| Walk With the Doc Saturday August 19th, 7:00 am Juice or Smoothies Which is best? Concerns about the health effects from sugary drinks have increased interest in alternative beverages. Much of this shift has been toward juices and smoothies that are often promoted as ‘natural’ with vaguely implied health benefits. What could be wrong with a fresh squeezed juice or a quick ‘all natural’ smoothie as an alternative to a sit down meal? Unfortunately the advantages promoted for smoothies and freshly squeezed juices may not measure up to the health advantages you expect. While fresh juices may retain more vitamins and minerals than bottled juices, they are still high glycemic foods. This problem can often be corrected by minimizing the high glycemic ingredients (sugars, fruit juices, etc.) and maximizing ingredients like vegetables with a lower glycemic index. Granted, if you have struggled to eat more vegetables this may not sound like a winning idea. Fortunately there is way it can work. A downside of turning fruits or vegetables into juice is the loss of the pulp. Fiber in the pulp helps slow the digestive process and lowers the glycemic index. Removing the pulp effectively reduces a nice fruit to a mostly sugar food that’s hard to resist. If you have a little, you will probably soon crave more. It’s the addictive nature of sugar at work. Of course, when juice is added to a diet rather than substituted for other calories, the net effect will be weight gain along with the undesirable problems associated with concentrated sugar foods (diabetes, metabolic disorders, etc.) Smoothies can beneficially use the pulp from pureed fruits and vegetables. Depending on the recipe, fruit-vegetable smoothies may also include dairy products, almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, herbs, spices, etc. While added ingredient can increase the nutritional value, they may also increase the calories. Being aware of the calorie content and the appropriate portion size is essential. Tasty foods are easy to overeat and smoothies are no exception. In their favor, smoothies are an easy way of getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet. For example, if you aren’t crazy about leafy greens, blend them with fruits you like. In a smoothie, blending in berries or peaches helps disguise a vegetable taste. Over time, gradually reduce the berries and you may discover a growing fondness for vegetables. Acquiring a taste for a new food can be challenging. Best to remember that all taste are acquired through repeatedly experiencing new foods. For best nutrition, work towards using fruits to enhance taste and not as the main ingredient in a smoothie. A smoothie can be a quick alternative to a salad. For example, blending prewashed spinach with frozen berries and nonfat plain yogurt creates a healthy meal or snack. Of course, without attention to added ingredients, smoothies can easily pack in the calories. High calorie ingredients to avoid or at least minimize include sugar, syrups, bananas, and honey. The goal is to avoid high calorie and high glycemic ingredients. As our country comes to grip with the childhood obesity epidemic, it behooves parents to remember that fruit juices are concentrated fruit sugars and little better for health than refined sugar. The better alternative is to make juices and smoothies from mostly vegetables, and only a little fruit. While fruit juices and smoothies can be appealing, the best beverage is water. If something more refreshing is desired, make a sugar-free "agua fresca" from ice water with a squeeze of lemon or lime. If needed as part of helping acquire a taste, add a little sweetener or chopped fruits. As habits change and the new taste is acquired, reduce the supplemental sweetener. In your quest for better nutrition and in particular better beverages, keep the following points in mind. • Juices often contain more sugar than you may expect • Juicing is not any healthier than eating whole fruits and vegetables. • Juicing removes healthy fiber • Smoothies can provide a path to increased vegetable consumption. • Water is the best beverage For a millennial ’s perspective, we asked Dr. Elina Wells for smoothie ideas from her culinary adventures. Below are the smoothie recipes and smoothie tips she offered. At the Wells’ home we love smoothies! Here is our basic smoothie recipe for two servings. • An overripe banana (fresh or frozen) • Any frozen fruit (pineapple or mixed berries if avaiable) • One cup yogurt (Oikos Zero Greek yogurt for protein and fiber) • 1 cup milk (use almond milk for fewer calories) • A handful of kale or spinach The ripe banana provides texture and disguises taste of kale. Optionally add fiber and/or protein shake mix. We like to be creative and use whatever's in the freezer or fresh at the store! My favorite recipe this week is a smoothie recipe that tastes like a pina colada. The ingredients include: • 1 cup Peach Oikos Zero Greek yogurt • 1 ripe banana • ½ cup frozen pineapple • Handful of spinach • 1 cup unsweetened almond coconut milk • Optionally add uncooked oatmeal or chia seeds for lower glycemic index. In general, we find the “juicing craze” a little silly and smoothies more practical and more nutritious. Quick Fixes for Smoothie If Too Thick: Add small amounts of water, milk, or juice. If Too Thin: Add frozen fruit (especially bananas), add more ice, or add frozen yogurt. If Too Bitter: Pineapple and oranges add fruity sweetness. Banana often neutralizes bitter flavors. Alternatives include strawberries, vanilla (bean or extract), agave, cacao, and unsweetened cocoa powder. If bitter taste are not appealing, try baby greens or working up to bitter greens by combining small amounts with spinach. Then, adjust the ratio as taste buds adapt. If Too Sweet: Add a touch of lemon juice or frozen lemonade concentrate. Then blend at highest speed for 10-20 seconds. Use a balance of sweet and citrus fruits. Sweet fruits may be all the sweetener needed. If Not Sweet Enough: Add honey, agave, maple syrup, Stevia, dates, grapes, or a little sugar. Using watermelon in place of water is another way to sweeten a smoothie. If Not Creamy Enough: Avocado is ideal for adding creaminess to smoothies. As an alternative, add ice cream, frozen yogurt, or vanilla yogurt for more creaminess. Care to share your favorite smoothie recipe? Just email it to me or tell me about it on a Saturday morning walk. Nancy Neighbors, MD Let’s take a walk Date: Saturday, August 19h Location: Jones Family Park (see map) Time: 7:00 am (Meet in front of Yogurt Mt.) Yogurt Mt. is the last store at the end of Valley Bend Shopping Center). If cloudy, bring an umbrella, we walk come rain or shine. Click here for Dr. Neighbors’ 2017 news page If you would prefer to discontinue receiving ideas about healthy living from Dr. Neighbors please phone (256) 882-6085. |
