JUICING: Cold Pressed vs. Centrifuge vs. Blended Juices
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
Honestly the best juice on the planet, OH! Juice
Juicers love that quote, but it's true and I really believe that cold pressed juice fuels the body to the point that you don't ever need medicine because of the healing benefits the juice provides.
I am obsessed with juicing, to put it mildly. I have a long history with juice I will expand on my juicing journey another time. In a nutshell: I studied and was fascinated by nutritional science in college, grew up with my mom juicing and making healthy, homemade foods and I was part of a cold pressed juice company one of my college nutrition classmates started in southern California for 2 years.
For now I want to give a little intro about my love and knowledge of cold pressed, organic juice. I’ve decided to create a juice series, because there’s so much information about juicing and I could talk about it forever.
Juice Served here tasting flight-LA
Part I Cold Pressed Juicing vs. Centrifuge Juicing vs. Blending.
Norwalk Juicer the best cold pressed juicer on the market-image via norwalk.com
Cold Pressed
What is cold pressed juice? By now I’m sure you’ve at least heard the buzz about this type of juice. Cold pressing is a 2 step process. The produce is slowly masticated (ground up) to a pulp, which is then pressed by a hydraulic press through fiber cloths yielding the cold pressed, nutrient dense juice we know and love. Produce that is freshly cold pressed can yield juice with optimal nutrient content and enzyme activity for 5-7 days. Norman Walker developed the OG cold pressed juicer the Norwalk. His lifetime of research and studies showed him that cold pressing was the best method of juicing to receive the maximum amount of nutrients and enzymes. I would have to agree that this is the best method of juicing that I have found and redeemed the benefits of. The Gerson Institute in Mexico and Hungary uses a strict regime of cold pressed juicing, colonics and other therapies in their treatment of cancer.
Top of the line Centrifugal juice the Omega Juicer-image via omegajuicers.com
Centrifugal
Most people are familiar with centrifuge juicers they are the most common type of juicer on the market. These juicers are a great tool for health, but the juice should be consumed within the first hour (for purists) or few hours for the maximum nutrient content and enzyme activity.
A centrifuge juicer turns the produce into juice in 1 step, the produce is pulverized by a high speed blade. This process exposes the produce to heat and oxygen as it turns into juice, so the nutrients and enzymes are already degrading by the time they get into your cup. That's why the faster you consume the juice the more nutrients you will gain. (think about when you slice an apple and it starts to brown from the oxidation, times that by 1000 then add heat when you think of centrifuge blades)
Vitamix high performance high speed blender-image via williams-sonoma.com
Blended
The same is true for when you blend smoothies or ‘juices’ in a blender. Don’t get me wrong I love smoothies and they have their place in a healthy lifestyle, they are just different from juices. The high speed of the blade causes heat and oxygen in the process of blending fruits and vegetables for a smoothie. So they should also be consumed shortly after making them. Another big difference between a blended smoothie and a juice is fiber. All of the fiber remains intact when you blend a smoothie, but the fiber is removed during both juicing methods. Fiber has its own health benefits, it keeps you full, but it does take up more room in your smoothie, whereas when you juice the fiber is removed and your body gets to absorb nutrients straight up without the fiber getting in the way.
Image via Getty Images
HPP
The cold pressed juices you find in grocery stores have gone through a process called HPP or high pressure processing, although better than high heat pasteurization, this process extends the shelf life of the cold pressed juice anywhere from 30-90 days, the high pressure destroys any potential bacteria making it safe for long term consumption. This is great for retailers, but not so much for consumers. Cold pressed juice is always a better option over other beverages at the grocery store, however the nutrients and enzymes of the juice can’t survive over this unnaturally long extended shelf life, so by the time the juice gets to your body, it doesn’t have the same amount of healing benefits that a locally, cold pressed juice has. Not to mention the name brands of cold pressed juices in the grocery stores have astronomical amounts of sugar (yes it's fruit sugar, but sugar is sugar and if they were really nutritionally designed they wouldn't include the high levels of sugars)
I hope this gives a good base of knowledge about the different types of juices/juicing methods.
The best way to consume juice is using a cold pressed juicer or supporting your local, organic cold pressed juice company. The Living Maxwell website offers a cold pressed juice directory so you can search out the healthiest juices in your area here. I can't wait to have access to raw, organic hemp or cannabis to juice. Adding a whole other level to the term "Green Juice"
If only they shipped nationwide...
My favorite juice is OH! Juice in San Diego, not only are they my good friends and where I helped to develop some of the recipes and core values, but they are the most genuine, mission based company with hands down the best juice I've came across in all of my travels throughout the country and the world. You can try for yourself at the San Diego farmer's markets or their new tasting rooms in Carlsbad and downtown San Diego. If only they shipped my life would be complete! ( I will do a more in depth post on these amazing juices, I'm very passionate about them.)
Sipping on a beet juice blend in Napa Valley
Please leave comments or questions below. I will be posting more about how to incorporate juice into your healthy lifestyle, juice cleansing, juicer spotlights and recipes.
If you want to start your own juice cleanse find recipes for a 3 day juice cleanse for 2 HERE
and how to survive the cleanse here.