According to some nutrition experts, juice cleanses purportedly fill you with nutrients, boost your brain power, rid you of toxins, rest your digestive system, heal your cells, help you lose weight, etc., etc.
But this is what they don’t tell you…
As a first time “cleanser,” I had a fictitious idea of what the process would be like. Of course, living three to five days on a lemonade juice cleanse doesn’t seem so bad when it’s trending on social media and raved about by celebrities.
Just a few weeks shy of my 21st birthday, I was on the verge of the jokingly referred to “mid-midlife crisis.” Soon to be another milestone down and a semester away from college graduation, fittingly, I began to wonder about my life and its uncertainty. So, I did what anyone experiencing a life crisis would do; I attempted to make a radical change, which resulted in a pricey purchase.
The next thing I knew I was ordering a juice cleanse and soon after I was sipping meals through a straw for three straight days.
Now that I can never look at, smell or eat ginger again, here are some helpful tips to consider before trying a juice cleanse.
Find the cleanse that’s right for you
For me, the goal was not to lose weight but rather to jump-start my path to eating healthier. Though I was lucky in finding a healthy, all-natural, cleanse, I hardly did the proper research before settling on the brand I purchased.
Keep in mind that just because a store or a company sells cleanses does not mean that they are the best for you. Understand your expectations and search for the cleanse that offers the best ingredients for that goal.
Sample, sample, sample
Oftentimes, brands will sell samplers. Find out if you can test a few juices before starting your cleanse. There’s nothing quite like samples that can prepare you for the tastes, no matter how in love you are with pressed juices.
I’ve never come across a fresh pressed juice or smoothie I didn’t like and yet I disliked more than half of the juices in my cleanse. For the brands that don’t offer samplers, many will actually have ingredients displayed right on the very front of their pre-packaged juice bottles.
This is especially helpful for those who are picky eaters (like myself) and for those with food allergies.
Ask about the portions
I’ve never been the type of person to eat regularly throughout the day, so keeping up with six, 16 ounce juices was a bit of a struggle for me. After finishing one juice, I was still full a few hours later when I was supposed to be drinking another.
I felt a lot of pressure to schedule when I would consume each juice and I’m so not the planning type; I was overwhelmed! Therefore, in order to have stress-free days, it will be helpful for you to know how much or how little you will have to drink and plan for that both mentally and physically ahead of time.
Ease into it
It was difficult but I felt really healthy and accomplished after I completed the first day of my cleanse. However, as I continued on to day-two and three I knew I had pushed myself too hard.
Think of cleansing like running a marathon. It shouldn’t be something you decide to do without some practice first. Ease your way into it. Start off with trying a one-day cleanse then work your way up to three or five days.
Keep busy, motivated and hydrated
Relaxing at home, steps away from your pantry, will make it very difficult to distract yourself from the temptations of solid food. Instead, spend your days out of the house doing something productive. This will help to distract you when the going gets tough. You will feel hungry and at times, you may feel light-headed but when and if this happens, just continue to remind yourself of why you did this in the first place.
Your persistence will pay off in the end; I promise. And lastly, while you’re keeping busy, remember to drink water. Sipping liquids all day may trick you into thinking you’re fully hydrated but drinking water along with your juices is essential to the cleansing process.
Aside from just knowing the many benefits of juice cleansing, you now know how to obtain them. With these five suggestions in mind, you’ll have just the right tools to get you through the process and make the most of your cleansing experience.