What's the deal with juice cleanses?
Detoxes and cleanses are popping up everywhere this time of year. And with good reason- spring is the time of year when our bodies are naturally detoxifying from the heavier winter foods. Nature supports this cleanse with all sorts of detoxifying spring foods, including celery, berries, watercress, cucumbers and sprouts.
But a cleanse does not need to be extreme to be effective. So is a juice cleanse necessary?
The short answer is no.
Benefits: Juicing has all sorts of benefits. The powerful enzymes in fruits and vegetables are made much more accessible and immediately absorped through the juicing process so you get an instant nutrient boost and energy lift.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients, phytonutrients, antioxidants and enzymes. By juicing, we can pack a tremendous amount of nutrition into one glass. Often one glass of juice contains a bunch of kale, 1-2 apples, a few stalks of celery, a cucmber, a bunch of cilantro and a few carrots.
Juicing is also helpful for anyone who has trouble digesting the fiber found in fresh produce, and it's a great way to dramatically increase veggie or fruit intake for someone battling a health issue.
Cons: However, because juicing removes the fiber and skin, it is higher in natural sugars than eating fruits and vegetables and it is not nearly as satisfying. When someone does a juice cleanse, they may feel good (although hungry) but most often their body will rebound and want to overeat when the cleanse is finished. So even if they lose a few pounds, they quickly gain it back because there body is looking to make up for a few days of perceived starvation!
Juicing is a great way to get additional nutrients as part of a whole foods diet.
We do not need to avoid food to detoxify our bodies. A gentle, whole foods reset is one of the best ways to support our bodies' detoxifying process, kick start fat burning and receive all the benefits of a juice cleanse without being hungry.
Have you tried a whole foods reset? I offer 21 Day resets several times a year with recipes, holistic tips delivered to your email box, and powerful group support.
Check out the next reset here!
The first 20 people to sign up can use code "earlybird" for $10 off. Women love this reset and many repeat it over and over again. This time, you can improve the effectiveness of the reset with options to add a probiotic, full supplments and/or smoothie mix. I hope you can join us!
Have you ever done a reset?
Do you incorporate juicing into your diet?
