My beloved Greenie,

When I first saw you sitting on that stand looking so green and innocent in the midst of so many other smoothie colours, I didn’t think we’d have such a beautiful moment together. I’ve brought you home with me and after a delicious dinner, we decided to get to know each other a little better and see how it goes.

In the moment I introduced you to my taste buds and you simply slid down my throat, I was certain: it was true love.

You’ve made me feel things I never thought I would. You make me feel energetic and clear minded. You make me happy even about contradicting things, like farts and poop. Life is beautiful because I know you’ll be there every single day.

I just wanna say I love you, Greenie. And I’m so happy we’re in this trek of life together.

Forever yours,

Lina

A bit over the top? It might… or not!

If you’ve told me two months ago that I was going to fall in love with green juices and smoothies to a point of writing it an open love letter on my blog, I’d have laughed at your naïveté face and said you know nothing, Jon Snow.

Just to put things in perspective, my dad bought one of those fancy juicers when I was younger to try and make me have these green juices and we only used once because I said I wouldn’t drink it anyway. And now, as fate delivers, I’m researching a fancy juicer to buy and call it mine. *mentally slapping my younger self in that rebel face*

Everywhere I look there are folks writing and talking about the numerous benefits of juicing and blending (yes, there’s a difference). I’m not an expert on that subject yet but I’m nerd-ing my way to it. So, for now, I’m gonna keep My Cuisine on experience-based articles. Capisce?

I believe it’s safe to say that if you wanna go healthy, choosing between a green juice/smoothie or a pizza is a no-brainer. Nonetheless, I’ve been drinking my greens for the past two months every day and have been noticing so much more than the common sentence: “Because it’s healthy.”

First of all, the quantity of veggies and fruits that go into a juice or a smoothie is so much higher than what you’d usually simply bite and eat, which means more nutritional content intake. For me, that’s awesome because I get filled too fast when bite-eating. Currently, my dinners are 50% of salad (plate + smoothie) and I feel great!

Another point I’ve noticed is my skin. In the first two weeks, I was purging a little bit, but after that, my skin has been so clear and glowy. I was already expecting to have some pimples here and there, that’s normal to happen when we’re introducing antioxidants and healthier things into our system. The same thing happened when I started to use Essential and Carrier Oils. So, if that happens to you, don’t worry, it’s a good sign! It means you’re detoxifying.

My overall body health also improved a lot in these two months, which is amazing because it’s still so little time since I’m blending my greens. I feel more energetic and clear-minded — and as a writer, I can truly tell the difference.

I’ve been pooping more, too. I never had a congestion problem in that matter but well, let’s just say that the volume definitely increased — which is also a good thing. I’m eating and drinking more, soon I’m pooping more. Digestive system: check ✅

All that being said, what I’ve been doing is blending not juicing, and as I’ve mentioned before there’s a difference. Basically:

Blending is made with a high-speed blender and you’re using the whole vegetable or fruit. The liquid is more like a paste, you call it a smoothie. You’re not only drinking the juice content but also the fibres.
Juicing is made with a juicer and you’re separating the juice of the vegetable or fruit from its body. The liquid is almost like water, a juice so to speak. You’re drinking mostly the vitamins but none of the fibres.

Which one is better?

Both are great. They’re just for different purposes. We must eat fibres (they’re the ones responsible for good poop-making) and blending gives us that. However, the blender creates heat in that fast motion when cutting the veggies and fruits countless times and by doing that we lose a few nutrients. Furthermore, you need to add water or a nut milk to blend everything together, so naturally, it’s a less concentrated mixture.

While the juicer cuts the veggies and fruits only once so we don’t lose the nutrients by heating. And since we don’t need to add water or nut milk, the juice is more concentrated in vitamins — minus all the fibres, of course.

I already had fallen in love with the True Fruits green smoothie (you can tell by the love letter, right?). They have more fruits than veggies, which is good for a beginner like moi, but I’m gonna roll up the ladder until is more leafy greens than fruits. The veggier the better.

I also love the fact that they come in glass bottles because I can upcycle them after the smoothie is all in my belly. I mean, why buy a new empty bottle to store the green juice I prepare at home if I have the option to buy a delicious green smoothie from a German brand (hence supporting the local economy) and reuse the bottles to store my own juice/smoothie? There’s no logic in buying an empty bottle, agree? Agree. 😉

But Lina, isn’t it better to prepare your own juices at home in the juicer or blender?

Yes, absolutely, fresh is always best but I can’t physically make it on my own and sometimes my husband or mother simply don’t have the time to do all of my stuff + their own, so purchasing tasty 100% fruit and veggies juices/smoothies is alright. Just make sure they truly are what they claim to be. Lately, I’ve been researching a lot about the brands I consume and I’m willingly spending money on local and ethical ones whenever possible.

A green juice post couldn’t be complete without a green outfit!

Remember The Pyjama Piece article? If not, refresh your memory here. The pants I’m wearing here are the same ones from that Outfit, and yes, they’re real pyjamas. However, the top accompanying the set is long sleeved so I don’t get to wear it in summer. But then, my mom gave me on my birthday this beautiful silk blouse and immediately I thought about this (Almost) Monochrome Green Outfit. It just looks SO CHIC and airy ❤

Now, I’d love to know from you! Do you drink your greens as a juice or smoothie? If so, what’s your favourite recipe? Let me know in the comments!

Oh, and if you’re a member of the LL Collective you’ll be receiving my favourite juices and smoothies resources directly to your inbox on 15th August!

Thank you so much for reading, commenting and sharing!

With all my love,

Lina