To juice or to blend...that is the question

I think there is a lot to gain from different styles of eating. And by "styles" I don't mean Italian or Greek but "isms" such as vegetarianism, raw foodism, veganism, etc. This post may seem irrelevant to anyone who doesn't juice or blend vegetables, but I think the issue goes to something larger and is important to everyone.

One of the key elements to most raw foodists is juicing or blending green vegetables (particularly dark leafy greens). Both are certainly very healthy -- as would any way of helping us consume more dark leafy greens. I juice when I have the produce and the time and when I do, I am able to really boost my intake of vegetables that day. In 10 minutes I'll down a couple classes of juice that's the equivalent of eating half a bunch of kale (one of the most nutrient dense foods on earth), lettuce, carrots, celery, beets, apples, lemon, and who knows what else. It would take 3 meals and a lot of chewing to get what I can down in not much pure liquid. But is it the same?

There is an internal debate within raw foodism as to whether juicing isn't cheating nature -- those who feel it is blend. What's the difference? Well juicing strips the juice of the fruit and vegetable (which contains the vast majority of the nutrients) from the fiber (which is nutrient poor and highly filling). Blending keeps it all intact. Green smoothies as they are called, are shockingly delicious if made correctly. There's a place by where I live called Doc's Juice and Smoothies that makes excellent ones that work as a great meal or a snack (packed with kale, spinach, bananas, apple juice, and often one or two other things like frozen mango).

The question is really whether you need to consume the juice with the fiber. If not, it just gets in the way. But isn't it unnatural to juice an apple? If you want it's juice should you eat it? Isn't there a good chance that something about the skin, the flesh, the juice all together makes it healthy? A recurring theme in non-reductionist nutrition is the belief that we do not fully understand how everything works together.

One of the more annoying health attributes you will see on packages is "contains 2 servings of fruit" or the like. But does it really? Veryfine's Fruit2O flavored water claims exactly that. Drink this bottled concoction and you'll be hydrated and well on your way to eating your fruits and vegetables. But is anyone that naive? Have scientists figured out a way to extract the nutrients of fruits so effectively that we can just drink Fruit2O and be all good? Of course not. You have the FDA to thank for allowing them to make such an absurd claim. Juice companies often claim that drinking one of their bottles gives you a few servings. To me it comes down to this: if I eat apples and you drink bottled apple juice, who will end up being healthier? If it's me, then drinking the juice can't count. I wish I lived in a country where that was made clear by those who are supposed to look out for us. Instead I live in one where people figure they can just grab a Fruit2O.

But seriously -- try Doc's green smoothies!