Juice vs. Blending- Which is right for you?

Recipes for green juices and smoothies are popping up all over the place and these beverages are slowly becoming a more mainstream approach to healthy eating and detoxing. One thing is for sure – green juices and smoothies are good for you. But is one better than the other? Here is a short comparison to help you learn the ins-and-outs of green beverages. Hopefully this will help you pick which is right for you!


Green Juice
What you need: Juicer, 1 to 2 pounds of your favorite green vegetables

Advantages: Juicing is great because it extracts all of the water and nutrients from vegetables, leaving behind only the plant fibers. This means your body is better able to absorb the nutrients without having to digest the dense bulk of the plant. Plus, you can fit an incredible quantity of vegetables into a single glass of green juice, leaving you with simple, smooth and delicious drink that packs an incredible nutritional punch!

Disadvantages: Juicers can be very expensive and hard to take care of. They need to be thoroughly cleaned after every use to prevent rusting. Stocking enough fresh, organic vegetables to make daily juices can also be somewhat expensive. Although they are very high in nutrients and vitamins, juices can’t keep you full for long because your body processes the liquid so quickly. Finally, it’s worth noting that though green juices typically are usually low in sugar, several store bought juices can have a very high glycemic load and may cause blood sugar imbalances.

Try this recipe: Green Juice

Green Smoothie
What you need: Blender, ½ to 1 pound of your favorite green vegetables, 1 cup of ice.

Advantages: The biggest advantage to making smoothies is that the only equipment you need is relatively inexpensive – a blender. Smoothies also tend to be a little bit more filling since the plant fibers are present (but still easy to digest, compared to raw whole vegetables.)

Disadvantages: Compared to digesting juice, your body will have to work a bit harder to digest a smoothie and absorb the nutrients. Also, because it’s difficult to pack in the same volume of vegetables into a blender, your smoothie won’t be as nutrient-dense as your green juice. Using a high quality blender, such as a Vitamix, will lead to smoother, more enjoyable smoothies, but the price is comparable to a juicer.

Try this recipe: Green Monster Smoothie

The bottom line is when it comes to green beverages, whether you prefer smoothies or juices, it’s hard to go wrong. Just pick your favorite vegetables, and blend or juice away. Your body will thank you!

Article writen by Integrative Nutrition

Make your own Protein Powder

A reader mentioned they were looking for a protein powder thats not processed or full or sugar, so I was inspired to find a solution.  And lets be honest if you are new to protein powder the aisle is confusing and the tubs are expensive. So here is a great homemade protein powder (also vegan) recipe from a fellow blogger Daily Garnish.

Ingredients:

•2 cups hemp protein powder
•1 cup PB2 powder
•1 cup ground flax
•1/3 cup maca powder
•2 tbsp + 2 tsp chlorella powder
•4 tsp spirulina
•4 tsp cinnamon
•1 tsp (concentrated) stevia

 

Building the Protein Powder Base

1. First up, add the flax to the food processor and give it a few pumps. Flax tends to get clumpy, and you want to make sure it’s smooth when the rest of the ingredients are added.
2. Next, dump all the rest of the ingredients into your food processor.
3. Add the final product to a sealable tub, and DONE– you’ve just created your own super food protein powder blend!
4. The serving size for this mix is 1/4 cup, this powder recipe will yield a total of 18 quarter-cup servings, so you don’t have to do this very often!
    

This blogger also providers her favorite smoothie to add this protein powder to...

• 1 banana
• 1 cup of frozen fruit – they chose blueberries, strawberries, and mango
•  Add 1/4 cup of your new protein powerhouse blend
• A squirt of agave to sweeten
• Add one half-cup of almond milk and then top off with enough water to cover the ingredients.  Time to BLEND!
• While the mixture is blending, drop a handful of spinach into the top of the blender removing the glass piece.

 **If you are interested in other protein powders click here  

 

 

Juice for every meal!

So I am now officially on my 3rd juicer. This time I opted for a Breville juicer and I think I have found my new partner in healthy living!

I used this juicer for the first time this morning and not only does the stainless steel model look great in my kitchen but it also is extremely easy to clean. You do not need any additional tools for blade removal like some other brands, and the two speed options lets you choose low for more delicate fruits and veggies and a high option for those thicker more dense fruits and veggies.

My FAVORITE part is the small pitcher that attaches to the nose of the juicer. This allows everything to stay neat and clean and its also the perfect height. Since the nose on juicers are usually lower then the average drinking glass you need to find a smaller cup or bowl to catch this juice. This pitcher is perfect and is easy to pour.

I love drinking out of beautiful glasses since I believe it makes everything taste better! Same with eating off a gorgeous plate from our China collection. We should treat every meal as a special occasion and take time for ourselves. My good friend recently made me this polka dot wine glass and since I am not a huge drinker I thought it would be perfect for my morning green juice!

Green Juice this morning
head of romaine lettuce
1/2 a bunch of spinach
3 celery stalks
1 gala apple
juice of 1 lemon
**If you are new to juicing add 2-3 drops of liquid stevia as a sweetener