I get asked this question a lot: what is the difference between juicing and smoothies? Juicing extracts the fiber, making the remaining nutrients (especially greens) very available to the body. This is especially important for people who have cancer, anemia, auto immune diseases, or are recovering from surgery. However, a really good juicer (Green Star is my favorite) can be expensive. That's where smoothies come in. A good quality blender is all that is needed, and while I love my VitaMix, I found my sister's Ninja to be a good, lower cost option.
Green juices are best eaten before a meal or snack, while green smoothies can be used as a light meal, or a great mid morning or mid afternoon snack. A high quality juicer will keep the nutritional content high for 24-48 hours. Smoothies, due to the heat and centrifugal force are best made fresh, so consider bringing your already cut up produce to the office, and blend away!
My favorite Green Juice:
4-6 leaves organic kale,
2 organic carrots,
1/2 apple (optional for sweetness)
Put all through your Green Star Juicer, alternating Kale w/carrots and apple.
Makes 1 serving
Here is Dr. Oz's favorite and tasty smoothie:
1 cup spinach
1 cup chopped cucumber
4 stalks celery
1/2 tsp gingerroot
1/2 bunch parsley
1 apple, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime and 1/2 lemon.
Puree 30 seconds, makes about 2 servings.
*Note, these are real GREEN drinks, meaning they are mostly vegetable, which makes them superior to fruit smoothies in terms of glycemic effect on the body.
