I’m a blender and my husband is a juicer

I’ve been married for 17 years. I’m super lucky, I have a wonderful marriage. My husband and I have a lot in common and love just doing everyday life together.

One of the things that makes daily life for us easy is that we eat similarly, we’re both very health conscious and we eat mainly delicious vegetarian – with a little pescatarian (fish eating) thrown in here and there.

But here’s where we differ – in the land of green drinks.

He loves to juice his veggies and I love to blend mine.

Sure he’ll sip a little green smoothie here and there, and I’ll enjoy his homemade green juices if it’s offered to me, but it’s not usually my first choice.

In fact it really came into high relief when my husband was rushing out of the door one morning. He had just had enough time to juice veggies for himself and as he walked out, he said “there’s a fantastic bowl of cut veggies ready for juicing – just throw them into the juicer”

“Thanks honey” I hollered.

But as soon as he was out of the door, I took that vibrant bowl of veggies and threw them into the blender!!!

It seemed a little bit sacrilegious – because he had nicely prepared them for the juicer by cutting them up into small pieces – which I never do when I blend. But I did it. I threw the whole bowl of veggies right into my Vitamix (my favorite high-speed blender).

I added a few of my favorite smoothie flavor and nutrition boosters (1/2 a banana for sweetness, some fresh mint for a zing and a few brazil nuts for added selenium) and I was a happy woman!

Now, why?

• Why do some folks absolutely love their smoothies and some can’t do without their juice?
• And, really what’s the difference?
• Also, is one better for you than the other?

 

Let’s start with juicing:

•  Juicing gets A LOT of nutrients into the body, and FAST!:

Juicing extracts the juice from fruits and veggies and leaves behind the pulp and fiber. Juicing takes the nutrients of a big amount of vegetables or fruits and distills it. You get a BIG hit of nutrients (vitamins, minerals and enzymes) that get assimilated into the body quickly.

Note: When my husband juices he uses a wide-holed filter, so that more of the fibre remains in his juice, because he wants to benefit from the fibre and the juice.

• Juicing gives your digestion a rest:

Most vegetable juices (besides my husband’s)  have very little pulp. No pulp means no fibre and because of the lack of fibre the digestion system also gets a rest.

 

Now onto Green Smoothies:

• Green Smoothie’s also provide a nutrient boost but not as much as juice

Smoothies, just like juice, also supply the body with lots of nutrients because, after all they are made with vitamin/mineral rice vegetables. However, because you’re not removing anything from the veggie – the pulp stays in – you can’t get as many vegetables in a glass. That means that glass for glass juice has more nutrients. However….

• Green Smoothies are a delicious fibre party!

Green Smoothies have tons of fibre! Veggies are a fantastic source of fibre and when you blend them all up together into a delicious drink you make it easier to ingest more fibre in your day. Most of us need more fibre in our diet. Fibre supports healthy digestion and regular elimination. Regular pooping means that your body is constantly and gently detoxing.

• Green Smoothies are fast to make:

Expert juicers – including my husband – may disagree with me, but I find green smoothies faster to make and clean up after then juices. So in my busy-working-mom life I tend to throw everything into my Vitamix, blend, pour it all into a big jar to take with me for the day, give my blender a quick wash and I’m done. You can see me make my favorite green smoothie right here.  Our Hurom Slow  juicer  (which we absolutely love) has a few more parts so requires a little more time for clean-up. You can pick up the Hurom Slow juicer at Williams-Sonoma, they also have a great guide of all kinds of high-quality juicers and high-speed blenders, that will last!

Juicing and blending both:

• Reduce cravings
• Boost Energy
• Make your skin glow
• Heal your body
• Hydrate your body
• Reduce inflammation

They both have HUGE benefits. So when it comes down to it, if you’re contemplating which one to do, I’d say…

• What appeals to YOU?
• What are you looking to achieve? A detox, a daily hit of fibre or nutrients or both? 
• What feels do-able and fun to you?

I had a spiritual teacher, who when asked “what’s the most powerful spiritual practice?” said…

“The one that you actually do!”

And that’s what I encourage you to consider when deciding whether to juice or blend. What will you actually put into place in your busy life? Because I’m interested in helping you create SUSTAINABLE healthy habits, one’s that stick.

If you’re going to invest in a Vitamix or a juicer, or you have one already, I want you to use it!  Don’t hide it away in a cabinet. Our Vitamix and Juicer both live on our counter-top for ease of use.

For extra support in creating a Green Smoothie habit, I have an amazing guide for you.

If you’d like to get started making delicious green smoothies with ease, I encourage you to pick up my Deluxe Green Smoothie Starter Kit!

This kit contains recipes, guidelines and tips that will help you make YOUR perfect green smoothie. It’s absolutely FREE and you can pick it up right here.

 

*Note: This blog is not a paid endorsement for Williams-Sonoma. I was invited to be part of their healthy green juice initiative and said YES because I love spreading the health!

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Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, certified Health Coach and Psychology of Eating Coach believes that every women deserves to feel good in their own body. She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life!  She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and NourishedWomanNation.com 

She helps busy women look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t.

She’s the author of “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t: an everyday guide to make healthy food happen in your home and beyond”. She’s also the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

To get your F.R.E.E. Video Series “What to do now, when everything you’ve done hasn’t worked” by mail and receive her healthy recipes and wellness tips click here.