Are you a juicer or a blender?

What is the difference between juicing and blending?

"Drinking fresh juice is like taking a liquid IV of nutrients that goes straight to your bloodstream. It requires very little digestive energy, and the soluble fiber remains in the juice. The downside is that the juicer removes the insoluble fiber, which adds bulk to the stool."

Juicing and Blending,

I am often asked: “what is the difference between juicing and blending, and which one is better for your health?” While I like both methods, there are differences between juicing and blending that are important to keep in mind.

When I first began detoxing and making healthy lifestyle changes in the 90’s, I started with a juicer. I quickly learned that, when you are juicing, the machine extracts juice from your fruits and vegetables, leaving the pulp behind. If you want more juice and less pulp, then you should invest in a quality juicer. One of the most common complaints that I hear is that people don’t like the process they have to go through when cleaning the juicer. Suffice it to say, I am no exception. Nobody likes taking apart their juicer to clean it! That being said, because I appreciate the benefits of juicing, I tough it out to feed my body with wholesome juice full of nutrients and antioxidants. Cleaning my juicer is a small price to pay considering the major benefits. Drinking fresh juice is like taking a liquid IV of nutrients that goes straight to your bloodstream. It requires very little digestive energy, and the soluble fiber remains in the juice. The downside is that the juicer removes the insoluble fiber, which adds bulk to the stool.

Now, I love my smoothies and prefer making them more than juicing. Blending smoothies is quick, and requires less clean up then cleaning a juicer. There is no left- over pulp, and the blender pulverizes the whole fruits and vegetables to make a smoothie. When you blend smoothies both the soluble and insoluble fibers remain. The insoluble fiber in the smoothie slows down digestion and keeps you full longer. It also adds bulk to the stool, which helps the smoothie to pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines.

By Antoinette Ouattara, MPH, MS, CHHC