To Green Or not to Green

In today’s health-conscious world, people are constantly looking for simple ways to eat a little healthier. Green juices and shakes are a great way to do that withoutsacrificing flavor or committing yourself to a restrictive diet. As a matter of fact, once youget the hang of it, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to start juicing. This book will beyour handy guide, and you’ll be on your way in no time!You may be thinking to yourself, “I can barely tolerate a few pieces of broccoli on mysalad — now I’m thinking about drinking an entire glass of it?” Yes, you are, but don’tlook at it that way; if you do, you’re already setting yourself up for failure. Thinkpositively while we discuss what, exactly, green juicing is, and why you should give it atry.

What in the World Is Green Juicing?Let’s get your main misconception out of the way right out of the gate: Green juicing doesnot consist of drinking only green vegetables. You can make your juice that way if youprefer, but most people don’t. Simply put, green juice is any juice (or smoothie) that isthe color green. That’s really all there is to it. If you’re sitting there drinking a glass of fresh green apple–green grape–kiwi juice witha splash of OJ, it’s green juice. Why? Because it’s green! Your glass may contain aconcoction that’s clear and bright green, a deep, rich grassy green, or maybe even moreGrinch-like in hue. Your fresh-squeezed glass of deliciousness may be a rainbow of colors,but as long as there’s green somewhere in that rainbow, you’re drinking green juice (or agreen smoothie).

Smoothies, Juices: What’s the Difference?Juices and smoothies are two extremely different animals, and though both areamazingly good for you, each has its own benefits. So what’s the difference betweengreen juice and a green smoothie? In a word: pulp. Juice is made in a juicer, or by blending the produce and extracting the juice viacheesecloth or some other method of straining. To make a smoothie, just throw yourproduce into the blender and blend it all together until it reaches a drinkable consistency. Juicing is a bit more of an art form than making a smoothie, but both have some basicrules you’ll need to follow for optimal results. We’ll touch on those throughout thefollowing chapters.So what’s the nutritional difference between a smoothie and a juice? Again, the answeris in the pulp.

A juice without pulp has practically no fiber, so the nutrients are absorbedalmost instantly. This sounds like a good thing, and if your body is used to it, it is. However, if you’re new to juicing, you may experience nausea, headaches, diarrhea, ordizziness, especially if you’re juice fasting and not consuming any fiber at all. Another issue to consider when you’re deciding between juices or smoothies is that theheat caused by blenders and high-speed juicers may damage the nutrients in the produceand cause oxidation, killing the beneficial live enzymes. Whether to drink juices orsmoothies is just a matter of personal choice and nutritional goals.