An unhealthy diet and consumption of junk food are undesirable side-effects of fast-paced living. Thousands of people experience different health problems every year as a result of high-fat food consumption and convenience foods.
While an unhealthy diet causes many serious health problems such as heart disease, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity, we unknowingly endangerl our mental health too.
Unhealthy diets break our bodily resistance, they make our immune system weak against all kinds of diseases. At this point, experts emphasize that it is possible to cleanse our bodies with a short-term diet of fruit and vegetable juices and a great waqy to do this is with a juice cleanse.
Juice cleanses are a short detox diet that cleanses our body and promotes healingt. Fruit and vegetable juices help you to build up your immune system and process waste predicts more efficiently. You can also clear your mind by eliminating all toxic substances and swap them out for foods with high nutritional values.
The juice cleanses involve drinking fruit and vegetable juices only at certain intervals within an average of 2-3 days. Juice cleanses that are a liquid-only diet, should be done under medical supervision. However juice cleaneses that involve healthy food intake at regular intervals can be done at home under the advice of a nutritionist.
During the juice fast, you should avoid the consumption of foods such as caffeine, alcohol, and sugar and continue your diet with only vegetable and fruit juice. One of the most desirable effects of juice cleansing is weight loss during and after the cleanse.
But don’t worry! If you do not want to lose weight then you can still eat healthy foods that include lots of healthy fats to maintain your weight while adding nutritional benefit.
What To Do During Juice Cleanse
It is suggested that a liquid-only juice cleanse should not last longer than 2-3 days on average. Some diets can be extended for a few more days with additional food intake and under medical supervision.
The vegetables and fruits you choose should be fresh, not canned or frozen. In addition, fruit juices specially produced for juice cleansing can be ordered from special stores online, but homemade is best as you know exactly what is in your juice.
Drink Hot Water
Drinking a glass of hot water when you first start the day during the juice cleanse will help your digestive system relax. It is then recommended to continue the diet with a glass of juice afterwards. You should consume fruit and vegetable juices every 3-4 hours on average - but everyone is different.
The important point here is to listen to your body. If you feel hungry, you can drink another fruit juice as an additional supplement without waiting for a set time. You should also drink plenty of water to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Consumption of water will allow you to stay more vigorous and feel full. In addition, drinks that relax the body and mind such as green and chamomile tea are allowed and support the detox process.
However, it is not recommended to drink black tea with milk, so only consume herbal teas where possible. It is also recommended to partake in activities that promote relaxation, such as meditation or yoga, especially if this is your first cleanse.
Finally, drink your last glass 2-3 hours before bedtime and congratulate yourself on your first completed day of juicing.
What Can I Eat During The Juice Cleanse?
Although the juice cleanse is a diet made by consuming only vegetables and fruit juices, if you feel very hungry, you can consume the following foods on the condition that they are in small quantities.
It is important o consume both fruits and vegetables. It is tempting to go just for sweet fruits, especially if you are craving sugar, but you can overload your system with natural sugars.
Ideal hard food during a juice cleanse are:
- Small qualities of fruits
- Carrots and cucumber
- Avocados
- A handful of mixed nuts
- Fresh Berries
- Small quantities of fresh lean meat
Risks Linked to Juice Cleanses
Although a juice cleanses can greatly improve your physical health, health experts rightly warn those about to embark on one that they carry certain risks.
Since juice cleanse is a very low-calorie diet, it can cause rapid weight loss and those that are already low on the weight spectrum should be mindful to increase their healthy fat intake and keep an eye on the scales. If you are very low in weight then a juice cleanse is not recommended.
In addition, low blood sugar may occur due to the body's inability to meet the calories it needs. This can make you feel more tired and sluggish during the day.
Other Possible Side Effects
In addition, fainting, weakness, and physical pain are some of the frequently encountered symptoms. If you experience any of these side effects stop the juice cleanse immediately and opt for healthy solids instead.
Elderly people should be especially careful, and only replace 1 meal a day with juice instead of an entire juice cleanse. If you do wish to pursue a juice cleanse, do so under the advice of your doctor.
Since juice cleanse increases fluid intake, you may notice changes in bowel functions and softer than usual stools. While mostly this is normal, be mindful that this can cause the body to become dehydrated and lose more water. Therefore, water consumption is very important during the juice cleanse.
People who consume packaged fruit juices in the juice cleanse process should pay attention to the expiration dates of the products and the sugar content. Such expired products can cause liquid poisoning and the process of sugar can make the cleanse pointless as toxins are introduced to your system.
Therefore, you should only choose your products from reliable companies.
Alternatives to a Juice Cleanse
Although juice cleansing is an effective way to cleanse the body from toxins in terms of its detox effect, it may not be your preferred choice in terms of difficulty in application and some health risks. Here are some healthy alternatives to a juice cleanse:
Intermittent fasting: Intermittent fasting aims to reduce the stress on your digestive system and help your body process food better by eating within set times. This can be one or two meals a day at the same time every day and each meal is packed with fresh healthy foods high in nutritional content.
Plant-based diets: Plant-based diet is nutritionally beneficial and gives your system a break from processing meats and unnatural processed foods. A plant-based boosts the body's immune system and does not require calorie counting.
This is because there is no high-calorie food consumption in this nutritional diet, so long as you avoid cooking your food in oil and fats.
This diet is frequently adopted by people with heart diseases and has also been adopted by many people who aim to improve their health status.
Juice cleansing can be difficult at first, but those who do it regularly see the benefits quickly, which is motivation enough to keep them going.
At first, start with a short cleanse, no longer than 24 hours and see how you feel. It is important to partake in stress-reducing activities, take your time through your work day and get a good night's sleep.
Drinking plenty of water is essential. Not only does it help you to feel full, but it will also help you keep dehydrated as you may find you need the toilet more often than usual as your body begins to release toxin buildup.
If you are elderly or underweight, proceed with a juice cleanse with caution. In all cases, a doctor should be consulted, and you may need to make adjustments to a typical juice cleanse so that your health is not at risk.
