Congratulations on having decided to begin your health and wellness journey! As you have finished applying for your new gym membership and dusted off your bathroom scale, you feel that any time is an excellent time to start a new road in your life. It’s a new road to a fitter, healthier you. It takes a lot of willpower to make a huge decision – to start a healthy lifestyle and maintain it.
Making dramatic changes in your lifestyle also includes making dietary changes. You want your food and drinks to be more wholesome this time. You make sure you are in control over what you eat or drink and not binging when your stomach feels “bored.”
You have just eschewed those sodas and “healthy” commercial fruit juices that are otherwise loaded with sugars, artificial colors, and preservatives. As you make the healthier switch in your diet, you may have also considered making fresh homemade juices from raw fruits and vegetables.
You want to be healthy and well, not just on the outside, but more importantly, also on the inside. You want to have a clean system to avoid or fight off diseases and infections. One of the ways to include in your healthier diet is a juice detox or a juice cleanse.
What is juice detox or juice cleanse?
A juice detox or juice cleanse is a diet that consists of consuming only juices from fruits and vegetables to obtain nutrition while trying to lose weight and cleanse the body.
Many juicing enthusiasts swear by juice detox or juice cleanse and report a significant improvement in their health, mood, energy levels, appearance, and overall well-being.
But many scientists, nutritionists, doctors, and dietitians remain skeptical over the effectiveness of juice detox or juice cleanses. They still regard it as less effective than fasting with water and also a waste of money.
But if you are really decided, we recommend consulting your doctor, dietitian, or nutritionist before going ahead with this type of diet. Remember, you will do this at your own risk.
Can you eat while having a juice detox or juice cleanse?
If you choose juice detox or juice cleanse, it’s recommended to abstain from eating solid food. It is believed that eating slows down the juice cleansing process. But if your doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian recommends that you eat solid food, choose only organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds (better when they’re soaked).
A juice detox or juice cleanse can last from a few days to several weeks, depending on your preference or as prescribed by your doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian.
Potential benefits
Many juicing fans claim that they notice significant changes to their body even after a few days of juice detox or juice cleansing. Even a short, one-day juice cleanse can help you achieve amazing benefits. These may include:
1) Improved hydration
Staying hydrated is essential for your system. It keeps your body organs working as they should and helps improve your mood and energy levels. Hydration also keeps your skin nourished and looking younger. In addition to drinking eight glasses of water a day, you’re also deriving natural water from fruits and vegetables that go into your juices.
2) Extra nutrients
Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals. Drinking freshly squeezed or pressed juice could help introduce additional nutrients into your body, boosting overall health. Adding a supplement like Balance of Nature can help add nutrients to your diet.
3) Reduced inflammation
Juices from raw fruits and vegetables are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that may help boost your immune system and make you feel more energetic.
4) A much-needed break for your digestive system
By consuming only fruit and vegetable juices for several days, you’re allowing your digestive system to take a much-needed rest. Our digestive system works extra hard to break solid foods to be able to distribute nutrients to our bodies. By drinking only juice, water, and other fluids, you’re giving your digestive system some “space” by eliminating the need to digest solid food and instead focusing on absorbing the nutrients from the juice.
5) Improved sleep
Caffeine, high blood sugar, and toxins may disrupt one’s natural sleep patterns and prevent you from having a good night’s rest. A juice detox or juice cleanse will get rid of these disruptors and focus on resting.
6) Reduced food cravings
Fruit and vegetable juices are rich in vitamins and minerals, keeping your belly satisfied for the whole day. Plus, giving your digestive system a rest allows it to feel true hunger, so you may not find yourself craving for food just because your stomach is “bored.”
7) Improved mental clarity and mood
Drinking fresh juices packed with vitamins and nutrients is also good for the mind and mood! Since it also helps you get better sleep, it reduces stress and improves your mood. Thus, it helps you to think more clearly, do better in school or work, and get along better with people.
These are only a few possible benefits of a juice detox or juice cleanse. If you want to get the most out of your juice, it’s best to get a masticating juicer as it retains most of the nutrients of the fruits and vegetables you’re juicing.