The Skinny on Smoothies and Shakes
As I mentioned earlier, I’m a bigger fan of smoothies. Here’s why:

   1. Smoothies are a meal. You can easily add protein ingredients (yogurt, milk, whey, eggs) to the smoothie or shake, making it a more balanced, nutritious meal.
   2. They stabilize blood sugar and energy levels. Because smoothies contain fiber, the sugar and calories from smoothies are more slowly absorbed into the blood stream. As a result, your blood sugar levels remain stable and so does your energy. Juice, however, gives you a jolt of energy and vitality.
   3. They fill you up. Since smoothies contain fiber, you will feel full longer. High-fiber content means it will take longer to digest, meaning you won’t become hungry very quickly.
   4. They promote regularity. Because of the fiber, smoothies help keep your digestive tract moving and provide the good bacteria needed for good digestion.
   5. They promote weight loss. Juice goes down quickly, is digested quickly, and is absorbed into the blood stream quickly. What does that mean? You become hungry and need more food quickly. Smoothies, however, because of all of the things mentioned above, keep you feeling full and less hungry, helping you to stave off cravings and hunger pains. Further, since juicing requires many fruits and vegetables, the juice—ounce for ounce—is higher in calories and sugar than a smoothie.
   6. They’re nutritious. The fruit and vegetables you use for a smoothie all contain the same vitamins and minerals you get when you juice them. You still get all of the antioxidants and age-fighting benefits. Although they may not give you the same high potency as juice, smoothies provide benefits of both number six and number seven under the juicing pros.
   7.  They cost less. It takes fewer fruits and vegetables to make a smoothie than it does to make juice. Further, juicing requires more expensive, more messy equipment than preparing smoothies.

In short, if you’re looking for a jolt of energy, vitamins, and minerals, and don’t care about tons of calories, juicing might be the answer. Just be sure to get enough fiber in your diet (twenty-five grams minimum) through other sources. If you want a more balanced food source or meal, are watching your weight, and are interested in staying regular through the foods you eat, smoothies are a better option.

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