or grocery store nearly every day. Juicing extracts all of the water and nutrients from produce, leaving behind plant fibers and seeds. Juicers believe that the body is better able to absorb nutrients and you can fit a larger quantity of fruits and vegetables in one cup of juice. Without the fiber, juicing gives your digestive system a rest so it doesn’t have to work as hard breaking foods down. With the seeds and pulp juiced out, juicers contend that there’s no bitter after taste.But juicing is inherently expensive, first considering the cost of the juicer itself, which range from $60 to $400, and then considering the myriad of fruits and vegetables needed to make daily juices. Juicing also takes a lot of time because not only do you have to make juice, you have to clean the juicer thoroughly after every use to prevent rusting. It’s a real commitment.
Removing the fibrous portion of produce is positive because you absorb more nutrients, but it’s also negative because juice isn’t very filling, not to mention that you just removed all the fiber. You’ll get hungrier faster than you would with a smoothie. The juice goes straight to your blood stream so if you juice too many fruits or sweeter vegetables, you may experience a spike in your blood sugar. Unstable blood sugar is responsible for mood swings, energy loss, and even memory problems.
Blending: Pros and Cons
Blending finely chops fruits and vegetables, skin and all, into a smooth consistency. With a smoothie, your digestive system does have to work a little harder breaking down and absorbing nutrients, but you’ll feel fuller longer than you would with a juice. On the other hand, you won’t be absorbing as many nutrients as you would in a juice.Both juicing and blending change the original form of fruits and vegetables, but smoothies only require a simple blender that you likely already have on hand.
After fruits and vegetables are broken down in the process of juicing or blending, they immediately lose vitamin C and antioxidants when they make contact with oxygen.
In other words, both fresh juices and fresh smoothies need to be enjoyed immediately to avoid significant nutrient loss.
Of course, you can always eat them raw,. the way God made them, to obtain great nutritional value. If you aren't getting in your 5 of day, juicing or blending is a great way to sneak them in there. I have a juicer and a blender. My honest opinion: my favorite option (after just eating raw) is the blender...you aren't removing anything from the original form. I haven't used my juicer in years due to the blood sugar spikes, the expense, and the mess it makes all over the place. However, some people really enjoy making their own juices, after all, if you are going to drink juice, it's better made at home without anything added to it!
