As my blog title states I write about juice cleansing, but if you’ve been following me you know that I also write about smoothies (or blending). Both are very similar and in fact, this does create some confusion for many people. I’d have to say the most common question I get is “Which is better, juicing or blending?” I believe juicing and blending serve different functions and both are beneficial. I’ll explain the differences and similarities the the two, so that you can decide which (or both) method is right for you.
Let’s start with juicing. The function of juicing is cleansing and supplementing. By cleansing I’m referring to whole body cleansing, but primarily that of the colon and the blood. Since juice contains no fiber it can bypass digestion and quickly be absorbed into the bloodstream. This eases the colon and allows more energy to be devoted to removing foods and waste that are already inside the body. Most of us really don’t pay attention to how much and which kinds of food we’re taking in. Even a healthy person with a good diet can experience this build up of waste and a slow moving or sluggish system. Juices provide maximum nutrition and energy so that the body can heal itself.
There are two ways to go about cleansing with juices. The first is simply to drink fresh juice first thing in the morning, every morning. The first meal of the day breaks the fast that your body experiences from the last meal of the day before. If your last meal was at 6:30pm and you eat breakfast at 6:30am, you’ve already experiences a twelve hour fast! Drinking juice before breakfast extends this fasting just a bit longer, plus the nutrition goes straight into action, giving you a super boost. Now that’s a great way to start the day! The second way to cleanse with juices is to go on a short term juicing fast for a period of one to ten days. In this method the colon has adequate time to really begin eliminating and healing.
Now, blending is much the same as juicing in that it contains the vitamins and minerals. Blended foods are easily digested, but they do still contain fiber so there is definitely digestion happening. The function of blending is to provide whole food nutritional meals that contribute to building healthy cells. You might want to add extra foods such as bananas, avocados, and yogurt into the mix for extra nutrition and variety.
Most people get stuck on the issue of fiber. Yes fiber is absolutely necessary for the colon and for a healthy body. Blending provides this. It builds up the body. But to cleanse the body you need to remove the fiber. Juicing is best for cleansing.
In summary, juicing and blending have two different functions. Juicing is for cleansing and supplementing, while blending is for nutritional meals and cell building. It’s great to include both into your diet even if it’s just for variety.