The benefits of Juicing vs. Blending

The number one question I get asked from people when they find out that I juice, is what’s the difference between juicing and blending and which one is better for you?  My simple answer is, they are very different from each other, but both extremely healthy.  When I started juicing I was 2 rounds into my chemo treatment and was feeling pretty crummy.  I went to a juicing class, bought a juicer, and began juicing.  It was just what my body needed.   I started to feel better after about 2 weeks straight of juicing twice daily. It wasn’t a drastic overnight change of feeling better, it was a progression.   Each day I was feeling stronger.  I think both juicing and blending complimented my overall good eating habits once I stopped eating the processed foods and starting eating REAL food.

For those of you that are new to juicing, I want to warn you that you may not love the taste at first.  I juiced only vegetables….mainly green ones (hence the name of my site) for the first several months.  The first juice I made didn’t taste great, but I stuck with it and after about 2 weeks I actually enjoyed the taste.  My body eventually craved it.  My morning routine was a 2 oz shot of  wheatgrass, followed by a 16 oz green drink called the Hippocrates.  The recipe for the Hippocrates was 4 oz of pea sprouts, 4 oz of sunflower sprouts, 8 oz of cucumber, a quarter of lemon, and a slice of ginger root.

In this blog post,  I am going to give a simple overview of what I see as the benefits of juicing as well as blending.  Both were and still are a huge part of my healing journey and I love the way they make me feel and the energy I get from using each of them in my daily life.  First lets take a look at juicing.

Juicing

Juicing requires an actual juicer.  I use an Omega masticating juicer and have been really happy with it. Its simple to assemble and easy to clean up and stow away.  I also want to mention that I always drink my juice on an empty stomach for best results.  First thing in the morning works best for my lifestyle.  Here are a few benefits that I have found from juicing.

• When you juice a vegetable or fruit you are putting the whole thing in the juicer…skins and all if they are organic.  The juicer pulls out the liquid portion leaving the pulp (fiber) to be discarded or reused.  You are left with just the juice.  With the fiber pulled out it gives your body a rest from digesting food and allows the nutrients to be quickly absorbed.  I am often asked why juicing could be good if you are pulling out the fiber.  Our bodies need fiber….right?  My response is always yes you need fiber, but if you are eating a balanced diet, you are getting plenty of fiber throughout the day in the other meals you are eating….at least you should be. If  your body is over burdened like mine was when I was first diagnosed with cancer, the juicing allowed my body to receive vital nutrients, while not requiring it to work hard to receive it.
• Plant based nutrients are easily and rapidly assimilated into your body.  Due to my frequent blood work during chemo I got to visibly see my stats changing for the better.  I was feeling better, but also could see my body stabilizing in my lab results.
• Due to the ease of absorption, mineral rich plants are an effective way for hydrating your body.
• Drinking fresh plant based juices daily helps assist in healthy elimination of bodily wastes. My favorite greens to complement any juice is cilantro and parsley.  Both are great for detoxifying greens.  I usually throw a handful of either in every juice.

Blending

When you blend you use a blender as opposed to a juicer.  Blending and making smoothies are a staple at our house.  I typically have a smoothie for lunch or even a mid-day snack.  I had used a Ninja blender for years, but my hubby surprised me last year with a Vitamix. The best blender out there is the blender you use!  Most of the time blenders are the small appliances that get pushed to the back of the cupboards collecting dust.  Time to pull that bad boy out and put it to good use.

Smoothies often fill me up and are a great way to get a variety of nutrition in one meal.  My kids also love drinking them.  They have been slower to come around to juicing, although there are a few recipes they like, but smoothies are always in high demand. For best results I use all REAL ingredients.  My secret ingredient hidden in every smoothie I make is a half of avocado.

When you throw all your ingredients in the blender, the fiber of the fruit or vegetable remain a part of the end product. Even though you are making it in liquid form, the fiber is still in there for your body to digest.  Here are some of the benefits for blending.

• All food can be blended into a smooth consistency which is ideal for a meal on the go.  This is also good for small babies or someone with medical issues that cannot have solid foods.
• Drinking blended mixes helps assist in a healthy digestion system and aides in a healthy elimination of bodily wastes.
• One of my favorite parts of blending is that its fast, easy, and requires minimal clean up.

No matter if I am juicing or blending I always use REAL organic food. I used both to help heal my body from the devastating side effects of chemo.  Today I use both daily to help keep me and my family healthy. I find that by using the combination of juicing and blending, I am able to get a boatload of nutrition in every meal of the day.  My goal is to always give my body what it needs so that it can heal itself.

Please leave a comment below if you think this was helpful for better understanding the difference between juicing and blending.  I would love to hear how incorporating one or both of these in your life has helped you heal.  Leave a comment below!