Smoothies VS. Juices

What's the difference?
Smoothies are used with a blender. You blend fruits and/or vegetables with water to get a smoothie.  Juices are used with a juicer - an appliance that separates the juice from the pulp of fruits and vegetables.  My experiences have led me to be a Blender/Smoothie Girl, although I do make juice now and then. I'll explain why I am, but first let's take a look at the Pros and Cons of both methods.

BLENDING PROS
Fast: You place chopped fruits/vegetables and water into your blender and let it run for a few minutes.  Then, you rinse your blender and you are done!
Simple: Since you are using the whole fruit/vegetable, you can only fit so much into your blender.  When it is full - you are ready to blend!  And there is usually only one component to clean with a blender, the canister that holds the smoothie.
Inexpensive: If you blend one apple with water, you can get up to 8 ounces of smoothie. The cost of that apple is minimal and the water is usually free = inexpensive drink/meal.
Fruity: You can enjoy tons of fruit in your smoothies, since the soluble fiber slows the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream into an even increase of energy.
Longevity: Since you blended the whole food, the fiber helps to protect the fragile nutrients, which means that it can last longer without losing nutrition.  I usually recommend that you drink your smoothie in 36 hours of less, if it stays refrigerated. 
Convenient: Making a smoothie full of fruits/vegetables is far faster than sitting down and chewing the same amount of produce.
Easier To Digest: Solid food needs to be broken down. Even if you chew your food remarkably well (and most of us do not), you still may not break down the fiber or cellulose of the green leafy vegetables as well as a blender does. Blending does the work that our jaws should do and the nutrition is available immediately.  You receive more nutrition to absorb and your digestive system has far less to do.  Instead of breaking down large chunks of food, it simply is absorbed, assimilated, and passes through. 
It's Great For Children:  A blended smoothie that tastes like fruit but has hidden leafy greens gets more nutrition into your children that may not have eaten a salad with spinach. 
Satiety:  All that fiber and juice combined in your belly keeps you full longer. While it slows down digestion slightly, it helps the hungry feeling stay away.

BLENDING CONS
Blender Quality: makes a difference.  In order to have a smooth texture, a high speed blender will do the best job. The Vitamix is my personal favorite (See the bottom of this post for the best deal!) and is the best machine I've used so far (I've already written a blog about it here:  http://www.livingrawbygrace.com/1/post/2012/07/vitamix-vsblendtec-vs-healthmaster-vs-ninja.html)
Drink Slowly:  If you drink it too fast, it will sit and ferment in your belly/gut, causing gas and bloating.  Take your time, chew while you drink, 
Texture: Some people find that the texture of smoothies is difficult to palate - too thick or pulpy.  I usually tell people that they need to add more water if this is an issue, but I hear it every now and then.

JUICING PROS
Even Easier to Digest:  Due to the lack of fiber in the juice - there is little to nothing to digest and your body can utilize the nutrients even easier.
Even More Nutrition:  You get very large amounts of vitamins and minerals, due to the amount of produce that goes into the juice.  You would not be able to eat this much produce in anywhere near the same amount of time.  
Convenient: This is a great way to get the most amount of nutrition into your body without having to eat all the food all day long. It's difficult to put away several pound of green leafy vegetables in one sitting, but very easy to drink them and get the same nutrition.
Healing:  Due to the high amount of vitamins and minerals - you are able to get nutrition where your body needs it most.  Green Cabbage juice has been shown in studies to heal stomach ulcers on contact!

JUICING CONS
Expensive:  Due to the amount of produce needed to create juice, you can spend a lot of money on one glass of juice.  Quality Juicers are also expensive as well.
Time Consuming: Each piece of produce needs to be fed through the juicer separately, which takes time.  Cleanup is also a lengthy procedure, as there are multiple pieces of the juicer to take apart and clean.  Cleanup needs to happen immediately or the juicer will begin to degrade over time.
Spike in Blood Sugar:  The soluble fiber of fruits and vegetables slows the absorption of sugar into your blood stream.  Juicing, unlike blending, removes that fiber so when you drink a juice that is high in fruit - your blood sugar will spike and then crash.  When juicing for yourself, make your juices vegetable heavy, with small amounts of fruit. Your body will thank you later.
Short Shelf Life:  The soluble fiber in your food also helps protect from oxidation and degradation.  When you juice fruits and vegetables, you need to drink that juice almost immediately.  The more expensive the juicer, the better it preserves nutrition.  There are a few juicers out there (usually commercial grade) that preserve the nutrition so the nutrition is still available 2-3 days later.  That being said, always try to drink your juice as soon as possible - you'll simply get more nutrition.
Wasteful:  All that pulp that was extracted?  Yeah, most people just throw that away.  There is good nutrition in there, but after you juice...there is no purpose for it.  Now there are recipes out there that you can use the pulp in...but that's a lot more work

Soooooo....should you juice or should you blend?  I say, both!  I juice on occasion and blend nearly every day. I will always be a blender girl simply because it's faster, cheaper, easier, and sweeter. I definitely have a sweet tooth!  That being said, I absolutely adore a fresh juice now and then.  My husband prefers the taste and consistency of juices so he consumes more, and he also needs less sweet than I do.

Now, if you are looking to begin blending, I recommend the Vitamix.  It simply is an amazing machine for the money.   I always recommend reconditioned machines.  You get a brand new container with a motor that has been refurbished to be like new for half the price of the new ones. You can get a 64 oz container & base for $329. If you put in this code when you check out, you get free shipping ($25 savings!): 06-005351. 
https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Standard.aspx

As for juicers, I love my slow masticating juicer. It takes a little longer, but you get a better juice than centrifugal juicers and you get less waste - I love not throwing away a ton of pulp.  I started with a Breville, but have since moved onto a Hurom.  Love it!  Here's a blog I wrote about my adventures in juicing: http://www.livingrawbygrace.com/1/post/2013/06/my-juicing-adventures.html 

While I juice now and then, I'd much rather just buy some fresh, cold pressed, raw juice.  I found an amazing local company does all the work, buys all the ORGANIC produce, uses an amazing juicer that preserves the nutrition for several days, AND figures out how to make it delicious every time. Sounds like a steal!  Local Organica - AND they deliver! :)  http://www.localorganica.com/

This is the cream of the crop - the ultimate blender that everyone should own.  My use of my Vitamix (I've had both the 5000 and the 5200) over the past four years has cemented my unwavering loyalty to this brilliant machine.  I bought my high powered blender the instant I decided the raw lifestyle was worth investing into. I've taken it on trips, on airplanes (checked & carry-on!), even on my honeymoon! Not only does it help me create all my raw vegan dishes, but it saves me tons of time.  It grinds nuts and seeds, completely bursts the cell walls of plants to release that incredible chlorophyll, breaks down frozen fruit to make ice cream, in fact I haven’t found anything my Vitamix cannot do.  When people ask if I miss hot foods (as I don't cook anything), I demonstrated how my Vitamix warms up my food.  There is no heating element, but it runs at 240 mph and the friction heats up my soups, sauces, dips, etc.

The only problem with the Vitamix?  It’s expensive!!!!!  If you buy a new Deluxe Vitamix 5200, with all the bells and whistles, it comes out to $650.  HOWEVER! You can also buy a Vitamix that has been “factory reconditioned”  for $329.00! I always recommend buying Factory Reconditioned! If you put in this code when you check out, you get free shipping ($25 savings!): 06-005351.  

People are always asking if there are other blenders out there that are cheaper, yet have the same performance.  I have personally used three others that come close, but I will stress that NO BLENDER have the same performance as the Vitamix, in my experiences.  Now mind you, I use my Vitamix 3-8 times a day, and have used each of the following blenders at least a half dozen times each while teaching classes.

 The first is a Blendtec, the rival to the Vitamix. It’s slightly more affordable, coming in at $454 for the “Wild Side” (deluxe version), $434 for the Basic Version, and $384 for the Factory Reconditioned Basic.  It’s slightly more powerful than the Vitamix, coming in at 1560 Watts vs. the Vitamix’s 1380 Watts. The Basic comes with a 32 oz. pitcher, the Wild Side has a 44 oz. pitcher, and the Vitamix has a 64 oz. pitcher. The Blendtec has a broader based pitcher – easier to get your food out and nothing gets trapped under the blades. Lastly, the Blendtec is programmable and you can set it and walk away and it will shut itself off  The Blendtec can also warm up your liquids and dips, which is awesome for a raw foodist.  All in all, the Blendtec is a GREAT BUY.  If you can find one, go for it.  

BUT…there are some major drawbacks.  First, it does not come with a tamper – an instrument to push food into the blades.  Therefore, you need to cut and dice your food smaller so it will move AND you CANNOT make Raw Vegan Banana Ice Cream in this blender. :/ That’s a big part of my diet, so I cannot imagine having the Blendtec permanently. Second, even though the base of the pitcher is larger (my Vitamix pitcher is tapered), it has problems with small amounts of food.  The blades will spin if there isn't enough food to move around - and while it's difficult to do small amounts in the Vitamix, the tamper makes it possible.  Also you cannot fill it to the top with food and expect it to blend.  I can make a full 64 ounces of Green Smoothie in my Vitamix, but you can only fill the 44 oz container half way!  Third, the larger motor doesn’t do any more than I need, but it is a LOT louder – which is not so good when you have kids with sensitive hearing, babies, or need to do any food prep when people are sleeping.  And fourth, with all its settings (ice cream, dips, smoothies, etc.), it's much harder to work manually.  When trying to make a dip out of cashews, for example, you need to run the dip setting two to four times to get the same consistency with the Vitamix.

It's a good machine, but you can get a Vitamix for roughly the same price.  I'd spend the money on the Vitamix.

I have had the opportunity to try out Montel William’s HealthMaster.   At 4 easy payments of $49.99 (plus S&H), it’s by far the cheapest at $200.  It comes in at 1100 watts of power, which isn’t much less than Vitamix’s 1380 watts.  It has a monster 70 oz. pitcher that has a nice broad base where no food gets stuck. It comes with a tamper! Yaaay!  Raw Vegan Ice cream, here we come!  AND…the base is programmable just like the Blendtec.   

Here come the con’s. First, like the Blendtec, even though the base of the pitcher is larger (my Vitamix pitcher is tapered), I have problems doing small amounts of food.  One cup of dip in the HealthMaster just  spins…doesn’t mix, even with the tamper.  Second, the lower wattage means that it just isn’t as powerful and doesn’t blend as smooth or creamy as the Vitamix or the Blendtec.  I tried to make a pie crust (crushed nuts and fruit) in the HealthMaster and it got stuck in the pitcher, and I had to take it all out and use another appliance.  The pitcher has pockets where food gets caught and I can’t just spatula it down to the bottom…I’m not sure if you can see from the picture.  The motor is ridiculously loud and slightly smelly (which the manufacturer says will wear off within six months).  Lastly, it has two locking mechanisms that sound like a wonderful safeguard but are actually quite annoying.  The thing won’t run unless the pitcher is locked to the base and the lid is locked to the pitcher.  Both locks are quite difficult to engage and after working with it for a half an hour, my fingers were starting to blister. I got used to it quickly, but my friend said she was less likely to work with it because of this feature.  It also doesn't run at the speeds of the previous two machines, which means it won't warm up your food. It's a great machine for the price, at nearly half the price of the other two machines, so the frugal girl in me gives it one thumb up!

Lastly, I've had more experience with the Ninja than with the previous two machines because it's far more affordable, available, and everyone seems to be getting one!  This machine is wonderfully unique in that it has multiple blades.  Because of this, a tamper is less necessary to push food into the blades - there are blades in the middle and on top!  It has a programmable base with 1000 watts of power (only 100 less than the HealthMaster!), has a wonderfully easy to use 72 ounce container.  All in all, they have taken a little bit of everything and made a great machine.  AND - it's only $100!!!!  That's crazy!

I've also gotten to play with the Ninja Prep - which is even cheaper at $50-75, depending on where it's sold.  However, it has more than HALF the wattage of the blender (400 watts!), and in turn cannot do many things (like make dips & sauces out of nuts) well. It does make small batches of things rather well and I was able to make a few dishes with ease (my Orange UnChicken, Green Smoothies!, and Pinky Pudding)

However, you get what you pay for.  With the Ninja, you pay a fraction of the price for a fraction of the ability.  I cannot make the same quality of dips, sauces, desserts, smoothies, and ice cream is out of the picture. It does many amazing things and is far better for making Green Smoothies than a traditional blender (Oster or Hamilton Beach).  

Each of the machines listed come with recipe books that are definitely a part of the price - wonderful recipes that get you to use the machine and eat healthier.  Sure, they aren't raw vegan, but they are homemade from scratch and encourage you to move away from processed foods. That's the first step - less processed, more whole foods!

So there we are.  Four different high speed blenders.  Each of the blenders tackled Green Smoothies with ease and are amazing blenders.  I still recommend the Vitamix.  It is worth the investment and even if you aren’t raw in any capacity it is wonderful for your kitchen.  Not to mention, the Vitamix has been around since 1937 and is made in the US.  If a machine has a warranty, I would trust a company that has been around more then ten years and has perfected the craft that they are in.  Just my two cents...  

If I have moved you toward the Vitamix and are interested in purchasing one, use this code for free shipping (06-005351)  and go here!  I hope this helped!!!!