Depending on how far you’ve been able to burrow into the world of natural health, you may or may not be aware of the whole juicing controversy going on. What is it? Essentially this: people are fighting over juicing versus blending.

Sure, it’s funny – but it’s also an important topic to take a closer look at and get to the bottom of. After all, if you have a juicer or blender in your home or plan on getting one soon, there are some key points you’ll want to take home today. No matter what your position, at least you’ll have an intelligent comment to contribute should you get caught in the controversy first-hand!

Advocates of juicing say that it’s the easiest way to get nutrients into the body; you simply “juice” any fruit or vegetable, and you’ve got a light, easy drink ready-to-go! Because it’s just the juice, it’s quick to drink and even quicker for the body to absorb. It’s getting the true value of the fruit or vegetable without having to deal with the trouble of eating it.

But here’s where proponents of blending come in. Although blending eliminates “the trouble of eating it”, it doesn’t eliminate the fiber. That’s the #1 most significant difference between juicing and blending – and the real source of any argument. When you take out the fiber in juicing, the body can absorb the juice incredibly efficiently – but when sugar is involved, it often ends on a sour note with an energy crash (and certainly mood as well). On the other hand, the fiber in blended foods remains a part of the final product, which allows it to be absorbed closer to its natural rate of absorption – which, again, is absolutely critical when sugar is involved.

Let’s consider a modern example that may hit home for you personally: orange juice. It’s easy to learn new information like this, but more challenging to apply or implement it in our lives. That’s why we turn to a household juice. The process doesn’t start with pouring a glass out of the container in the fridge; it starts with whole, ripe oranges. Traditional orange juice has no fiber (or “pulp”), while certain brands offer the juice with the pulp intact (think more along the lines of blended oranges). What’s the difference? It’s not just taste.

The traditional orange juice can cause a tremendous spike in blood sugar and an avoidable mid-day crash with overindulgence. It’s easy to throw back a glass or two of orange juice in the morning – after all, it’s sweet and it tastes great ;) The point here is to realize that it’s simply fruit juice, and that adding that fiber or pulp back in helps to control the release of those natural sugars for more even energy throughout the day. You can also think of it as eating a whole food, rather than pressing out the “sweet nectar”. It’s tempting, but follow your body. The next time you’re juicing or blending — or even just reaching for a glass of orange juice — pay attention to how you feel drinking different amounts and trying new options. You might just get rid of that mid-day crash and find an easy way to increase your daily energy!

Unleash Your Vitality,

John Brackett

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