Detoxing the Body, Juice Cleanse vs. Food Cleanse

You have been hearing about juice cleanses everywhere and many will try a juice cleanse, fast or detox. Juice cleansing is the practice of avoiding solid food and drinking only fruit and vegetable juices and water for a few days or as long as several weeks. Not all juices are the same. Juices are available most everywhere, but beware of the sugar content in them (ie. Odwalla, Naked brands). Juices that are heavy on the fruits have a lot of natural fructose. Soon Starbucks will be selling Evolution juices, which are cold-pressed juices just like Blueprint Cleanse so they can stay fresher, longer. The bottom line is, nothing is as nutrient dense and enzyme rich as juicing within hours of drinking. But if that is your only choice, it is better than nothing, just beware of the fruit-sugar content.

Juice cleansing, which is now a multi-billion dollar market, originated thousands of years ago in India as both a spiritual practice and method of body detoxification for preventative medicine. Many religions traditionally practiced some type of cleansing or detoxing ritual. 

There are several reasons I'm not a fan of juice-only cleanses. Don’t get me wrong, there is a big place for juicing in the diet, (I’m addicted) but not in favor of meals and whole foods. A seasonal Detox can benefit and reset the body and it has its merits but that is a topic for another newsletter. For now, let's talk about how to incorporate some elements into your everyday routine. 

Here are some reasons why I’m not juice cleansing:

1. Juice cleanses are like crash diets. 

If you ate heavy meals, processed foods or partied too hard on vacation, a juice cleanse has become the go-to quick fix to rectify poor choices. I advocate changing your overall eating habits. This way, even if you go off the rails for a day or two, your body will self correct by craving whole foods.
 
2. The liver and colon are self-cleansing. 

Given clean, healthy, balanced nutrition, the kidneys, colon and liver know how to cleanse and they’re quite efficient at it. They do not respond to perceived starvation as punishment.
 
3. It perpetuates a love-hate relationship with food. 

Many women already have a love-hate relationship with food. An all-juice cleanse can perpetuate this. Explore why you’re drawn to juice cleansing in the first place. Are you treating your body poorly otherwise? Do you want to lose weight, constantly feel bloated or have bad skin breakouts? All of these are symptoms of potentially bigger problems a juice cleanse cannot solve long-term.
 
4. Sugar isn’t cleansing. 

Many commercial juices have high sugar content; not something you want to consume in large quantities for days at a time. For starters, it spikes and crashes your blood sugar. If this goes on regularly intervals, it can permanently mess with your metabolism. Regulating blood sugar with the proper foods is a step in the right direction.
 
5. The weight loss isn’t real. 

For those looking to lose weight with a juice cleanse, know that what you lose will most likely come back. Weight loss on an all juice cleanse is mainly water weight and muscle. For long-term weight loss, I recommend adopting healthy, sustainable habits.

Feel like an all-juice cleanse isn’t for you? You’re certainly not alone. You can reset and clean your system with real food, drink green juice daily as part of a healthy diet and still experience a healthy glow, clear skin, less bloating and incredible energy.

I have been offering a 3-Day Detox/Food Cleanse, not to be confused with a juice only cleanse and below I discuss some of the reasons why I think it is a great way to start off.

I work with women and men who are starting out on their nutritional journey.  Some may cringe at the idea of drinking their food, or whose digestion or taste buds don’t allow for green smoothies or a green juice. Green drinks might put you off...the color, the texture. 

If something makes you gag, or you can't "get it down," then it's not for you at this time.  End of discussion. 

This is an example of how some foods can work for some and not for others. 
Remember you don’t have to start “cold turkey,” there are so many options to begin your vegetable nutrition journey. 

If you're interested in the concept of a cleanse but don’t know where to start, my 3-Day Food Cleanse / Detox is a great way to start. First, it incorporates healthy detoxifying foods in (crowding out the processed foods) and allows you to try some amazing smoothies for breakfast. The foods in each recipe are selected for their cleansing properties and their deliciousness. You stick to it for three days (some have continued on longer or do it once a month) and you drop some weight, feel energized, metabolism is refreshed and bam! the door has been opened to a whole new world of whole food, food prep and ideas. I call this Phase I.

The best part of incorporating healthy, detoxifying whole foods into your daily diet is that it becomes habit and when a habit becomes second nature it becomes sustainable after time.  This is what I do, I work with clients step-by-step to educate them on foods, metabolism and forming healthy habits that grow into a stronger, happier, energized you!

Contact karen@vianutritionandhealth.com for information on the 90-Day Intensive "Get Fit Fast" Program for results that are built slow and steady and are sustainable.

Karen Phillips is a Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach who works with clients to gain energy, break the "cycle," lose weight and reach their goals. Check out her Health Coaching Programs on her website.

Schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation here https://www.timetrade.com/book/FMZDS.