Juicing vs. Blending

Many people who have just recently developed an interest in raw food consumption often ask me what works best – juicing or blending. Though I'm not a nutritionist, I have read several articles and books that have definite opinions about these two methods of extracting raw foods. I hope to be able to offer some insight into the value of each of these methods.

It is fair to say that both methods offer some clear advantages and perhaps, some not so obvious disadvantages. The current method that I use is blending. I feel that with a proper blender, this is an effective method of extracting nutrients and fiber from raw foods. Primarily, blending is an easy way to increase the amount of vegetables, especially greens, into a diet without having to make a meal, or tasting the vegetables too much. I have found it's much easier to drink raw vegetables, and convenient for people who are on the go, or who otherwise might not particularly like the taste of vegetables. Another advantage to blending is that, depending on what is blended, it is very easy to make a drink that is full of various vegetables and greens – thus, also full of essential nutrients and vitamins. There is some evidence that blending can also help with digestion because the content has already been converted to liquid form. In this way, blending is much different from juicing because all the parts of the original contents are still in the final product. Pulp and other fibers which have health value remain to be enjoyed.

Juicing is a method that I have not used yet because I prefer the pulp and fiber of my raw foods to be a part of my daily intake. However, there are many great articles discussing the values of juicing. Some of the things that I have learned about juicing suggest that juicing allows for immediate nutrition absorption because the digestive process is reduced. There is also some indication that juicing can help boost the immune system, depending on what fruits or vegetables are chosen. However, juices will need to be consumed right way for maximum health benefits. If you have to store juice you must store in an airtight container with little to no exposure to light and refrigerate immediately. Light and air destroys much of the antioxidants and enzymes which are the reasons that juicing is so beneficial. I also read that some people prefer juicing because it tends to focus on a few select fruits or vegetables. This is in contrast to blending were taste is not emphasized as much is creating a way to drink raw vegetables conveniently and quickly.

Ultimately, I would suggest that a combination of both juicing and blending be used to provide variety. It is also true that quality juicers can be much more expensive than blenders and this may be another factor to consider when starting a raw vegetable diet. That is not to say that all vegetables should be juiced or blended – certainly there are some great recipes available for both techniques. I encourage you to try both. In my experience, I started out using recipes but have moved away from this and simply create my green smoothies based on personal preference and taste. From time to time I do return to recipe books for inspiration. I hope this helps – I would be interested in hearing about great recipes and other pointers for those people considering whether to juice or blend.

Happy, conscious eating!

– Kevin




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A Time For Change

Over the last few weeks I have had many people approach me wanting to know more about conscious eating and ethical sourcing. In all fairness, I haven't really discussed much of this on Thought, Spot, Space. In fact, my original intention for this blog was to focus primarily on social issues, literature and culture. Though these are subjects I'm very passionate about, it seems that the focus of my blog has been shifting on its own to something much different. On other social media platforms I have been very actively posting my struggle with quality eating as opposed to continually succumbing to the fast food culture that is so much a part of the American diet. My frustration has led me to do more research into foods, food sourcing and conscious eating. I have also taken steps on a personal level to change many of my lifelong practices of food consumption. Last year, I adopted the practice of juicing, or creating raw food smoothies as a part of my daily routine. Most recently, I have dedicated myself to not eating any processed foods, meats or dairy products, for ten days.  This period has come to an end and I have made a decision to continue to focus on raw foods as my primary source of nutrition while eliminating processed foods, meat and dairy products from my diet. This is a huge struggle for me as, I love to eat all kinds of food. Essentially, I have dedicated myself for a time to living life as a vegan. What started out as a personal experiment has quickly grown into something much more substantial. Over the last 10 days, I have had many people come to me and ask where to get more information and resources about raw food consumption, green smoothies, and ethical sourcing of food products. Because of this growing interest I would like to use my blog to begin to share my experiences and to also hold myself accountable to a much larger audience. In the process, I hope to provide some valuable information for people interested in becoming conscious food consumers. In the near future I plan on filling my blog with practical tips on living a healthier, more natural lifestyle and eating in a manner that embraces individual responsibility, awareness, and a greater level of personal health. I hope that as my readership grows, that this blog can become a valuable source for sharing experiences along the way. The exciting thing is, I will be an active part of this process, as I learn and grow with each of you. Till next time.- Happy, conscious, eating.

-Kevin