Day 6: Green Smoothies & Juicing 101, For Beginners

Green Juice & Smoothies: The Secret Elixir for Better Skin

Smoothies versus juicing, which is better?

Well, that depends who who you ask.

Juice from a juicer is basically a concentrated smoothie, sans fiber.

Pros: Juice is super strength liquid goodness. You get all of the nutrients without the bulk of fiber. Although fiber is good for you, too much of anything is... well, you know the saying.

Cons: Juicers are typically a bit more pricy, and cleaning juicers can be a real chore. So, if you're short on time in the a.m., this might not be the ideal option for you. If you leave your machine unwashed for more than a hour or two, you can guarantee it's going to start to go rancid, and fast. Gag-- no bueno. Also, probably not the best way to treat a pricy investment that you might want to have for more than a month.

Alternately, you can juice the night before and sacrifice a few nutrients here and there. Juice is at it's peak freshness in the first 15-20 minutes after it's been extracted.

Green Juice & Smoothies: The Secret Elixir for Better Skin

Smoothies, my personal favorite go-to beverage at home, are also full of nutrients (to a lesser concentrated degree, albeit. but they're in there all the same). Plus, a smoothie gives the sensation of feeling fuller after having one. That's because of all the fiber content.

Pros: You can really bulk up your smoothies by adding ingredients like protein powders, yogurt, oats, flax or chia seeds, nut butters, etc. As long as your blender is powerful enough to blend everything adequately, you'll have quite a few options to mix in. 

Also, depending on whether you use frozen or chilled fruit, the texture can be dense and icy to thick and liquidy. Your choice. 

Cons: I really can't think of one, since smoothies are my fave. Sorry, guys, I'm biased. 

Nevertheless, green juice and smoothies both rock and are the perfect way to start your day with several servings of fruit and vegetables! That's all the tips for now. Tune in for today's broadcast on IG and FB Live! AND sign-up below to get a gift recipe(s) relating to today's topic.

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