What is a juice cleanse? If you follow us on Instagram, then you might have seen my juice cleanse back in December. Did you find yourself asking What is a Juice Cleanse? I wanted to give it a try to see what all the fuss was about and see if it was something that I could work into my life. I had many questions, many of which I wanted to answer myself through the experience, to learn whether or not it was a fit for me. The biggest questions were “what is a juice cleanse” and “why should I do one”.
What is a Juice Cleanse?
First, let’s start with what it’s not. A juice cleanse isn’t a quick way to lose weight, or a jump start on a weight loss program. It isn’t meant as a mean to starve yourself and drop a few pounds, in fact it has nothing to do with weight at all. A cleanse is not a quick fix, but it is a great way to “restart” and refocus on what you are putting into your body. The cleanse allows you to listen to your body while you fuel and hydrate yourself.
Why should you do a juice cleanse?
A juice cleanse is a great way to quiet the cravings that you have throughout the day that you wish you didn’t. You know, that sweet tooth craving for some chocolate after lunch, or that salty craving for that bag of chips after dinner. Doing a juice cleanse is great way to get a jump start on cutting these foods out and then listening to your body and realizing that those cravings start to fade when you cut them out. A juice cleanse is also great for cutting down on coffee as you cut out caffeine or cutting alcohol from your life. There are many reasons to do a cleanse, everyone’s reason is a bit different.
You may want to do a cleans to feel better, which comes from the result of cutting out foods in our diet that we don’t need. Perhaps you want to do it to experience more energy, or perhaps your doing it for more emotional reasons. The reason for doing it is the one that feels right to you. For me, I wanted to reset my body and crush those cravings!
When should I do a cleanse?
Just like everything else in life, there is never a perfect time to start a cleanse. With that said, pick a day that you don’t have back to back meetings, or a day when you need extra energy. You don’t know how you will feel, so picking a day that will be a bit slower for you would be best. Also, keep in mind that there is some preparation involved. Before you start the cleanse, you will want to pay attention to what you are eating and begin cutting things out, or limiting them. This is done to help make the cleanse easier on your body and less of a shock. Start by cutting out sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and other foods that might be harder for you to digest like dairy and gluten. You will also want to amp up you fruit and veggie game and drink lots of water!
How long is the cleanse?
A cleanse can be one day, two days or three days. As a beginner, I started with a one day Gentle Cleanse. Starting out with a one day cleanse was perfect for me. I wouldn’t have been ready to commit to two days right off the bat. If you are beginner, start with a one day and see what you think. Then you can add on as you repeat cleanses over time!
A Day on the Cleanse
Here’s what you need to know about cleanse day! My cleanse from GreenHouse consisted of 11 juices throughout the day between 8am and 8pm. I was really excited to hear that throughout the day, you are allowed to drink water and herbal tea. On a cold day, a hot cup of tea goes a long way when you are only drinking cold juices! For me, I found that 11 drinks were a lot! If you can’t finish them all, don’t! Save a few for the next day! You can go about your day as normal, but they don’t recommend heavy activity. If you want to work out, do a yoga class or go for a walk, but avoid heavy exercise. Give yourself time to relax. Take a bath, meditate or go for a massage. Be gentle to your body.
After the cleanse
Once you are done the cleanse, think back to why you did it. Was it to crush those cravings? Change your eating habits? Cut out caffeine? Focus on what the goal was and don’t lose track of it. Start by eating small meals and gradually increase. You won’t want to overwhelm the body right after the cleanse. For the next few days, be mindful of what you are eating, sticking to the way you were eating before and listen to your body. Focus on eating for hunger and not out of habit. For me, I felt great the next day. The day of the cleanse, I had a headache, which I think was related to the lack of coffee. I really used it as an opportunity to listen to my body and have noticed a change in my not so healthy cravings!
There’s no better time than now. Start with a one day cleanse and let me know how it goes in the comments below! Still have questions? Ask them and I’ll answer! Happy Cleansing!
