Welcome to the Blending and Juicing Page!
Juicing and Blending have tremendously helped me and my family to be healthy and to have the energy we need for each day! I can’t imagine not having it.
Below I will talk about why we should or shouldn’t juice and blend. Also, I want to direct you to the right products and tips to get started. I hope this page helps you and your family’s health as it has mine!
Why should we juice & blend?
I juice and blend because I could never eat the amount raw food that is in one glass of juice or smoothie.
Can you imagine eating a whole cucumber, handfuls of fruits, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, multiple carrots and stalks of celery all in one glass?!? Who would even eat all that in one week let alone in one meal!!
Let’s be honest. No one really eats a lot of vegetables. One glass of vegetable juice can have more vegetables than most people have in weeks! Imagine how much this could transform your health!
I find most people today say that they do eat a lot of veggies, but it certainly doesn’t appear that way… Come to find out, what they do eat is boiled and cooked to death while most of the plate is full of meat and potatoes.
There are not many nutrients left to help especially if the body is sick and deficient already. We have drifted unintentionally into the standard American diet (SAD) , and we have no idea how to eat anymore. A salad for lunch a few times a week is not– “getting my veggies”…
I believe one of our root problems is that we are addicted to sugar and too busy to care. Our taste buds are coated with sugar which will tell the brain that vegetables don’t taste good. Therefore, we don’t eat them. Even though it is what our cells are crying out for.
It is the best way to add tons of nutrients quickly to clean and nourish the body.
When you juice, most of the insoluble fiber is taken out. This increases the concentration of nutrients. The stomach does not have to use much energy and this makes it so easy for digestion, absorption, and assimilation of the vitamins and minerals for your bodies needs.
You can see how this would help you and especially someone who has a hard time digesting food or who is sick without much energy. In 15 minutes a flood of nutrients will make it to the bodies cells to give them what they need to do their job and heal. You can tell just by the depth in colour in the juice that it is full of nutrients. For example; when you boil vegetables, have you ever noticed how they lose their colour? It’s because you kill most of its good nutrients. In juicing, nutrients are saved and more concentrated therefore we get the bright colour.
Also, it is best to make juices at home using fresh natural produce. Some markets do sell fresh pressed juices. This is an option if you need, but you never really know what is in store-bought juices. They are usually filled with sugar and preservatives. Most made days ago which means a lot of the nutrients are gone. The difference in taste reveals this.
When we blend, the fiber in the fruits and veggies remains in the smoothie. The fiber will lengthen the process of absorption keeping us satiated. But it can make it more difficult for the nutrients to be absorbed, some being lost in digestion. However, you are getting a lot of “whole food” and still a pile of nutrients. Blending is also a great way to nourish our cells with what they need.
What if you’re like most of us who don’t like vegetables?
If you are someone who can’t stand vegetables then juicing and blending are for you. It is a perfect way to eat healthy and enjoy it! This is the answer if you want to eat healthy but cannot stand eating raw veggies. We can use so many things to add to the vegetables that will make it taste good!
- Fruits like: mango, pineapple, lemon or lime, apples and berries..
- Nuts and seeds (including nut milks and nut butters)
- Natural sweeteners like: Honey, cinnamon, dates and cacao to name a few.
You won’t even realize you are eating the veggies! You will soon realize that vegetables can and do taste very good (in season especially). Start adding in the good and taking out the bad. Then you will see your body switch and not crave the junk as much. This is what we need to do to overcome our “junk food” addiction, not another restrictive diet.
Will it fill me up?
I don’t recommend you just live off of juices and smoothies.. Very short cleanses (juice or smoothie fasts/detox’s) are very good and I believe can be helpful, but not for long periods of time. Unless you are very sick, the body has a very good detoxification process in place and we should let it do its thing..
These can be simply added to your day. A supplement. Or to replace a meal here and there to give your body a break and a boost. One glass of juice can give you 5-8 servings of your daily needed fruits and vegetables! This is a huge advantage that we have today. Let’s use it!
You will notice that you will not be as hungry once your body begins to receive the nutrients it needs. One of the biggest reasons why we are always so hungry is that the body is crying out for the nutrients it needs but not receiving them. Therefore, it uses our hunger cravings to try to find more nutrients in more food. You can see how this is a deadly cycle.
Smoothies are more filling because of the fiber. Here are some options for foods that tend to “fill you up”. These you would add to a smoothie as they cannot be juiced. However, some juicers can juice nuts.
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Almonds and Walnuts
- Yogurt
One of the biggest reasons why we are always so hungry is that the body is crying out for the nutrients it needs but not receiving them.
I juice and blend because I have never felt as good as I do now.
When you begin to feel better than you have ever felt, you will never want to go back. You don’t want as much of the junk as you used to because you know that your body will feel horrible. When I eat food that I know I shouldn’t, I begin to feel very tired, no energy, achy and sometimes I get a headache. Very soon after I have a juice I get a boost of energy and I feel great! It has helped maintain my health for sure.
I do not get sick like I used to. Usually if I feel a cold coming on, I can fight it off, God willing. If I don’t, it only lasts a few days compared to the usual of a few weeks. Symptoms of a poor diet, that I used to consider normal, are no more. (All by Gods grace and his will for our life. God is the ultimate healer. We will be sick or healthy according to his will, however, he has called us to take care of our bodies).
Once you know how good you can feel, you will not want to go back.
It is quick, easy, fun and the kids love it!
It simply has to become a PRIORITY for you. It only takes 15 minutes to make most smoothies and juices. Like anything in life, if it’s not a priority then we won’t do it. We are so privileged to have this technology. At first (like most new things) it took some learning and practice to figure things out. But now it is a very easy way for our family to get good nutrition.
Our children (like most I’m sure) have a harder time eating raw veggies. But put them in a juice or smoothie and they love it! They don’t even realize how much goodness they are drinking! It is great! You will notice a HUGE difference in your child once they stop eating so much processed sugar and adding in fruits and vegetables. Attitudes and behaviours improve tremendously.
Why shouldn’t I juice or blend?
Juicing takes out the fiber.. Is that safe? Don’t I need fiber?
Let’s take a look at what is really going on. This is probably the #1 concern and excuse for not juicing. Not many people know about Fiber. Blending keeps all of the fiber so we do not have any issues for it. I want to look at what fiber is and what happens to it when we juice to have a better understanding.
Soluble Fiber: Juicing leaves most of this fiber.
- Creates a gel that binds to fatty acids. This prolongs our stomach from emptying so that nutrients can be absorbed.
- It regulates the bowels, blood glucose levels and cholesterol…
- It is also called “water-soluble”. This means that it will bind to the water in the bowels.
- Acts as a pre-biotic.
Insoluble Fiber: Juicing takes out most (but not all) of this fiber.
- This is harder for the stomach to digest. Some say it cannot be digested. It does its job and goes out.
- Helps the lining of the bowels move along.
- Fills up the bowels to slow down digestion.
- Balances PH
- Does not bind to water.
Juicing takes out most of the Fiber but not all. Soluble fiber remains. So it is wrong to say that all fiber is gone. However, because the insoluble fiber is taken away that means that the natural sugars in fruit (fructose) can increase blood glucose levels, therefore, increasing insulin. I have read what a lot of health professionals say about this. Some say fructose without the fiber for digestion can be harmful to people who are prone to diabetes.. Some say it doesn’t harm anyone and can actually help people because it is sugar in its natural form. Not refined.
So because it is up in the air we just need to stay in the middle. There is too much to benefit to not juice. Staying in the middle looks like the following suggestions..
- If you have diabetes, have a family history or any worries about “your sugars” then you should be cautious and try to juice mostly vegetables.
- Juice with a 4 to 1 ratio of vegetables to fruit.
- It should be added to your diet along with whole foods. As a supplement boost.
- I do 3-4 juices a week. About every 2 days.
- Always speak with your family physician before changing your diet…
Lastly, do not stress over it. You can inhale multiple bottles of pop and not care, but when it comes to juicing fresh fruits and vegetables you question it..?? This goes to show how much you have been brainwashed by our industry.
It’s too expensive isn’t it?
Our priorities need to be right. The SAD is not used to buying vegetables. We are used to buying cheap “junk” food NOT “real” food. Compared to McDonald’s everything is expensive. Any time you add something to your life there is a cost. Will it be your health, quality of life and ultimately your life possibly shortened?
We can EASILY justify spending loads of money on the material things for entertainment. But when it comes food we settle for cheap and convenient.
Food is not important?. In reality, your bodies can only handle so much junk before they start shutting down. If you only knew how much better you would feel… How much more energy you would have to live a good quality life rather than just trying to get by until our next coffee… Adding good quality vegetables needs to be a priority. Not the next new thing on the market.
Eating healthy is more money than you are used to. You will need to plan for extra money spent in the produce section. But honestly, it’s not that much difference unless you are doing a very long juicing fast with multiple family members. You will eventually get used to it and will never want to go back because you will begin to feel so much better. You cannot live without your vegetables. Grow your own garden to save money!
Start with smoothies. They will take less produce and you’ll still receive lots of nutrients. If you are fighting a sickness it may be better to juice as it is easier on our digestion and gives you a quick boost of extra nutrients.
These are the most common complaints against juicing or blending. I’ve tried to address each of them but if you have any questions please ask!
Start Here to further guide you to a healthier lifestyle for you and your family today!
Question for you! ⇒ Do you feel like you have a better understanding on juicing and blending? I would love to hear from you in the comment section below!
Please scroll down and “follow” if you enjoyed the information on re-think-health and so we can keep in contact! ⇒ Share with anyone who you think might benefit!
Join the challenge!
New recipes
Re-think-health 