Juicing

first time post in thrive and i just want to say thank you for putting this course together. i'm only on week four and i really enjoy this course and am learning a lot of new things that i just wasnt aware of.         

I heard and understand your opinion on juice and by and large i completely agree that most juice out on the shelves are sugar water at best. but i wanted to get the a better understanding of your opinion on actually juicing fruit and vegetables at home. i only saw one other topic that touched this and want to learn if what i am doing is beneficial and on the right track or missing the mark.

in short, i am making about one large mason jar (approx 30oz) worth or juice and spreading it out over the course of a couple of days with me getting 7-9 servings out of it. the juices vary, but my popular one is a sweet potato, orange and almond milk for after workout and the rest are fruit and vegetable mixtures. a big reason i like to juice is because i get vegetables that i normally wouldn't eat mixed in to my diet, such as beats, but find i need to use fruit because an all veggie juice is just not palatable to me as of yet. i understand the logic of it takes more fruit then you can eat to make a full serving size, but if you are controlling what goes in to the juice in the first place and understand portions wouldn't it be beneficial to have a quick and easily digestible source of nutrients from natural sources? or is this method just to high in natural sugars to be of benefit? when i do have juice, i find that it is mainly in the morning or in the afternoon as a snack unless it is the post workout mix. it seems to give me a good and lasting boost of energy and i havent noticed spikes since i figured out the portion size and stopped treating it like the sugar water version.

im no expert on any of this and i am really interested in hearing more on this topic. thank you.

Hi Ryan,

I'm curious what others have to say but I prefer smoothies over juice. That way nothing is wasted, including the fiber. If I make a smoothie it typically includes a lot of fat (a whole avocado is my preference), some whey protein, and of course a ton of vegetables (mostly dark, leafy greens). I agree that it is a convenient way to pack in a bunch of micronutrients.

Fruit juice, even the juice you make at home, is still high in sugar (even if it is not added sugar as is the case in many juices you might buy at the store). The sugar you get from eating a whole fruit is offset somewhat by the fiber content of that fruit. Fiber helps with digestion and helps make you feel full. When you take the juice and discard the "pulp" you are getting the sugar, the water, some vitamins and minerals, and all of the calories, but no fiber. If you want to "drink" your fruits and vegetables, you might be better off pureeing them into a smoothie (you'd have to roast those beets and sweet potatoes first) along with some water.

I'm not saying you shouldn't drink fruit juice, but consider it more of a sugary treat than a staple in your diet.

Also, something to remember when drinking calories, is that you tend to consume them faster than when you are having to chew and swallow. Make sure you drink slowly. Try and spread that consumption out over 20 or 30 minutes to give you belly some time to realize that you are full. 

Some really good answers for you here Ryan. 

Im with Everett on that smoothie. And Seans input on sugary treat vs. staple and drinking calories should always raise questions. Doesn't mean you cant do it - just scrutinize the decision. 

Thank you all for the input. I have recently started to try my hand at the shake route and will give that a serious look. I will keep that in mind that juice is more of a treat when I look to it in the future. Thank you.