Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
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Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
1–10 of 78 posts
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#2Same old risk: drink too much sugary stuff, get fat.
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#3It is kind of obvious advice. By drinking juice, you are consuming an unusually large amount of processed fruit. I hardly touch the stuff. Stick to water or tea or whatever.
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#4Make your own smoothies -> super healthy stuff with plenty of energy to get you through the afternoon slump.
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#5It is kind of obvious advice. By drinking juice, you are consuming an unusually large amount of processed fruit. I hardly touch the stuff. Stick to water or tea or whatever.
It seems obvious, but you'd be amazed how many people don't do the mental math. I've actually had this conversation while waiting in line with someone as he got a Jamba Juice.
Friend: "Why aren't you getting one?"
Me: "Too much sugar. I'm trying to eat better these days."
Friend: "What?! This is a smoothie! There's nothing healthier!"
Me: "But you just saw them grind up 8 oranges, 5 bananas, and 2 pounds of strawberries and put them in a single cup."
Friend: "So?! Fruit is healthy, dumbass!"
Me: "Would you ever eat that much fruit in one sitting?"
I'll stop before it becomes painful. :) But you get the point. People have strong mental associations between fruit and health, no doubt conditioned by years and years of advertising, and USDA guidelines, and so on. But they don't get the whole "too much of a good thing" logic.
That's what makes smoothies particularly dangerous. People know they're not making a great choice when they drink a Coke. People firmly believe they're making a great choice when they drink sugary smoothies and fruit juices. And Jamba Juice, despite being a sugar bomb, at least uses whole fruit. A lot of the packaged drinks use heavily processed crap with added sugar.
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#6The problem is not fruit juices, smoothies or sugar. The problem is that if you drink calories in addition to meals, you get too much calories and you will fatten.
I've been drinking fruits, fruit juices and smoothies instead of most other carbs for a year now and I feel great without being fat. It's just about calories.
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#7Same old risk: drink too much sugary stuff, get fat.
Well, I didn't know that a smoothie was worse than the fruit it's made of. (Not that I drink smoothies anyway.)
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#8Fruit juices maybe. Smoothies are a much more complex issue.
I make my own smoothies, 3 or 4 a week.
I know what goes in there. I put 1, sometimes 2 cups of fruit or berries. No added sugar, no fruit mixes, no "smoothie mix" stuff. I also add Greek Yogurt, protein, and all sorts of other mostly glycemic-neutral items.
I've also seen pre-canned and restaurant smoothies that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Some of these things are sugar bombs. Incredible amount of glycemic impact. You'd be better off just getting a milkshake.
But for me, two cups of fruit a day is not a significant health risk at all. While I completely agree that fruit juice and smoothie consumption can be just another sugary alternative to soft drinks, they don't have to be. Unlike store bought fruit juices and soft drinks, with smoothies the entire purpose is that the drinker is in control over exactly what they're consuming.
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#9It is kind of obvious advice. By drinking juice, you are consuming an unusually large amount of processed fruit. I hardly touch the stuff. Stick to water or tea or whatever.
Agreed
I drink water, black coffee, tea, vodka and terribly illegal moonshine.
If you've ever made jam (jello to our American cousins) before adding the sugar to your stewed fruit, taste it. Definitely lots of sugar in there!
Re: Smoothies and fruit juices are a new risk to health
#10Better title: Smoothies and fruit juices are THE new risk to health