Let’s start with the difference between a juicer, a Nutri bullet and a blender………..
So a juicer, you put your fruit and vegetables in the chute and the fast rotating blades separate out the juice from the insoluble fibre. The soluble fibre is retained in the juice.
Most affordable juicers use a centrifugal system (fast spinning blades that pass the juice through a fine sieve). This process uses heat and can damage some of the nutrients although this is fairly minimal.
There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fibre is present in juice and will be absorbed into your blood stream.
Insoluble fibre is basically what makes up most of your stool. It passes through the gut and has a very important role even though it is not absorbed by the body.
There are other very expensive juicers that cold press the juice. They are slow and difficult to clean; I’m not a fan until they come up with a better design!!!
The benefits of juicing are………
When you drink a fresh juice (and really you need to drink a juice within 30 minutes of it being put through the machine to get the maximum benefits), you are flooding your body with live vitamins and minerals without taxing the digestive system at all!
This can be extremely beneficial especially during a juice fast or when you are under the weather, in times of stress and also to ensure you are getting nutrients if you struggle to eat them!
Now for the down side…………….
Because you do not have the insoluble fibre present as well as the nutrients in the juice flooding the blood stream very quickly you also get all of the natural sugars.
This raises blood glucose levels and the release of insulin
Now this is not all bad because there are things you can do……….
First of all unless you are doing a juice fast, or are ill and not eating much or using the nutrients for stress etc, the best way to incorporate juicing is as follows:
1) Always have more vegetables than fruit – vegetables has little sugar compared to fruit. Just use the fruit to take away the bitterness of the vegetables. At least keep it to 50/50 if you are used to sweetness!
2) Use juicing to supplement your healthy eating. For example I always have a juice first before breakfast because after a night’s sleep your blood sugars are naturally very low.
3) Have your fruit – sweeter juice in the morning and use vegetable juicers at other times.
4) Use you juice as a base and blend with some protein such as nuts, seeds, coconut oil, avocado etc.
5) Eat your breakfast about 20 minutes after your juice to slow the release of insulin.
6) DILUTE your juice with water.
If you are doing a juice fast/detox this does not apply.
Let’s talk Nutri bullet……….
Ok a Nutri bullet is a blender, a posh one that has a cup you can take out with you and look all trendy!!!!! Ha-ha, they are good though because they make you do 1/3rd, 1/3rd. 1/3rd plus they are easy to use and clean.
1/3rd fruit, 1/3rd vegetables, 1/3rd water
So a blender (and this can be a Nutri bullet, magimix, thermomix or kenwood jug blender………) pulverises the entire fruit and vegetables therefore retaining all of the fibre both soluble and insoluble.
The downside of smoothies……..
Most people tend to make smoothies with too much fruit!
If you look at the amount of fruit used in a smoothie and then think for a minute would you eat that much in one go? It’s all the fibre……..
That’s a lot for the stomach……and digestive system to cope with.
The good side is that you can hide food like spinach in a smoothie, they can be balanced to provide a full meal in a glass, they will still give you lots of nutrients and the fibre will slow the sugars down.
You can have a smoothie on its own without the need to have any food alongside if you get the balance right.
Think about adding in some fat/protein and always 1/3rd water.
Always use a straw for both juicers and smoothies especially with your kids.
Smoothie – one handful frozen strawberries, 1 tbsp flaxseed, , 1 tbsp nut butter, 4 walnuts, 1cm ginger, 1/4 lime, almond milk – blend all ingredients. (peel lime and ginger)
Juice – 1 apple, 1 chunk of pineapple, large handful spinach, 2 sticks celery, 1cm ginger, 1/2 lime, 1/3rd cucumber, broccoli stalk. Juice all ingredients – dilute with water.
I personally have a Sage Juicer and a Kenwood Blender.
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