Juicing Vs. Smoothies

The other day, I saw a question on a health forum asking, "What is best: juicing or smoothies?" I, myself, enjoy both, but it really had me thinking: what is truly better? Well, they each have their advantages and disadvantages so let's get to it!

Juicing: First of all, you need a machine called a juice extractor to juice a fruit or vegetable. When you juice through this machine, it separates the pulp from the juice and stores the juice in a container with the pulp in another container. Most people throw the pulp away while some use it for composting or even in recipes. Juicing, while great for weight loss, is amazing as a supplement to your daily diet. You can also cleanse your body using a juice fast.

Smoothies: These require a blender, which most people are more familiar with than an extractor. It processes the food into a liquid and pulpy mixture so you actually get both. With smoothies, you can also add in other ingredients such as yogurt or peanut butter. Smoothies are great for weightloss as well because you can replace meals using your favorite smoothie recipe!

Advantages of Juicing
Ability to load up on nutrients at a much higher density.
Immediate absorption of vitamins & minerals
Gentle on the digestive system because no food fragments need to breakdown
Healing properties
Detoxifies the liver
Good for weightloss

Disadvantages of Juicing
Juicing removes the fiber, which you need to feel full!
More expensive by volume.
Produces a lot of "waste" from leftover unused pulp
Is not a meal.

Advantages of Smoothies
Adds volume which helps you to feel fuller longer
High in fiber due to the pulp
Cheaper than juicing.
Improves digestion
Sustains energy
Good for weightloss

Disadvantages of Smoothies
Servings of produce are lower.
Can become a sugar bomb if you aren't careful.

I personally love juicing because I am not keen on getting enough veggies in my daily diet. Also, I love the fact that you can disguise the taste of veggies this way by adding a little fruit in the mix.

There you have it! So, do you prefer to blend or juice?

Here's my favorite recipe!