Stepping into the Ring: Juice vs Smoothie
The great debate: juice vs. smoothie. Many people are very passionate about this debate, saying that one is entirely better than the other for everyone. But, when you are living your #NewEarthLife, you know that each person striving to achieve overall wellness is going to have a different path and story than the next. This mindset also applies to the juice vs. smoothie dispute. There are good and bad attributes to each beverage, some of which you might already know, and some you may have never considered in your wellness research. Whether you should be drinking a smoothie, juice or both depends on your individual needs.
Smoothies
Smoothies are an awesome blend of whole foods if the right ingredients are included. You can place entire fruits and vegetables in your smoothies for a nutrient rich combination. That’s not where the fun ends, though. Smoothies are easily personalized with unique ingredients. Maximize the protein content by adding Greek yogurt, protein powder of your choice, or flax seeds or boost your healthy fats with ingredients like almond butter, chia seeds, and avocado, the possibilities are almost endless. The end goal, a smooth nutritious and delicious meal.
To take the nutrition above and beyond, you can add in your favorite New Earth superfoods. One of our fav’ products to blend into smoothies is the Essentials Blend, bringing you enzymes, phytonutrients, good bacteria, essential antioxidants, and more. Smoothies can take many flavors and forms, like this delicious chocolate smoothie infused with Mind and Forest for an amazing superfood blend.
One of the main arguments for smoothies is the presence of fiber. Fiber is your friend when it comes to digestion as it helps with your elimination process (yes it helps you poo), which ultimately helps you feel your best. How exactly does this work? Well, simply put, these whole fruits and veggies that you are putting in your smoothie contain something called ‘dietary fiber.’ This fiber aids in digestion as it passes through the body. With that, smoothies can help to keep you regular and balanced.
Things to Look Out For
While smoothies can be nutritious, delicious and a well rounded meal, they also have their dark side. If you are not mindful about both the ingredients you use to create your smoothie and the snacks and meals that accompany your smoothie for the day the calories and sugars can easily add up. It’s easy to view smoothies as a fun drink, however, they are much more than that, in fact, they are a well rounded meal in a cup. So, when it comes time to decide what’s for breakfast its likely best to decide between the eggs paired with avocado toast and the smoothie.
Smooth, sweet and delicious, check the ingredients list for hidden sugars and artificial ingredients. Some smoothie shops might not use the best ingredients, like almond milk with artificial ingredients or added sugars, or low quality protein powders. The best option, opt for making your own smoothies where you have complete control of the ingredients. Don’t have time and need a quick meal? Ask your barista or server exactly what ingredients are going in your smoothie before ordering.
Fresh Juice
Fresh juice is a great way to add fruits and veggies to your diet. If you are a busy person or maybe not a fruit and veggie person, making juices can be a great way to get a good amount of greens without sacrificing a ton of time, taste or texture. It’s easy to pack necessary fruits and veggies into juice while still getting all the key nutrients. Some might argue that you lose all the fiber you would get from a smoothie, that juice is not worth it, but that’s not the complete truth. While juicing doesn’t add dietary fiber to your meals, it does add soluble fibers. These soluble fibers are helpful in removing bad cholesterol and overall heart health. Smoothies are a great way to get dietary fiber, but only necessary when it isn’t present in a person’s diet already.
Things to Look Out For
Juicing can be a tricky game as you try to balance the amount of nutrients you gain from the juice in comparison to the amounts of sugar in the juice. Natural sugars are typically better for you than artificial sugars you might find in a soda or store bought juice (make sure to read labels). When you juice, healthy ingredients such as carrots, kale, and berries can still yield higher amounts of sugar that you would expect. With that, be conscious of your serving size. It’s a good time to skip the ‘big gulp’ size and go for regular ol’ glass.
Which One is Better?
The reality of this argument? The answer depends on the individual. It’s hard to go wrong adding raw fruits and veggies to your diet! Your unique dietary needs are the deciding factor for whether juice or smoothies are a beneficial addition to your diet. Fruits and vegetables are a very important part of everyone’s diet, but are so often missed. Juices and smoothies are great ways to make sure you’re getting the nutrition you need in your diet!
