Are Smoothies or Juices Better Beauty Food?
I’m not sure if I’ve talked about my preference for smoothies over juices yet, but here’s my verdict: smoothies.
Yes, juice looks so clean, so healthy, and its just packaged and marketed so well—there are juice bars and juicing at fabulous restaurants, etc. To be beautiful and healthy, you all you need to do is drink green juice, right? Wrong.
The Juice Vs. Smoothie Standoff
Juicing takes all the fiber away from the vegetables and fruits you consume. Fiber is critical because it slows down the rate of blood sugar increase and ensures you consume whole foods in the right way. For example, in many an 8oz juice, you could be drinking several leaves of kale (even a bunch of kale), 2 cucumbers, a lemon, 2 apples, a carrot, and parsley all in one fell swoop. This is not how are bodies are intended to enjoy fruits and vegetables. In one sitting, if we ate whole foods—the correct way to eat foods—we could probably take in only 1 leaf of kale, 1 apple, and a half a cucumber, for example.
Smoothies are whole foods. Juices are not. That said, there are certainly some good reasons to drink juice from time to time, and I will list these at the bottom of this post.
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The Best Smoothies Are Practically Fruitless
Not all smoothies are created equal. In my opinion, the best juices for health, strength, and staying lean are smoothies without lots of fruit and add-ins like nut milks and nut butters. Fruits, although they make smoothies taste amazing, release more insulin in our bodies and therefore raise our blood sugar levels, which has the propensity to lead to fat storage.
So if I want a truly healthy smoothie, (which is the reason we drink smoothies anyway, isn’t it?) I’ll go for this recipe—the only fruit I’ll add is a green apple. Nut milks, if not homemade, tend to contain a lot of preservatives, and moreover, as I’ve discussed before, the consumption of nuts negatively skews our Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio (it raises Omega 6). Nut butters can do the same thing. If I opt to add nut milks or nut butters to my smoothies (almost always butters), I use freshly made butter from cashews, because it has a better antinutrient and omega 6 profile relative to other nuts. (Antinutrients occur naturally in plants and can inhibit normal absorption and functioning of nutrients in your body).
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Scheduling Your Smoothie Time
For me, I can’t have smoothies first thing in the morning. My body is after protein and fat in the morning—it doesn’t want only carbs (even if I add some grass-fed whey protein powder, my protein supplement of choice, it doesn’t satisfy me). So I tend to have a smoothie around the 3pm hour or later in the evening. But every body is different.
This smoothie will be a bit thick for some, but it contains some powerful immune-boosting, cancer-fighting ingredients that make it worthwhile to try. I love drinking smoothies from Mason jars with a straw, particularly a fun, colorful one.
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As Promised—When Does Juice Win?
Here are some scenarios in which juice trumps smoothies:
You’re fasting or on a detox/cleanse for a certain period and want to allow your digestion to do as little work as possible to rest
You’re not hungry, but need a quick boost of energy and don’t want to go for coffee or tea
You’re thirsty and want to quench your thirst with a drink that is more flavorful and nutrient-dense than water
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THE RECIPE: LOW INSULIN & LOW FRUIT, GREEN SMOOTHIE
1 green apple, peeled
small handful parsley, bottom stems removed
½ ripe avocado
3-4 inch piece cucumber, peeled
1 small handful watercress, bottom stems removed
¾ of 1 leaf of curly kale
Leaves of 3 sprigs of mint
Juice of 1 ½ lemons
3 large ice cubes (or 6 or 7 small cubes)
INSTRUCTIONS
Add all ingredients into a strong blender and blend until smooth and all ingredients have been fully incorporated.
Notes: If too thick, add water or raw, fresh coconut water. Also, be vigilant about the amount of watercress you add to this smoothie—it can be too peppery and pungent from some. Start by adding just a few stems (or half a very small handful) at a time and taste until you get the balance of flavor you’re after.
By Natural Foods Chef, Pooja Mottl
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