Juicing vs. Smoothies: Which is A Healthier Option For You?

LifeStyleJuly 23, 2017

When we want to lose weight or live a healthy lifestyle, we all know that we need to eat healthy foods to get all the nutrients our body needs. However, this is easier said than done. Eating veggies can be difficult, especially if you’re not fond of them. At the same time, we cannot eat lots of food just to get the nutrients we need. How do we remedy this situation?

That’s where juicing and smoothies come in. Juicing and smoothies are popular options if you want to establish a healthy lifestyle. In just one drink (or gulp), you get to digest more foods and nutrients already. But do these drinks’ nutrients vary? Which is the better option? What is the difference between the two?

In this blog post, we will shed some light on the difference between the two.

Processing

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The process of making juices is different from that of making smoothies. In juicing, fruit pulp and fiber are removed to extract juice. Therefore, the moment you drink the juice, it’s like you are taking the fruit in its liquid form. If you have digestion problems, juicing is a great option for you since juices are directly absorbed into your bloodstream.

On the other hand, while making smoothies, pulp and fiber are not removed from the fruit. The fruit is just blended. In other words, it is just chopped down to its refined form. When taking a smoothie, you still consume fiber and pulp. Smoothies are good for people who are trying to lose weight. This is because the fiber and pulp are slowly digested in your stomach, making you feel full for a longer period of time. When you feel full, you won’t be tempted to binge-eat or give in to food indulgence temptations.

Digestion and Transportation of Nutrients

As you may know, juicing does not require digestive work since the nutrients are directly absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. This is especially good for people with digestive problems since it enables them to get adequate nutrients without upsetting their stomachs. Fresh fruit juices are also known as the healing drinks.

As for smoothies, nutrients are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream because smoothies still require your body to do some digestive work. The body has to break down the fiber and the pulp before the nutrients are absorbed. Smoothies are recommended for people with diabetes because they don’t spike up blood sugar too quickly. They also keep you fuller and satisfied for longer.

Foods and Ingredients

Although juices and smoothies are made from fruits, there are special instructions you need to consider when making them. Here are the rules you need to keep in your mind:

Juicing:

Don’t juice too many fruits. As you already know, juices are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. By taking too much, you’re at risk in spiking up your blood sugar at a high rate. Since fruits naturally have high sugar content, you need to limit your fruit consumption to regulate your blood sugar.
Apart from that, your liver would need to work extra hard to filter this sugar from your body. And do you know what happens when it filters too much sugar? Yes, you guessed it right! The liver will wear out as fast!
Also, avoid juicing spinach and chard every day. They are high in oxalates which can cause kidney stone issues.

Smoothies:

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Smoothies are a bit more lenient than juicing when it comes to mixing foods. You can mix up veggies, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats to make your smoothies more nutritious. However, just keep in mind that too much is not always good. Remember that although the ingredients are broken down to refined form, your stomach still needs to digest them. Keep your ingredients limited to five or six.
Be mindful not to put too starchy and hard-to-digest vegetables in your smoothie. Examples are sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots. Better eat them than drinking them. Instead, stick to water-rich veggies such as leafy greens and nuts because they are easier to digest.