I’m pretty obsessed with my green smoothies in the morning. Over the years as I was constantly revamping my diet and trying new super foods, I gravitated towards making a green smoothie because it was 1. easy to thrown all my ingredients into a blender and drink it and 2. it’s just damn tasty and it makes me feel like a rock star!
Don’t you want to feel like a rock start?
I’m always asked what kind of blender and juicer I use…
Blender – Vitamix (which I’ve had now for almost 10 years!)
Juicer – Omega (which I got almost 2 years ago and love)
But I love my vitamix more only because it’s less hassle to clean 🙂
But… juicing is better, right? Or is blending?
Another question I get asked often.
With blending you preserve all the fiber and juicing you extract all the fiber. That’s why its a juice. The pulp is separated and you’re left with a pure, clean juice. Obviously you want to juice veggies to obtain the most nutrients content that will supercharge your cells upon drinking. Due to the fiber being removed, the absorbability of a juice is much faster.
As for blending, the pulp is kept in tact and you drink it. Nothing wrong with that! The pulp/fiber will help slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream and is more satiating.
So..which one is better? I say do both! Personally, I include both smoothies and juices in my diet. If I’m heading out the door to a meeting or off for a super busy day, I’m probably not going to juice. It’s not as filling and my tummy will be wanting to eat soon after. In this case, I’d rather make a smoothie and load it with fruits, veggies, protein, fiber and healthy fats. This is filling!
But what if you combine the two?? Yup! Combine them!
That’s what I’ve started to do and I’m officially obsessed with this blend. It’s so fuelling, energizing, invigorating, healthy, nutritious and yummy!
Due to my juicer being low speed, it prevents oxidation and the juice can actually be stored for up to 72 hours. So what I like to do is make a big batch of fresh pressed juice, use some right away, and then store the rest in the fridge overnight to use again tomorrow.
Bonus is that I don’t have to juice everyday, but I get to enjoy the benefits.
So here’s what I’ve been juicing, which I use as a base for my smoothie:
Juice (makes 4-5 cups)
- 2 large cucumbers
- 5 celery stalks
- 2 carrots
- 1 inch piece of ginger root
- 1 lemon
I add 1-2 cups of this to my vitamix blender and add in:
- Half a banana
- Handful of mixed greens (spinach, kale, etc)
- 2 tsp spirulina powder
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 2 tsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1/4 avocado (optional, but adds extra creaminess)
- 1 cup spring water (optional, depending on your preference of thickness)
Blend together and enjoy!
Your energizing Juice-Smoothie! It’s loaded with silica, potassium, omega 3’s, protein, vitamin B12, vitamin C, fiber, beta-carotene and vitamin E. It doesn’t get any better than that. Plus, it tastes SO good!
Happy Juicing and Blending!
P.S. If you’re looking for more delicious and energizing smoothie recipes, My Qualitarian Cookbook is full of them! From juices to smoothies and healing elixirs, you’ll find a ton of nourishing and healthy recipes. Check it out HERE.
Samantha xoxo
