Juicing or Blending? Which Is Right For You?

To Juice Or To Blend…That is the Questionsmoothiegirl

We hear this all the time… should I blend or juice? Is there a difference in the resulting nutrients or in the way the body absorbs and processes them? Is one preferable to the other?

I’ll cut to the punchline: You can’t really go wrong either way. But yes, there are some differences. So let’s break it down…

Juicing separates the fiber and “pulp” from fruits and vegetables via either mastication (a spinning filter traps the pulp and lets the juice through) or cold pressing (juice is literally “pressed” out through a fine mesh). There are some differences in the end product between these two methods, but for the purposes of our debate, I want to consider fresh juice as a single entire category.

At the top of the “pro” column for juice, is its ease of absorption. Juicing offers a dense shot of nutrients —vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll — almost directly into the bloodstream where they fuel and feed cells.Because these nutrients have been “pre-extracted,” the digestive system has far less work to do, so you get the benefits almost instantly. Some people even feel an instant “juice high” — a burst of energy not unlike one you might get from refined sugar or caffeine. Of course, that’s part of the potential downside of juicing, too. When you absorb nutrients all at once, you can experience a blood sugar spike, especially if your juice is high in fruit. The other downsides of juicing take place less “internally.” The prep work and cleanup involved in juicing can be time consuming, and leaving the pulp unconsumed means you have to use more product, making it more expensive than blending. You’ll also need some specialized equipment, which can range in price pretty dramatically.

Blending, on the other hand, simply purees fruits and vegetables in a smoothie. Smoothies are basically juices with the fiber left in. Fiber takes the body some more work to process, but that fiber has some significant benefits. First of all, it cleans out the colon, sweeping out toxins and buildup in the digestive system. It also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels in the body. Lastly, the pulp in a smoothie makes the drink a more substantial “meal,” generally leaving you less hungry for longer. Blending also tends to be quick and easy: the five-minute investment makes it very attractive to the person on the go.

So who wins? Juicing or blending?

Well…as I gave away at the onset, both! Like so much of what we discuss in the Conscious Cleanse, much of it is a matter of personal taste. The tastes and textures of smoothies and juices can be as different as the way your body responds to them. So, give it a go, and see how you feel! You’ll start to notice that blending gives you certain benefits for your body while juicing gives you others. As always, you are your best health coach.

Which do you prefer? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please share them – along with your favorite smoothie or juice recipe!

With love to both of our beloved smoothies and juices,

Jo_Sig_pink

 

P.S. Looking for a great smoothie or juice recipe? Try our favorite green smoothie and juice!

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Showing 9 comments
  • Mary Woolson

    I personally enjoy blending as it is quick, easy and provides me with fiber that really keeps my digestive system functioning properly. It’s fun to come up with new recipes that vary with the ingredients I have on hand. For me, blended drinks are the perfect post-workout food!

  • Jennifer Bourn

    I’ve been so inspired by all of your recipes and great information! My husband survived Gall Bladder cancer last year and since then, we’ve been making a slow lifestyle change.

    In February (after watching the infomercial) we bought a NutriBullet blender and I have been using it like crazy. I never got into juicing because it seemed like work. This little blender works like a charm and is so easy for us to use. Brian and I have one or two smoothies each day with different fruits vegetables and nuts/seeds in them — Yum!

    We not only are sleeping more soundly, but we both feel great, our skin is clearer, and we have so much more energy.

    The key for me was that we chose to empty out the kitchen cabinet closet to our fridge and clear off that counter — it’s now our smoothie station. We keep everything we need in there and all the fresh fruits and veggies in the most prominent places in our fridge, so it’s fast and convenient.

    Thanks for your inspiration and the recipes!

    Jen Bourn

    • Julie Peláez

      Jen! That is so awesome to hear! The Nutribullet is awesome indeed and a lot easier to clean than the juicer! :)

      • Devin

        I favor juicing. Blending is wonderful too, especially when I need to throw in a banana or an avocado, and sometimes I combine the two methods. Juicing takes much longer, but I find the process fun. I have an Omega juicer and the cleanup really isn’t all that bad. What I love most about juicing is the variety of combinations and the exploding flavor of the finished product. You can usually taste each ingredient, whereas with smoothies, I think all the flavors blend to one. If you’ve never had fresh beet/ginger/tangerine juice, I highly recommend trying some. Yum!

        • Julie Peláez

          Yum, Devin. That sounds great!

  • Amie Whisman

    I just got a VitaMix and tried it today for the first time. Didn’t follow a recipe – just threw a bunch of stuff in. It tasted really weird at first, but about 1/2 way through, I liked it! I can tell there will definitely be a learning curve with getting ingredients/proportions right. I also want to start juicing, but have never done it before…..if I want to juice leafy greens, do I need a masticating juicer? Or should I start with something a little more basic & less expensive to get my feet wet, so to speak, since I can already include my greens in my smoothies? Just curious what your advice is, as seasoned pros :) Yes, cost is an issue with me at the moment . . . . As always, love getting your emails & reading your fb updates too! Thanks guys!

    • Julie Peláez

      Hey Amie! I have a Breville Multispeed and it’s great for making juice that you are going to enjoy immediately.

  • Sunny

    Hi there,
    Do any of your smoothie recipes exclude banana? You’d be surprised how many people are actually allergic to them. Can you recommend a substitution for bananas?
    Thanks a bunch! :)

    • Jules Peláez

      How about a pear or an avocado?

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