Odds are, if you have stumbled upon this juice cleanse guide, you are looking for the perfect way to reset your body! In today’s society, there are thousands of chemicals and toxins plaguing the things we eat and drink. Sometimes, starting fresh can be extremely beneficial to our wellbeing. Knowing how to start a juice cleanse is crucial though and there is no better place to start but here!
What is a Juice Cleanse?
The juice cleanse craze has always been a popular one. We wouldn’t venture to say that it is a trend as it doesn’t ever really go away. For instance, the first juicing machine was invented close to the 1930s! These machines are still being made today with little adjustments here and there making the juicing journey easier for buyers.
There are always individuals searching for the perfect juice cleanse diet to start over in their health journey.
That is exactly what a juice cleanse is essentially. A way of starting over.
A juice cleanse is simply a detox diet involving the consumption of both fruits and vegetables for a short period of time. It is thought that this short amount of time spent only consuming particular juices will ‘reset’ our bodies eliminating it of all toxins we have previously ingested.
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What Can You Eat on a Juice Cleanse?
‘Eating’ isn’t necessarily what you will be doing on a juice cleanse. Rather, we should say what can you ingest, consume, or… drink. Traditionally, a juice cleanse involves drinking raw organic juices or smoothies. This will give you the nutrients that you need during your cleanse. Plus, the produce you use have several amazing biological advantages that you don’t want to skip!
Aside from these yummy juices and smoothies, you can have room temperature or lukewarm water. This helps promote elimination (using the restroom) to rid your body of those toxins you wish to flush out. Your best friend on a cleanse when drinking large amounts of water is lemon!
Using lemon in your water first thing in the morning can be largely beneficial to your body. This simple act helps begin the cleansing process for that day before you even think about making your first juice!
Many cleanses recommend lemon water in the morning for all stages of the juice cleanse. Even after your cleanse, you may wish to keep this practice in your daily routine!
For some individuals, a juice cleanse must involve some sort of solid food component. These cleanses can take a huge toll on your body and eating some variety of raw or vegan food may be necessary.
The important message here is to listen to your body and make judgement calls based on what it is telling you!
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Eliminate toxins
- Better digestion
- Increased energy
Cons
- Will not produce long-term results
- May lead to serious health conditions affecting the liver, kidney, or gallbladder
Stages of a Juice Cleanse
Preparing for a Juice Cleanse
In the preparation phase, you will gradually eliminate certain foods from your diet. This can be anywhere from three to five days before you start your cleanse. This will largely depend on the diet you are currently using. It will, of course, take longer for your body to be ‘ready for a cleanse’ if you are ingesting large amounts of junk food. If you are already a health food aficionado, this process may look much shorts!
The foods you will want to start avoiding include coffee, dairy products, animal products, alcohol, wheat, refined sugars, nicotine, and more!
In this time, it is also important to increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. You will also want to start including more fluids like water into your daily routine. Making these additions to your pre-cleanse routine will jumpstart your cleanse while still keeping you full. Afterall, your body is used to consuming much more than a few juices a day.
You will want to ease into it.
During the Juice Cleanse
A juice cleanse may take anywhere from one to three days. You may find longer cleanses but typically, you will want to search for one using this time frame. During this time, you will be drinking a lot of fluid!
It is recommended that you drink at least 32 ounces of fluid in this time. This can be in the form of juice or smoothie but there is one stipulation to what you are drinking. Many suggest that half of this intake be green vegetable juice!
On a day to day basis during your cleanse, you should expect to drink a juice or smoothie every 2-3 hours. Keeping this consistent routine is crucial in your cleanse as it will keep you feeling fuller throughout the day and keep your blood sugar at appropriate levels.
The last thing you want is to stop your cleanse prematurely because you haven’t cleansed correctly. Just because you are consuming up to 8 juices a day, doesn’t mean that is a lot! It can definitely feel like it but it is what your body needs to keep going!
After the Juice Cleanse
Once you are done with the juice cleanse, you may feel one of two things. You may be feeling great! Your hunger may be decreased from what it was prior to your cleanse and tackling all of the problems in the world may not seem that daunting to you.
On the other hand, you may feel like running straight to the kitchen to devour anything in sight.
I promise that this second ‘feeling’ is not something you will want to do! Just as you eased into the cleanse, you will want to ease out. It is highly recommended that for the first few days after a cleanse that you slowly add foods back into your diet. This may take several days but it is what is best for your body overall!
What to Eat After a Juice Cleanse
Even when easing back into your normal diet, it can be confusing on what you should be eating to reap the benefits that a juice cleanse gave you (and not get sick)! An easy rule to remember is to eat mostly fruits, vegetables, and nuts the day after completing a cleanse. This should look an awful lot like your pre-cleanse diet.
Similar foods and similar portion sizes!
The next day, you can start including more plant-based foods like beans and rice. This is a gradual process but by day five or so you should be back to eating you usual foods!
In this time, another food you will want to be careful of is dairy. Try slowly testing dairy products when reintroducing them to your diet. For example, on the second day after completing your juice cleanse, try a few slices of cheese. You must see how your body tolerates these foods before diving right back in!
Is a Juice Cleanse Right for You?
As we have covered, a juice cleanse won’t provide you with a ‘magic’ fix to your long-term health issues. Many people gravitate toward juice cleanses as a jumpstart to their weight loss journey. It is important to keep in mind that a juice cleanse can provide short-term benefits.
So, while starting a juice cleanse before a workout program is a perfect option, it will not dramatically decrease your weight. It simply helps get your body going in a healthier direction. Long-term, you will have to do more than participate in a juice cleanse. These could include healthy meal planning and dedication to a workout program that suits your needs.
This shouldn’t dissuade you from starting a cleanse though as we have talked about the numerous advantages to partaking in one! Now, choose a juice cleanse that works for you and start your journey to a happier healthier you!
