Today I want to talk about one of my favorite ways to eat healthy, and that is by making nutrient dense juices and smoothies. And if you make it to the end of this blog post, I have included two FREE guides to making the ultimate green juice, and super smoothie! Making juices and smoothies at home is one of the easiest and most fun ways to add more nutrition into your diet. You can get incredibly creative with the variety of foods you choose to include, adding diversity to your regular routine. In fact, juicing was a total game changer for me at the beginning stages of my wellness journey. After reading Kris Carr's book Crazy, Sexy, Diet (if you have not explored her work check her out at www.kriscarr.com ), I wanted to start juicing right away. But as I was a broke post college student, I could not justify going out and buying one. However, a few days later I was cleaning out a cabinet in my current apartment, and found an old abandoned (but perfectly intact) juicer that used to belong to my roommate's dad! Random right? And when I found it, she gave it to me because she never used it! I could not believe my luck (or was it fate?). Ever since then I have grown increasingly interested in this crazy world of health and wellness and have not looked back. So Kate if you are reading this, thanks a lot!
Although both juices and smoothies are beneficial to your health, they are not quite the same thing as some people may think. That is why when considering which to make, it is important to know the different affect they each have on the body. In my opinion, neither one is better than the other, but there are circumstances when one may be more appropriate. Today I want to explore this idea a little more, and hopefully leave you feeling inspired to make your own.
*Note: When talking about juice, I am referring to fresh juice made at home with a juicer, not store bought juice. Store bought juice is often loaded with added sugars, artificial flavors, and preservatives. I do not include store bought juice as part of my personal diet.
Let's start with the main differences between juices and smoothies.
Fiber:
Juicing removes the fiber from the fruit or vegetable, extracting all the liquid. The fiber, or pulp, is shot into a separate container. You can use the pulp for other recipes, discard, or compost.
Smoothies use the whole food, keeping the fiber intact.
Amount/Type of Produce:
Because the fiber is removed, you can fit a lot more produce into a serving of juice than you can a smoothie. That means more beneficial vitamins and nutrients for your body to enjoy all at once.
Although you can't fit as much produce into your smoothie as you can a juice, the type of produce you can include is much wider. There are certain foods that you cannot put in a juicer, like avocados, bananas, squash, peas, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. These foods, along with other healthy fats, protein powders, and super foods add a variety of benefits you cannot get in a juice.
Digestion:
Juices move through the digestive process much quicker since there isn't anything to really digest. Because the nutrients are already broken down, they are instantly assimilated into your blood stream, giving your digestive system a rest, and yourself a quick boost of energy in the form of glucose.
Smoothies are broken down slower during the digestive process because of the existing fat and fiber.
Blood Sugar:
Juice, depending on the variety of produce used, can spike blood sugar because there is no fat, protein, or fiber. All that is left is the glucose from the fruit or vegetable. Juices higher in fruit will raise your blood sugar much faster. To prevent your blood sugar from getting too high, limit the amount of fruits, especially ones high on the glycemic index, and add plenty of vegetables .
Blending is better for stabilizing blood sugar. It breaks down slower in the body because of the fiber, fat, and protein, keeping you full longer.
Now that you know some of the differences between these two drinks, when is it better to have which?
When to make a juice:
- Quick energy boost: Nutrients are absorbed right to your blood stream, so you don't have to wait for anything to digest. I make a juice when I'm feeling tired, moody, and need a strong pick me up.
- If your stomach needs a break: One reason juice cleanses can be so restorative for people who are trying to heal, is that your body isn't spending all it's energy tying to digest food. Instead it can use that energy, and the powerhouse of nutrients from the juice, to rest, repair, and renew damaged cells. Make yourself a juice when you want to give your digestive system a little extra love.
- When you're sick: Because you can fit more produce, and therefore more vitamins and nutrients into a juice, it's a great option if you are feeling under the weather and want to jump start your immune system. I always make juice when I feel a cold coming on, and want to beat it quick.
- When you are dehydrated, overheated, or hungover: Hello quick delivery hydration. *Pro tip: if you know in advance you're going to be having a big night out, make a juice before you go, stick it in the fridge, and drink it down before bed. Decrease that recovery time and take care of yourself!
When to make a smoothie:
- For longer lasting energy: Smoothies will not spike your blood sugar like juice, so although the energy will not hit you as fast, it will last longer.
- If you want a filling snack or meal: Smoothies are definitely more filling than juice due to the fiber. If you want to turn your smoothie into a more substantial meal, add things like avocado, coconut, nuts, seeds, nut butter, and protein powder.
- When you want to include super foods: You can add a lot more into a smoothie than first meets the eye. Traditional fruit smoothies are out, and super food smoothies are in. Smoothies are great for sneaking in beneficial foods you wouldn't always find in other parts of your diet.
Examples:
- beneficial herbs like cinnamon, turmeric, maca, rhodiola, ashwaganda, and reishi
- protein powders like collagen, whey, hemp, and pea
- added fiber like flax seeds, chia seeds, dates, and oats
- antioxidants like cacao powder, acai powder, and matcha powder
4.When you want to save time: Using a blending is honestly just easier than using a juicer, and the clean up takes less time. Make a green smoothie over a juice when you don't have the time or energy to clean all the juicer parts. If you want to get into juicing, but the machine maintenance itself intimidates you, make larger batches of juice to enjoy over the next few days. Of course the juice tastes much better fresh, and that is when the nutrients are at their peek function, but most of us don't have all hours of the day to play in our kitchens. Seal your juice in air tight jars so they maintain their freshness. The more the juice is exposed to open air, the more it oxidizes, and the less it stays fresh.
What type of equipment to buy:
If you are ready to begin your juicing and blending journey, you're probably wondering which juicer or blender to buy. With so many on the market, it is easy to let decision fatigue stop you from getting started. My recommendation? Buy what you will actually use! The fanciest, most efficient juicers and blenders are great, but most of them are also not affordable or practical. Do not let marketing get in the way of you actually doing the dang thing! We all have our excuses about why we haven't started that new thing we want to try, and more often than not people stop themselves because they think they need all this fancy new gear.But in case you need a direction to walk in, here are some tips:
Juicers:
If you are new to juicing, I recommend starting with a simple centrifugal juicer, which is the most basic and affordable kind. It is easy to clean up, small enough to fit on a counter or cabinet, but does not yield as much juice as the more advanced and expensive masticating juicer. Just start with the centrifugal model (it is what I use), and see if you even like juicing first. There is nothing worse than buying some expensive kitchen tool and then never use it. If you completely fall in love with juicing and it seems to be the missing key to your health, then start saving some money to upgrade. Breville, Jack Lalanne, and Hamilton Beach all have acceptable, affordable models found in most commercial stores and online.
Blenders:
Blenders are different than juicers. This is very important to note when shopping for either because a lot of blenders today, like the magic bullet, or the ninja, advertise that their machine makes juice. They do NOT. When shopping for a good blender, I again recommend starting small and seeing how much you actually use the dang thing before upgrading. Do you want a blender with travel size cups or a full size? Well that depends if you are making smoothies for yourself alone, or for your whole family. I personally prefer the travel size cups, because I find them more convenient. The nutribullet is great, but I do not use it a lot because the cup size is way too small for the size smoothies I like to make. I have had good luck with the ninja brand, and I currently use the Ninja 900 watts professional blender. I like it because the cup sizes are small enough to take on the go, but big enough to make serving sizes that satisfy me. If you are blending things like nuts and seeds, you'll want something with a decent wattage that can handle breaking those things down. The 900 watts does a decent job at this, but not A+. My ultimate blender dream is the vitamix, but their products can be quite pricey so for now I am happy using a middle of the road blender.
Tips for Beginners:
- Keep it simple: It's easy to get carried away with social media, instagram, fancy food blogs, and the internet in general. Some of the juices and smoothies people are slinging out these days are quite impressive; chock full of every medicinal mushroom, protein powder, and exotic life changing food on the market. Don't let this intimidate you. You don't need to go out and immediately fill your pantry with every superfood on the planet just to make a good smoothie. Begin with something simple. Find what you like, and slowly introduce new products and foods. Go with what you're drawn to naturally; the gut always knows.
- Know what works together: It's obvious to say that some flavors work well together and others don't. For example, you won't find me throwing chocolate into my tropical pineapple smoothie. Flavor clash am I right? But with super foods being so big right now, many recipes I find online try to cram in every last thing until you are left with a huge glass of brown sludge that tastes like...brown sludge. Know which flavors work together and which don't. This will make it easier to build your beverages intuitively, instead of following a recipe every time. And remember everyones taste preferences are different. I have tried some recipes from bloggers I love and found the flavor, texture, or combination just isn't for me. I could leave you with a million different juice and smoothie recipes to try, but who's to say you will love them as much as I do? Here are a few basic rules of thumb I follow:
- Cacao (chocolate) pairs well with: banana, nut butter, coconut, sweet potatoes, & berries (decadent flavors)
- Green Smoothies pair well with tropical or sweeter fruits such as pineapple, mango, peaches, grapes, & strawberries (lighter flavors)
- Chia Seeds & Flax seeds are easy, affordable options for added protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids; they pair well with everything
- Coconut water tastes best in fruit dense, lighter smoothies, whereas nut milks taste best in fat dense, decadent smoothies
3. Start where you're at: Although the goal with these drinks is to make them lower in sugar,and higher in vegetables, if that's not where you're at right now don't sweat it! If you are new to things like almond milk, and have to buy the sweetened variety to enjoy it, just start there and know you will eventually make it to your target goal. It's impossible to keep up a new habit if you don't enjoy it in some way. Please don't make juices or smoothies you hate just because you're trying to get the nutritional piece perfect. If cacao powder is too bitter for you, start with cocoa powder and gradually switch. If spinach in your smoothies is tasting a little dull, add a spoonful of honey until your taste buds assimilate. Start where you are and realize the more open you are to these new experiences, the more your food preferences will change for the better.
Well there you have it!
The lowdown on all things juicing, smoothies, and everything in between. Although I could go on and on at length about both these subjects, I will leave you with this: I truly believe incorporating one or both of these practices into your daily routine is one of the best things you can do for your health.. Juicing was my gateway into the wellness world after all. If you have any questions about where to find recipes, or just want to chat more, please reach out in the comments below! I would love to here your feedback, and maybe a favorite recipe or two.
To your health,
The Homemade Sage
You made it to the end! Here are your FREE green juice and super smoothie guides: