We are continually looking for the Holy Grail—how to eat healthy with
minimal time and effort. Smoothies and Juicing have entered into the
picture and are becoming a common household eating experience.
I have received several questions about which is better and which is
healthier. But real question is when should you juice and when should
you blend? Both have a time and a place. Both have precautions that
should be addressed.
Juicing: Juice extractors are not as popular as they use to be.
However, I think they still provide benefits and can have a place in
your health routine. Juicing removes all the fiber from the fruits or
vegetables you are juicing. This can be a help with individuals who
have a compromised digestion. The drawback is sugar. Removing all the
fiber, cellulose, etc. allows the juice to enter into the body as liquid
calories. Without the fiber, cellulose and bulk to help slow down and
disperse the juice, the calorie-rich juices can upset your blood sugar.
The calorie-rich juices can also be responsible for weight gain. Juices
can be a source for receiving antioxidants, electrolytes, a way to get
some calories and burst of energy or part of a detox diet. They are a
better choice than drinking sodas and caffeine laden energy drinks.
Whole food juicing. The object here as I watch the T.V. commercials,
trying to sell you the latest piece of equipment, seems to be stuff the
container with as much vegetables and fruit possible and pack them in
as tight as you can. Anything goes—beets, spinach, kale, endive,
carrots, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, squash,
peppers, add an apple, some pineapple, coconut milk, a hand full of
different berries, the more the merrier. The commentator talks about
all of the wonderful nutrients from the foods that will be delivered to
the body as the machine slices, and pulverizes the foods cellular
membrane so that all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients can perform
their magic in your body.
Reality check! Has anyone checked out the glycemic index or glycemic
load that all of this combined food produces? If you had all of that
food on a plate, could you or even would you try to eat all of it at one
time? Has anyone had their blood sugar measured after drinking whole
food juicing? Are common sense and safety being ignored in the
excitement to sell another appliance? There is always emphasis on
using organic produce when juicing. Seeds, leaves skin, rinds, etc.
are all thrown into the mixture to add extra nutrition to the drink.
Organic is a catch all phrase. It does not guarantee more nutrition.
Organic food can have a better flavor if allowed to ripen before going
to market. But the real benefit of eating organic is the potential
reduction of chemicals the food comes in contact with during its growing
season. It does not mean free from chemicals. Each state has a list
of approved chemical, herbicides, etc that the producer can use on his
crops and still call them organic. Organic does not not guarantee
better nutrition. The agricultural soils in the United States are
severely mineral deficient. Soil assays of mineral nutrition by the
Dept. of Agriculture, and many universities have all testified to the
lack of nutrition within our food due to deficiencies in the soil that
our food is grown in. Organic produce has the same nutritional soil
problems regarding nutrient levels as non organic produce has. However,
if you are putting a whole apple into your drink you need to use organic
product to reduce the level of poison and toxins your body is being
exposed to. Apple seeds are a depository for all chemicals the apple
comes into contact. This is true for other fruits and vegetables. The
outer skin on fruits and vegetables can also hold toxins and poisons
that rinsing with water will not remove. Because the emphasis is on
whole food and whole fruits, it is important to use organic produce to
help protect the body from chemicals and toxins that would ordinarily be
removed and not eaten.
Consider a quick refresher course: The elements of nutrition ( protein
metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, fat metabolism, vitamin metabolism,
water hydration, and oxygenation) all depend on minerals as true Amino
Key minerals to be bioavailable for use at the cellular level. The
source providing minerals (in this case hopefully the juice) and the
amino acids from protein (meat and fish) MUST BE INGESTED AT THE SAME
TIME in order for the body to chelate minerals for bio-availability.
If protein is not available to supply amino acids than even if there are
minerals coming into your body from juicing, they won’t be chelated.
Without true Amino Key minerals vitamins, carbohydrates, fat, protein,
enzymes, hormones, water hydration, oxygenation will all be
compromised and not be able to sustain optimal health. They all depend
on amino acid chelated minerals as true Amino Key minerals to function.
What about the argument of combining foods to get amino acids? Dark
green leafy vegetables, other vegetables and fruits contain phytic acid
and oxalic acid. When present in the body at a high level, they prevent
the body from chelating a true amino acid chelated mineral.
Juicing provides two problems: abnormally high levels of phytic acid and
oxalic acid and the lack of amino acids being present so that the body
can chelate any minerals that might be in the juice. Without true amino
acid chelated minerals ALL Dietary Metabolism is compromised. What
level of nutrition that might be in the juice in not available at the
cellular level. Dr. Heaney from Creighton Medical Hospital has written
in prestigious Peer Review Medical and Scientific Journals that large
bombardments of minerals presented to the body overwhelm the cells and
can not be effectively chelated for bio-availability within the body.
This plus the lack of amino acids, and high levels of phytic
and Oxalic acid block most benefits that might come from juicing.
Smoothies
Smoothies have an advantage over juicing. Usually the smoothie keeps
all of its fiber. You do need to be careful that over blending doesn’t
happen or else fiber will be broken down so much that it will lose its
structure. The body will then treat the smoothie much like a juice.
Smoothies should be treated as a liquid meal. Elements such as amino
acids from protein powder, or yogurt, additional fiber, and essential
fatty acids, should be added to the smoothie. Again don’t get carried
away. A smoothie should not combine both vegetables and fruit.
Remember, you can not bypass your digestive system and combining both
fruit and vegetables can create a digestive burden.
The protein in the smoothie can help balance blood sugar levels between
meals and food cravings. Certain health conditions may have the need
of eating frequently and in small amounts during the day. A smoothie
mid morning and mid afternoon can help maintain blood sugar levels,
stabilize and support health. If you need the help of a power nap
during the day due to high stress, a smoothie can be helpful and
eliminate caffeine and stimulants that in the long run are detrimental
to health.