The question when it comes to drinks is always: Do I juice or do I blend? Which one is more beneficial? The answer: Both – but for different purposes, at different times, and for different lengths of time. One thing always applies: Not matter which you choose, remember to chew. Here’s the low down on healthy drink practices, for cleansing or not:
Juicing: This is drinking the EXTRACT of a fruit/veggie. This process goes beyond common kitchenware into specified equipment – a juice extractor – and a few years back it was the craze during cleansing because juicing gives your digestive system a break and delivers the nutrients and water straight to your bloodstream, without much effort on your part in the process, because the fiber has been extracted and left out of the equation. Unfortunately, this is also the down side to juicing: There is a purpose to fiber, and this is to help food be digested and absorbed SLOWLY, so that you don’t get a “sugar rush”. So, think of juicing as a temporary thing – on average, three days tops – and as a therapeutic complement to your daily routine (a green juice is a great add to any meal – but don’t make it a permanent substitution.)
Blending: The time to blend is ALWAYS, especially in the morning, and during a cleanse. Blending is throwing THE WHOLE fruit/veggie into the blender and drinking the result, fiber included. The benefit is that you eat the produce as Nature intended: whole, with all its components that work in synergy to sustain you. Fiber is intact, so no sugar rush. You can use blended drinks as your staple breakfast (smoothies) as well as dinner (soups) and cleansing therapy (smoothie for breakfast, smoothie for lunch, soup for dinner) to help give your digestive system an easier time in breaking down your food for a few days and up to a week.
Chewing: The activity of chewing releases saliva and enzymes that begin the digestion process in your mouth. Especially with blended drinks but also with juices, “chewing your drink” is a MUST for proper digestion. Think of it this way: Have you ever started your workout cold, without a warm-up? You run the risk of injury, and your workout isn’t as great as it could be. Same thing with digestion. Chewing kicks off the digestive process. Don’t skip it.
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[...] drink one. I drink them daily at home, where I design them to my standards and purpose. I’m a blender not a juicer, but when I’m out and about, I love finding any organic plant-based options to keep [...]
This was very helpful. Thanks, as always!