Juicing and Smoothies - Fad, Trend or Other?

Not really a juice, but a  a predecessor - "health" tonic,! 

Juicing has been around since the 1930s when a physician by the name of Norman Walker invented one of the first fresh juice extractors and came into vogue again in the 1950s with the invention of the Champion Juicer, so you can hardly call juicing fruits and vegetables for health purposes a "fad". The Champion juicer is still around today and one of the most highly revered machines on the market, but you have to have some strength to muscle it on and off your counter. Maybe the idea behind all of the juicing is to give you enough vigor to move this lug of a thing around!

The Champion Juicer, pretty much the same for almost 60 years!

 Jack Lalanne followed up the Champion Juicer in the 1970s with his own machine; The Jack Lalanne Power Juicer, which sparked another juicing mania.

The Jack Lalanne Power Juicer

 In the 1990's, Jay Kordich came on the scene with the Juiceman books and juicer selling hundreds. The juicer is still on the market today under the brand name Spectrum.

Jay Kordich's Juiceman

Some of the Benefits of Juicing:

• using more vegetables than you normally would have
• exploring veggies and fruits you might not have otherwise
• quick way to add nutrients to your system'
• good for giving the gut a rest, especially beneficial for "resetting" or "rebooting" before an elimination diet
• because there is no fiber, it can be useful for people with irritable bowel issues IBD or IBS

Drawbacks to Juicing:

• juices do not give you a feeling of fullness, therefore you might not feel sated
• because there is no fiber, you can spike your blood sugar, especially if the juices are fruit laden
• there is no protein so a juice is not really a great meal replacement

Smoothie Benefits:

• smoothies contain more fiber so they will fill you up and the feeling of fullness lasts
• you can boost the protein content of your smoothie so it can be a proper meal replacement
• blending whole plant material, without separating the fiber, can aid in absorption of nutrients

Drawbacks to Smoothies:

• smoothies can be very calorie dense, depending on what you put in yours
• can be too fruit-centric and also spike blood sugar

Fasting:

PROCEED with CAUTION! Be sure you are operating with a lot of knowledge and have your doctor's approval of the fast you choose. If you are diabetic, have kidney disease, are undergoing chemo, or have other nutritional deficiencies or chronic conditions, you might think twice before jumping into a "reboot" a la Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead style.

Have a great Weekend!

sláinte!