Do Juice Cleanses Work?
Simple question right? It maybe a simple question but the answer is much more complex. Since there is a lack of peer reviewed studies there is conflicting data on if juice cleanses work, are safe, or cause harm.
Since there is one answer to this question there are a few things to consider:
Will you lose weight? In most cases the answer to this question is yes, but (there is always a but isn’t there) how much and for how long are the real questions. Sure you will lose weight if you stop eating solid and replace it with juice, but that weight is most likely water weight that will return as soon as you bring back solid foods into your diet. You must also consider that while you are drinking just juice that juice is calorie packed (mostly with sugars) so you are still consuming calories. In addition most juice cleanses suggest that you limit your exercise to walking or low-impact exercise. Great for resting your body, but if you are still ingesting the same amount of calories as before you are not effectively burning off those calories. Another factor to think about that if you fast for long periods of time you run the risk of permanently slowing your metabolism making weight control difficult for years.
On a positive note you might find that doing a juice cleanse helps you get a jump start on your weight loss, you are stepping away from the processed and junk food and eating healthier and seeing those first 3-5lbs melt away quickly are a great way to get motivation early on. That being said to maintain that weight you must have a healthier eating/living plan for after the juice cleanse is over if you truly want weight loss success.
Are Juice Cleanses Healthy? This question is another one that is not easily answered, but it does bear some reflection. Yes you are drinking nothing but fruit and vegetables, but you can get the same benefits if you just ate those fruits and veggies in their original form. In fact eating them whole gives you the added benefit of adding fiber from their skins and seeds that will help keep you fuller and much less likely to binge once the cleanses is over.
By only drinking juice you are also forgoing giving your body any protein, which is essential for building and maintaining muscles tissue. Which when you factor in that while juicing you shouldn’t be doing any strength training you are losing out doubly on working on building good muscle tissue that will help you burn more calories while at rest.
Some experts have suggested that juicing is healthier because you believe you are healthier. Juicing can give you a psychological kick-start to a living a healthier lifestyle. Is there really any harm in doing something that while may not actually make you healthier makes you think you are; therefore you continue to make healthy choices to keep the feeling going and then in effect become healthier?
Do you really need to do a juice cleanse to detox the body? Americans have being trying to detox since the early 20th century and scientist have not found any of these rogue toxins that everyone is trying to remove from their bodies. The reality is the liver and kidneys are effective enough to keep the body detox. That being said those afore mentioned processed and junk foods which are being removed can do nothing but help the liver and kidneys do an even better job of detoxing your body.
While there are no easy answers to if doing a juice cleanse will help you lose weight, detox your body, or make you a healthier person a vast majority of the researches say that if done in short period (3 days or less) it can not do harm. As with anything there are risks such as: Dehydration (drink lots of water if you do decide to juice cleanse), nausea, and fatigue. The best course of action if you are thinking of doing a juice cleanse is to do your research, there are bunch of juice cleanse companies, but make sure you are looking at exactly what is going into that juice bottle. Some can be too restrictive in calories (500 or less) while some can go the opposite way and force you to drink too many calories especially for your lower physical activity.
You must also plan for your juice cleanse before day one. Weeks (maybe a month) before you are going to cleanse start eating a healthier diet, lots of fruits and veggies, and start to eliminate sugar, diary, caffeine, and red meat. This will make the transition from solid foods to juice much smoother and easier on your body.
Some experts would recommend skipping the juicing all together and go for a smoothie cleanse. That way you can incorporate the skin and seeds (for the fiber) while also being able to add protein and healthy fats to the mix. This way your body is still getting all it needs to function properly and you are still keeping yourself away from all the bad food that calls your name.
One last note as with any new diet or exercise regime make sure you talk to your doctor about your plans and if you are at any special risk from them.