Green smoothies: food or drink?

Pale pink smoothie!

It was brought to my attention after the nutrition seminar, by a friend who shall remain nameless (to protect the innocent), that she had heard that it was advisable to chew your smoothie to get the most out of the first stage of digestion. So I have been investigating that question and in the process have come across smoothie naysayers who believe that smoothies are not healthy because they are blended at high speeds and therefore losing nutrients.

To address the first question, it seems that chewing makes sense since digestion begins in the mouth. On the other hand, when there is nothing to chew??? So you have two options to improve digestion of smoothies. Drink slowly and warm up the smoothie in your mouth so that the enzymes can be blended into the food and start the breakdown. You will enhance digestion and have the benefits of greater absorption of the nutrients.  I think if the smoothie is completely smooth, then some of the work of digestion that would normally take place in the mouth has been done for you. Just let the salivary enzymes swirl before swallowing.

Or, you can add chunks to a smoothie by adding chopped banana or seedy fruits like strawberries, raspberries or blueberries etc. that force you to chew the seeds. Also a good idea. Don’t just swallow the seeds whole which would be easy to do. It’s like soup: eat your soup and eat your smoothie!

Now this question of smoothies not being good for you. As far as I can determine, blending at high speeds for short periods is the least harmful to the nutrient content of the food. Heat is detrimental and this why the Vitamix, Thermomix and Blendtec machines are superior. They do not allow heat buildup. This is also why so many smoothie recipes call for several cups of ice or frozen fruits – to keep the temperature down. Using the tamper also helps to speed up the blending process, keeping the blending time short. (I don’t bother with ice though because it is better to drink liquids at room temperature for better absorption.)

I think there are great benefits to having a smoothie on a regular basis. But it is not something that should replace whole foods. A smoothie complements a well-balanced diet. The anecdotal evidence is too convincing. So many people have benefited from drinking their greens. Just make sure you make your smoothie and drink it the same day for best results.

Blending machines that retain the fiber give you the best nutrition. But even those that don’t offer certain advantages like getting all the vitamins and minerals and phytochemicals. Naysayers be damned, the evidence is in: drink your greens, slim down and get your energy back!

And remember: Drink it slowly, at room temperature, and try chewing your smoothie.