Hi everyone,
Pandito here again. Still new to my raw and living food diet, of course, so I have lots of questions (I'll be going to a raw food workshop this evening, so many of my questions will be answered then -- I hope). Maybe someone has some ideas regarding these questions....
My questions are these: Right now I have only a blender and am hesitant, at least for the moment, to invest in a juicer. Can I maintain a healthy raw food diet with a blender alone, or are there some nutrients that can only be released with a juicer? If certain things that seem inappropriate for a blender, like apples and celery, can just be eaten straight, is there a nutritional need for blending them, or is that just for the convenience of taking it in liquid form? Bottom line - could I have a healthful raw food diet by blending the blendables and eating the rest of the fruits and veggies straight?
Thanks to all. Once I have some experience with all this, I'll be able to start answering as well as asking questions.
Pandito

A juicer isn't necessary, though some people swear by them. You might try buying some nice fresh juice if there's anywhere near you where you can do that. Drink some juice once in a while, and see if it does more for you than the smoothies. If it's that amazing, you might want to consider investing in a juicer. Otherwise, you can probably put it off for a while, or forever. Raw foodists don't follow a set pattern of eating, and the best thing for any of us to do is to try to listen to our bodies and try to determine what they want and need.

Hi Pandito,

I am one that swears by a juicer! (lol) I wouldn't be without one, & I do own several. It was my first venture into the raw food/vegan lifestyle. From what I have learned over the years, juice is the only substance that doesn't need to be digested, & is absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly.

Smoothies on the other hand, while a great addition to a raw food diet, do contain all of the pulp, which slows down the absorption rate a great deal. This may not be a real big deal to most folks, but it was the way I was taught & I guess old habits die hard!

Although, if one is trying to recover from a serious illness, I would definantly say that a juicer would be most beneficial in that instance, as it would allow the body to do a minimum of work on digestion while obtaining the maximum of nutrients from the fresh juices.

Hi pandito,
Like you, I too am fairly new to the healthy lifestyle. I started out with a juicer. After some time (and saving alot of money) I finally had to quench my thirst for nutritional knowledge and buy a high-speed blender. I love both. They both have their own special place in my diet. You will be living better with your blender, but you might be living even mo-betta with the addition of a juicer, down the line. Unless you are very sick, there is no hurry to buy. Enjoy your new lifestyle!

You can add a little extra water to a blend and then strain.
It works.
I prefer juices extracted by a juicer, but it is a reasonable alternative, whilst you make a decision about future purchases.

ffx