What You Need to Know Before Considering a Juice Cleanse
But do juice cleanses really work? Are they safe? Should you try one? All hotly debated questions. Our experts weigh in on both sides of the argument so you can arm yourself with the necessary info to make the best decision for you.
The Cons of Cleansing Whether your goal is to detox or lose weight, cleanses (whether based on juice or other types of nutrition plans) are a controversial issue among health and wellness experts for several good reasons:
1. There’s little evidence.
"Detox diets have little scientific evidence supporting their efficacy, and any research on their safety is scarce, at best,” explains internist Dr. Andrea Ruman, MD.
Our bodies (specifically the liver and kidneys) are designed to remove toxins on their own—without the help of a cleanse.
2. They’re not sustainable.
"While people can lose weight rapidly on a detox diet, unfortunately most people regain the weight once they revert back to their usual eating habits,” explains Dr. Ruman. Certified personal trainer and nutritionist Maria Ramsdell agrees, “Cleanses are so extreme that they are not sustainable and you will gain the weight back.”
Ramsdell adds, “You may cut out some of your sugar cravings, but there are much safer ways to do that.”
The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off, as any good health expert will tell you, is to do it gradually. “Long-term weight loss is usually best accomplished by slow, steady weight loss (approximately 0.5 to 2 pounds weekly) coupled with regular exercise," Dr. Ruman advises.
3. They can have negative side effects.
“When you cleanse you’re actually slowing down your metabolism,” explains Ramsdell. “You will also most likely experience low energy while on a cleanse due to the minimal caloric intake” and limited protein consumption.
Apart from feeling lethargic, Dr. Ruman warns of cleanse-induced dehydration, dizziness, constipation and fatigue. The dive in caloric intake can also deprive your body of the nutrients it needs to keep your immune system functioning properly. As a result, you may be more susceptible to bacterial and viral infections.
Surprisingly, an additional side effect of cleansing is that you may actually end up gaining weight. Many cleanses only allow you to consume a limited type of food, like juice for example, which, as registered dietitian Jennifer Regester observes, makes a lot of her clients ultimately “feel horrible and end up binging because they are unsatisfied.”
The Pros of Cleansing
Despite the cons, there are also potential benefits to cleansing and many people who swear by them, saying that cleansing helps boost their mental clarity, gives them increased energy and aids digestion. And, of course, can result in weight loss.
And, on juice cleanses, you get a heavy dose of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Most of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are in their juices, and by extracting the juice and not eating the fiber/pulp, you can consume the nutrients of a lot more fruits and vegetables than you could by eating them whole (it takes many servings of fruits/veggies to get a 16 ounce mixed juice—more servings than you’d eat in a single snack). So juicing gives you a higher dose and concentration of nutrients than you’d get eating whole fruits and vegetables (since you'd eat fewer of them).
Naturopathic doctor Thalia Farshchian finds juice cleanses to be “incredibly effective,” and says, “I do one twice a year and have been for the last five years.”
Farshcian often recommends juice cleanses to help patients suffering from inflammatory diseases, allergies, chronic pain, autoimmune diseases or bloating.
Since juice cleanses help flush excess fluids from your system and reduce bloating, you’re certainly likely to lose weight and find that your tummy is flatter. While that’s nice and we’re putting it in the “pros” column, much of this weight loss is likely short-lived since much of it is just water weight.
Many people also find that cleanses can help eradicate your cravings for sweets and other junk food. “Most patients will not want to go back to junk food or alcohol immediately after this regimen because the body feels good from being cleansed,” explains integrative medicine physician Dr. Julie Chen, MD. Indeed, when we stop feeding our cravings, eventually they can go away. (For more tips to help steer clear of junk food cravings, check out our tips for healthy food swaps to satisfy your cravings.)
Cleanses, like juice cleanses, can help curb cravings, and give you the kick you may need to change your habits and get on track to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Doing a Juice Cleanse the Right Way
So if you’re mentally and physically up for the challenge of doing a juice cleanse, go into it with the mindset that it’s a way to kick-start a long-term healthy eating plan, not a quick weight loss solution (otherwise you may be sorely disappointed).
And, use our experts’ advice to make sure you’re cleansing the right way:
1. You Need to be Right for a Juice Cleanse
For a cleanse to have a positive outcome, you need to be in the right state of health to do one. Cleansing “can be both physically and emotionally difficult as your body is adapting to this new way of eating,” explains registered dietitian Mary Barbour. Consider your current state of health (and ideally chat you’re your doctor or a registered dietitian) before determining if you should do a juice cleanse, as it could really put a strain on your body and mind. And certainly first consult your doctor if you have any medical conditions or are on any medications.
Do not do a juice cleanse while pregnant or nursing (your body just can’t afford the dip in calories and diverse nutrients), though you certainly can add fresh pressed juices to your normal, balanced diet for added nutrients.
2. Correct Juice Ingredients
“Juice should mainly be made from green veggies,” explains certified holistic and clinical nutritionist Pamela Warren. “It’s really important to juice this way as the amount of fructose in sweet vegetables like carrots and beets, and mostly all fruits, are not healthful to ingest in juice form.”
You want to avoid fructose because as Warren explains, “An overabundance of fructose [can lead to being] overweight, obesity, elevated triglycerides, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes.”
Try to include plenty of vegetables like kale, spinach, swiss chard, cucumbers, celery, parsley and red peppers when preparing your juice. For added sweetness, you can also include a small carrot, half an apple, beet or pear—just don’t overdo it.
3. Warm Weather Cleansing
Dr. Farshchian recommends doing cleanses when the weather is warmer. “Eating food creates heat for our bodies,” she explains. When cleansing, your body doesn’t have as much energy to create warmth and you may find that you feel chilly. So cleansing “feels a bit harder when it is cold.”
If you do cleanse during winter months, Dr. Farshchian says you can help your body stay warm by drinking herbal teas. Consider trying some of these teas with great health benefits.
4. Juice Preservation
You’ll want to properly store your juice and drink it as fresh as possible. As soon as juice is extracted and it’s exposed to air, it begins to oxidize. The more its exposed to air, the more its nutrients deplete. Plus, the longer juice sits around, the more chance bacteria has to grow in it. So try to drink your juice within one day of making it.
If you make your juice at home in the morning and drink it throughout the day, Dr. Farschcian recommends adding some lemon juice and filling your container to the brim before tightly sealing the lid (a mason jar can be a good container option).
And be sure to always keep your juice refrigerated.
5. Ease In & Out
To have the best experience, Dr. Chen recommends a vegan/vegetarian diet starting two to three days prior to a cleanse. And carefully plan your cleanse timing so that you won’t need to engage in strenuous activities and have time to rest on the actual cleanse days. (Sounds like a fabulous excuse to lounge in PJs and watch chick flicks all weekend.)
Immediately following your cleanse, Dr. Chen recommends easing back into normal eating by doing another three days of a vegan/vegetarian diet.
“By allowing your body to enter into an anti-inflammatory state for about nine days, [assuming your actual cleanse is three days], the overall health benefits should be noticeable,” explains Dr. Chen.
“Also, by easing into and out of the fast, it is gentler on your body and less of a shock to the system.” As a result, Dr. Chen says detoxers will tend to respond better to the cleanse and with fewer of those unwanted side effects we mentioned earlier.
6. Buddy System
It’s always easier to get through a cleanse if you’re doing it with a friend, family member or colleauge. That means you could be doing the same cleanse together, or, if you’re doing it alone, at least check in with someone regularly to tell them how it’s going and get their support. Doing a juice cleanse is hard for most of us, and a little moral support can help a lot.
A Simpler Cleanse Alternative
“I find that when people cut out processed foods they experience some amazing changes in their bodies,” explains registered dietitian Mary Barbour.
Indeed, many of the benefits of juicing—like feeling cleansed and potentially more energetic, losing weight, and curbing cravings—may be achieved by simply cutting out all processed foods, sodas and unhealthy fats from your diet for a week. This suddenly sounds easy…when you compare it to a juice cleanse.
See how you feel after a week of eating a diet rich in whole, organic foods: load up on vegetables at each meal, eat a couple of servings of fruit a day (you don’t want to overdo it on fructose), and have three to four ounces of a lean protein like fish or chicken twice per day. Limit the carbs you’re eating to one serving per meal of whole grains such as quinoa, whole grain bread or brown rice. And, of course, no processed foods or fatty animal products (meats, cheeses, etc.).
As register dietitian Jennifer Regester says, “Bottom line: Have your juice and enjoy it. But no need to limit yourself to a juice detox in order to be healthy.”
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