Juicing, yes or no?

That clip gained a lot of traction on social media because it is a controversial nutrition question. Is juicing actually beneficial for you? 

Juicing is when you blend the fruit or vegetable down to a pure liquid form. The compost is usually separated into another compartment in the juicer. Juicing fruits can present a problem when considering sugar and fiber. When you juice a fruit, the complex physical matrix made of fiber and nutrients is broken down, leaving the sugar, which is mostly fructose, to be freely absorbed straight into our bloodstream as a simple carbohydrate. This can be an issue if you are trying to lose weight, especially with high sugar fruits like bananas.

This process differs with making a smoothie where you put the entire fruit into the blender. Even though the matrix of the fruit is broken down, you're still consuming most of the fiber and nutrients.

There is a perfection to whole foods, foods that come from the earth instead of being made by man. They are complex in their structure and have infinite benefits to us, some of which are not even fully understood yet. When we break whole foods down into different forms, whether using a juicer, grilling, or cooking on high heat, we alter their cellular structure and nutritional value. 

My healthi tip? Stick to eating whole fruits and vegetables when possible. If you prefer this for convenience, do a smoothie rather than juice. Also considering doing a veggie, protein, or healthy fat based smoothie and adding a small amount of fruit for taste.

Wondering how your body is handling the nutrients you take in? Want to see the state of your metabolism? Email me for a special offer on organic acid testing, decoding all of the above. 

Stay Healthi,

Hannah