One question I often get asked by my clients is which is better for you? Smoothies or Juicing?
Smoothies and juices are more popular than ever with everyone going on juice cleanses and detoxes. But which one is better for you?
Both smoothies and juices offer benefits in different ways. Here I‘ll explain the differences and answer investigate the question; Smoothies vs Juicing: Which One Is Better For You?
Is Juicing good for you?
Juicing is good for quick absorption of nutrients. It takes 15 minutes for the nutrients from a juice to hit the blood stream. This is very good in people that have digestive issues, are suffering from an illness and their digestion is compromised.
Juicing is also good for people that are stressed as stress places a strain on the digestive system.
Juicing is also good as it includes raw foods packed full of enzymes that are lost during cooking.
Also, Juicing places less of a strain on the liver.
Ideally fruit and vegetable juices should not be mixed together. Apples and carrots are the exception. Since a juice is very quick in hitting the blood stream it’s important not to use too much fruit as this can cause a spike in sugar levels.
Vegetable juices are best for people suffering from blood sugar problems. Fruit juices are high in sugar and can also cause weight gain as juicing removes the fibre.
Removing the fibre is what makes juices easier to be absorbed as your digestive system does not have to work hard to absorb the nutrients. Also, in a juice you can pack larger quantities of vegetables than you would be able to eat. This means you are able to get more nutrients from a glass of juice.
It is important to remember that fibre in your diet is important so if you tend to have lots of juices remember to also eat your greens.
Why are Smoothies good for you?
Smoothies are fantastic especially in the morning as they are super quick to prepare. You just throw everything into a blender and blend away.
You can include all sorts of goodies in your smoothie. Feel free to add chia seeds, nut butters, oats, superfood powders like spirulina and wheatgrass, protein powders. The list goes on.
The fibre in a smoothie releases nutrients into the blood stream slowly, balancing blood sugar levels and avoiding spikes.
You pack in less fruit and vegetables into a smoothie but smoothies are more filling keeping you fuller for longer. A juice can leave you feeling hungry.
With both juices and smoothies it is important to drink them within 15 minutes of making them so that the nutrients to do not get destroyed.
I hope this article has helped you understand the differences between Smoothies and Juicing.
Keep enjoying both your smoothies and juices!