Juicing vs. Blending...Which is Healthier?

One of the most common questions I hear as a nutritionist is…which is healthier, juicing or blending? Well, they are both super healthy and neither is ‘healthier’…however, each has properties the other doesn’t and are better for you depending on what you are trying to achieve. 

Firstly, what is juicing? 

Juicing is the process of extracting water and nutrients from fruits and veggies while separating and tossing the digestible fiber. Without the fiber, your body doesn’t have to digest much and simply absorbs all the nutrients. Keep in mind that the nutrients will enter the blood stream very quickly and will cause a spike in blood sugar if you are using a lot of fruit. Spikes in blood sugar can cause moodiness, headaches or hunger and cravings when blood sugar dips back down.

What is blending?

Blending is mixing the whole fruit or veggie with water or other fluid to create a type of purée. When blended, the nutrients and fiber are broken down and made much easier to digest. The fiber allows for the slower, more even release of nutrients into the bloodstream and helps avoid rapid blood sugar spikes and dips. The fiber is the bulk of the fruit and veggies, so it will help you feel fuller for a longer amount of time.

Pros and Cons

Pros of Juicing:

-You get a ‘shot’ of nutrients from more fruits and veggies than you would be able to eat if they were whole

-Great boost of nutrients when you are sick, better than vitamins!

-Great for people sensitive to fiber

-Instant energy boost, like a cup of coffee or energy drink, but much better for you

-Almost no digestion is necessary so your digestive system gets a break

Cons of Juicing:

-Not always a good idea for diabetics, as it can cause a spike in blood sugar.

-Removes almost all of the fiber and 10-20% of the antioxidants

-High quality juicers are expensive and prepared juices can run $6-$13 a pop (ouch!)

-Cleaning juicers is usually pretty time consuming

Pros of Blending:

-Keeps you feeling fuller, longer

-Lowers your LDL (bad cholesterol)

-Detox your system. Since most of the fiber is insoluble, it passes though your gut and takes the toxins with it.

-Prevents and relieves constipation. Fiber helps you poop regularly, therefore, fiber is good :)

-Only a little bit of digestion is necessary so your digestive system takes it easy

-Gives you a steady stream of energy, great for long days of chasing after kids

-High quality blenders are cheaper than juicers ($60-$110 can get you something pretty decent, like a NutriBullet)

-Takes less time and has less clean-up than juicers…and all MomMes can appreciate that!

Cons of Blending:

-Can cause gas or bloating if you are not used to consuming so much fiber

-Cheaper blenders get pretty hot and can start to kill off nutrients and enzymes.

Bottom Line:

DRINK BOTH! Mix it up, have a smoothie when you are feeling hungry and opt for a juice when you seem to be dragging your feet and would normally have a coffee. Most of us don’t get enough veggies… both juicing and blending allows you to DRINK YOUR VEGGIES in a way that tastes and feels good! It’s a WIN no matter what you choose!

Allya Orlov is a Certified Health Coach and the Founding LA Valley MomMe. She provides nutrition, fitness and wellness counseling, specializing in pre and post natal nutrition. She offers private sessions with the goal of bringing health, harmony and balance to both mother and child. If you are looking for some help to have a healthier pregnancy or are trying to get back into your pre-baby jeans, then it’s time to call her! All Club MomMe fans get a FREE initial consultation! Book your free session today at ww.OrganicLifeWellness.com 

Free Birds DVD: Save the Birds by Purchasing the DVD on February 4

Once a year turkeys steal the spotlight and get a ton of attention: as the centerpiece of your dining room table on Thanksgiving.  Sure, there are also Presidential pardons (yes I know..really?), turkey sandwiches and a few other mentions of turkeys throughout the year, surely turkeys deserve a little more attention right?

As we anticipate the DVD release of Free Birds, about yes, saving the turkey, here are 10 fun facts about you guess it…not chicken.  Turkey!

• Turkeys need to be trained to eat. In order for turkeys to reach their biggest size, they must be taught to eat small meals throughout the day, instead of their natural routine of consistently gorging themselves on food.
• A turkey’s snood (red thing attached to the beak) serves no functional purpose.
• A turkey’s gobble can be heard from a mile away. Talk about a loud mouth!
• Young turkeys are called “poults.”
• Turkeys were domesticated by Native Americans in pre-Columbian Mexico,
• more than 500 years ago. They arrived in Spain in 1519 and quickly spread to the rest of Europe.
• Turkeys prefer to sleep in trees. They do this as a way of avoiding predators in the wild.
• Female turkeys (hens) do not gobble. Instead, they communicate through low-chirps and clicking noises.
• Wild turkeys can fly. They are actually quite fast, reaching speeds as fast as 55mph.
• Turkeys can blush. This usually takes place when they are frightened, agitated, excited, or ill. And here we thought they were just bashful!
• A turkey’s stomach has a container called the gizzard. It contains small stones the turkey has swallowed which help aid with breaking down food for digestion, since the birds do not have teeth.

About Free Birds:

From the Academy Award®-Winning producer of Shrek* comes a hilarious animated adventure about two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks who travel back in time in order to keep their species off the Thanksgiving menu. Featuring an all-star voice cast, including Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler, Free Birds is loaded with laughs and stuffed with fun for the whole family!

Over the River and Through the Woods to Travel with Toddlers We Go!

Traveling with Tots Can Be A Challenge but Kinsights Has the Scoop On How To Keep Your Sanity

 

Are you excited about the holidays, but dreading those hours on the plane with your kids? Parent travel pros at Kinsights share their advice – unique tips beyond the usual “check your stroller at the gate” and “bring lots of snacks” – about what really kept them sane in the air.  Here are some great tips that parents shared:

1. Book a direct flight. Factor in sleep times whenever possible. Pack special lovies/blankets that will make it easier for them to fall asleep. 
2. Use the TSA Pre-Check. This rapidly expanding program costs $85 and allows you to speed through domestic security lines without taking off your shoes, belts, etc.  Kids under 12 can go with parents who are part of the program.
3. Pack some new toys along with some tried-and-loved ones. Choose favorite books, an iPad/portable DVD player if they’re old enough to sit still and watch TV/movie, and crafts such as, sticker collages (sheets of stickers are easy to pack and provide a lot of entertainment, especially for toddlers), edible crafts (bring fruit loops and make edible necklaces), body art (tattoo pens are a safe, easy, and washable creative outlet).
4. Must-haves in your carry on. A hungry toddler is an unhappy one so bring plenty of snacks and empty sippies to fill on the plane. Pack more diapers than usual and a change of clothes in case of a particularly tragic potty accident. 
5. Make friends with your fellow passengers. Upon finding your seats, pass out a little goody bag filled with chocolates and ear plugs to everyone in your immediate vicinity, apologizing in advance for anything that might happen.
6. Bring a cheap lightweight stroller. Umbrella strollers are great for gate-check and to easily wheel around the airport. They also hold diaper bags and other items you’re carrying when your child isn’t riding.
7. Choose a seat in the back row.  Forget about airline status and head to where the other families are.  It’s much easier to have understanding people around you if your kid cries.     
8. Hit the aisles to stretch legs. Get up and walk up and down the aisles a couple of times with your child during the flight when possible.  Better as a preventative measure when things are calm than trying to escape with a screaming child during drink service.
9. Cut out the kicking. Does your child love to torture the passenger in front of them with constant kicking? Sitting in a car seat makes this worse, since it leaves even less legroom. If you want to forego the car seat, but still prefer a more secure restraint, try a CARES restraint system (http://www.amazon.com/CARES-Child-Aviation-Restraint-System/dp/B0012E4FV8/ref=sr_1_1). 
10. Bring rewards: Buy tons of small toys and snacks and keep them hidden in a carry-on bag. When your child is well behaved, they get a prize from the bag every 15 or 20 minutes. The ultimate prize is a giant ring pop, which might keep your child occupied for up to 30 minutes.

And while you’re busy packing toys, iPads, snacks, and books to keep your kids occupied on the plane, don’t forget to bring something much more important – your child’s basic health information. If your child gets sick or has an accident when you’re away from home, there are some basics that you should always have on hand (for you, and anyone – family member or sitter – watching your child):

 

•           Pediatrician name and phone number

•           Health insurance information (insurer, group number, policy number)

•           Your contact information

•           Child’s full name and birth date

•           List of allergies and description of reactions

•           Any medications that your child is taking

•           Recent or ongoing medical issues

•           Updated list of immunizations

 

And rather than scribbling all of this down on a stack of post-it notes or lugging a file around, you can consolidate everything in a beautifully charted personal health record for free on Kinsights – they’ll keep it organized, private, and secure. Before you head out the door, print a copy and toss it in your carry-on bag.  Along with fruit loops and sticker sheets.

About Kinsights:

Meet Kinsights: part parenting community, part online health record. Kinsights provides parents with a safe place to seek answers to their questions while also helping them track their child’s health information. Organize your child’s growth and development milestones, immunizations, medications, allergies, and more.  Connect with Kinsights at www.kinsights.com to learn more and sign-up! You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

 

What To Expect Love-It List!

Check out what products are on my Love-It list here at What to Expect! 

If you are interested in creating your own Love-it Lists, sign up now! There is currently a giveaway on WhatToExpect.com where anyone who creates their own Love-it List will be entered to win a gift card to Babies “R” Us each day for the rest of November!

Hurry before the giveaway ends! 

Pediped Black Friday Sale - All Week Long!!

About pediped®
Exceptional quality, unsurpassed comfort and distinctive styling have made the award-winning company the fastest growing children’s footwear brand in the United States. pediped^® footwear has been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for the promotion of healthy foot development, and preeminent orthopedic medical professionals, Dr. Mininder S. Kocher and Dr. Thomas W. Vorderer, deem pediped® shoes an excellent choice for parents/caregivers who want their children’s feet to develop naturally and healthily. In 2011 Earnshaw’s,the premier media resource serving the children’s market recognized pediped® with Earnshaw’s Earnie Award for Company of the Year and Best Footwear. In 2012, Earnshaw’s recognized pediped® for their philanthropy efforts of nearly $2 million, and pediped® was awarded the Earnie Award for Company for Good.

pediped^® footwear is sold in over 2,500 stores in the United States and 40 countries worldwide with an offering of more than 140 designs for boys and girls between their three lines, Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex® are available in EU sizes ranging from 17 to 33. For more information, visit www.pediped.com.

Follow pediped:

• Facebook address: http://facebook.com/pedipedfootwear

• Twitter address: http://twitter.com/pedipedfootwear

• Instagram address: #pediped