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Article and recipes contributed by April Jones, publisher of a website featuring
personal blender reviews, various healthy eating tips, and recipes.
Is it better to juice or blend? There is always a
lot of discussion among my friends about whether they should juice fresh
produce or blend whole foods. I enjoy both and here is why:
Juicing - Why I Love Juicing:
Juicing makes great use of fresh, raw, cleansing foods - foods which are
rich in nutrients and also rich in chlorophyll.
Juicing offers:
- Concentrated nutrition
- A quick delivery system for nutrients
- Can be part of a successful weight loss program
-
Can start one on the path to healing
I love fresh raw juice. However, using a juicer can definitely be a
little bit of a chore. Taking apart and reassembling a juicer can become
quite tedious, especially if done more than once a day. Some other
disadvantages to juicing involve:
- The possibility of over nutrition
- Supplying too much sugar in the diet
- Decreasing the ability to have bowel movements due to a lack of
fiber
 Super
Defender Smoothie
With juicing, it's possible to make green vegetable juice, fruit juice or
fruit and vegetable juice. Here is a great tried and true combination I use
from The Big Book of Juices and Smoothies: 365 Natural Blends for Health and Vitality Every Day,
by Natalie Savona:
5 large large kale leaves
3 carrots
1 orange
Wash kale leaves. Peel the carrots and orange.
Push the kale, carrots and orange through the juicer.
Makes 1 serving.
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Blender - Why I Love Blending:
Blending keeps foods whole. Whole foods
are retained in their original package, nutrients are supplied in the right
amounts, and fiber is kept intact. Fiber doesn't break down as it goes
through our GI tract and while this may seem non-beneficial, fiber works its
magic by:
Lowering the risk of chronic disease
such as heat disease and diabetes
Stabilizing blood sugar
Avoiding and getting rid of constipation
Providing satiety
Lowering cholesterol
Lowering triglycerides
Keeping the colon healthy -
may prevent colon cancer
The only downfall to blending is fiber does slow down digestion and works
your digestive system a little harder. This can be a hindrance if you are
ill and need nutrition as quick as possible. But what could be easier than a
quick wash and rinse of your best blender?
If you haven't decided what the
best blender is for your purposes, now might be a good time to
compare the top two rated blenders at
Blendtec vs. Vita-Mix. They both make
great smoothies, just like this one, but there are some key
difference to be aware of before making a purchase.
Strawberry Coconut Smoothie
 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 cup fresh or canned pineapple
1/4 cup canned light coconut milk
1 cup ice cubes
Place all ingredients in the
blender in the order listed.
Turn blender to high and let run
for 30 seconds or until smooth.
Makes 1 serving.
Tropical Sunrise Smoothie
A great
combination which I adapted slightly from The Juice Lady's Guide
to Juicing For Health, by Cherie Calbom.
1 (3-inch chunk) fresh
pineapple, peeled
1 ripe medium-size banana, peeled (use a frozen banana for a creamier drink)
1/2 medium papaya, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup plain vanilla plant-based milk
6 ice cubes
Cut the pineapple chunk into
strips that fit into your juicer; juice the strips.
Pour the juice into the blender.
Add banana, papaya, milk, and ice cubes; blend until smooth.
Makes 2 servings.
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Check out more interesting articles and recipes on using the blender by April Jones:
Chicken Salad with Champagne Mayonnaise
I usually make chicken salad out of one of the breast pieces – it makes just enough and I love
to 'much' on it while I’m writing. So, just to prove to you that I’m not out of
my mind, I'm sharing my favorite Chicken Salad recipe. You’ll only need one appliance – your blender and your skillet!
Cranberry-Orange-Banana-Spinach - Green Smoothie
From this recipe you can add different types of greens, different vegetables, more fruit or less and so on. Blend up a big batch and take with you to work or keep in a container in
the fridge to drink on through out the day.
Juicing For Health - Can green smoothies stop junk food cravings?
Drinking whole raw foods blended in to a nice smooth drink can help overcome addictive cravings for coffee
and donuts. Drinking a green smoothie is taking the first step to replacing a bad eating habit with a better one.
Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
I'm always looking for ways to prepare something that is a regular, every day, old-fashioned ingredient,
and pork chops filled the bill. I figure the meal, I'm going to tell you about, cost no more than $2.50 per plate. Where are you going
to beat a deal like that? This recipe takes no more than 30
minutes to prepare, and I guarantee that your family will be hanging around the
kitchen wondering when dinner will be ready.
Zesty Prime Rib Steak with Chimichurri
It takes less than a couple of minutes to blend a fantastic chimichurri or roasted red pepper sauce for a tasty bit of beef (that you seared and
roasted in your cast iron skillet!)
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