Eating patterns are forever changing. Fresh and nutritious food choices like smoothies are forming high immunity-building trends. Are these light and cleansing beverages better than juices? Know more about what to choose, smoothies or juices, to ensure better health.
Every morning brings a question for Simon. What goes into the jar? Today, the lucky entrants were raspberries, honey, oats, strawberries and a handful of nuts. A few turns of the knob did the trick.
Voila!
The resultant breakfast smoothie was rich, creamy and packed with the nutritional goodness for the day. Within minutes, the cool beverage was gulped down to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract. The calorie count was perfect. Once the body’s needs were taken care of, the mind was good to face the ‘locked-in’ day that followed.
Wellness smoothies have always been Simon’s quick-fix solution to good health, even before COVID-19 hit us all in the face. Sounds familiar?
To Blend or Juice?
There’s another common thread that connects Simon to us. Just like the gym goer and health freak, at some point in time, we have also pondered on the eternal questions, “to blend or not to blend? Is juicing better?”
In all probability, we have tracked those alluring infomercials for blenders and juicing machines. One moment, we’re sure that it’s a smoothie-making blender that should make it to our next shopping cart. The very next moment, a Facebook ad pops up a neat looking juicer. It leaves us utterly confused. We look at the veggies and fruits stashed in the refrigerator longingly. Next, we wish to know what to buy next – a juicer or smoothie maker.
Juices Versus Smoothies
Sure thing, meal replacement smoothies and juices, taken across several days, are the way to offload a few pounds while “cleansing” your digestive system. Be it in recent times dominated by stay-at-home orders, or in the past, these health drinks have been a hot (read cold!) option for diet and nutrition planners.
Top Tips to Choose Between Juices and Smoothies
So, what’s better, “a juice or smoothie?” According to health experts, both are healthy. They both have their pros and cons. These tips will help you choose the better of the two.
- The creamier the better, nutritionally too!
Whipping up creamy and refreshing smoothies is the ‘in thing’. These delicious and nutritionally-potent preparations have surpassed all beverage fads, including juices and juice diets.
- What’s quicker to digest and assimilate?
Smoothies are rich in fibrous content. On the contrary, the fibrous parts of vegetables, fruits, and other organic ingredients are lost with juicing. What remains is water and the leftover nutrient content packed in the flesh of fresh produce. Fiber is responsible for reducing the rate of nutrient absorption and slows the digestion process. Given this, fresh juices are quick to assimilate and digest.
- Blending is inexpensive
Blenders are relatively less expensive than juicers. In case you don’t have one, you need not dig too deep into your pocket to pick a smoothie-maker online or from a neighborhood store. Besides, they are compact and portable. Carry yours to work or your favorite holiday destination. Your love for smoothies can take care of your health and immunity, everywhere!
- The goodness of insoluble fiber
Are you geared to keep your immunity high and internal systems healthy? The insoluble fiber in weight loss smoothies can make you feel full for a longer time. They cut down on binges and in-between snacking. What’s more? Healthy smoothies smoothen out your bowel movements and make you feel light and active across the day.
- Control your sugar levels
A decrease in the consumption of fiber can escalate your risk for diabetes type 2. Soluble fiber content dissolves in water easily. It’s a big help in lowering glucose levels. What are you using in your veggie smoothies as effective sources of soluble fiber? Try blueberries and apples. They are delicious and packed with easily-manageable fiber content to keep blood sugar under check.
- Fiber for weight loss and cardiac problems
With digestion in order, your gut functions will improve. Also, with constipation under check, your chances of colon cancer may reduce to a large extent. Fiber-rich smoothies are the first choice for weight loss. Health experts also swear by the goodness of fiber for heart patients. So, remember to increase your fiber intake, it helps in the reduction of coronary heart diseases in both genders.
- Easy-to-make whole package
Are you always in a rush? If long and elaborate health recipes are not your thing, then adopt blending instead of juicing. Breakfast smoothies provide a host of nutrients packed in a single glass. This is not possible with juices. In other words, you may term fibrous health drinks as ‘juices that contain fibers but exclude sugars.’ With smoothies, your body can get the required vitamins and juices, peel nutrients, and high-quality fiber – sans sugar. Why settle for anything less?
- Never get bored of having the same nutrients
Smoothies are a boon for people who love experimenting with their food. You’ll never get bored with the variations that can go into simple green smoothies. Just open your refrigerator to figure out the vegetables and fruits that you would like to savor. Blending makes you enjoy different tastes every day. There’s no need to get stuck with just a handful of juices anymore!
Detoxification – Need of the Hour
Detoxification takes care of your gut metabolism. It increases your immunity manifold. The virus scare has brought us all to a situation where we are battling with the same storm, in different boats. Quit pondering over calorie reduction and think out of the box.
Way Forward
To juice, or blend? This remains to be a personal choice. Try adopting a healthier approach that lies in detoxifying with healthy smoothies. How would you like to get a blender in order? Next, start looking at berries, oatmeal, veggies, fruits, nuts, yogurt, and all other ‘good’ things that’ll add to the taste of your smoothies.
