I am not the type of woman that restricts what I eat nor am I prone to dieting. I cook and eat balance meals but I found myself wanting to try a juice cleanse. We eat relatively healthy and I serve up variety when preparing meals. During the time that I worked in the wellness realm I attended a detox/cleanse educational conference. We learned that our intestines accumulate and collect waste, especially when we are constantly adding food in. When we eliminate certain food groups and drink detox blends, we allow some of that waste to be processed. Let’s dive in, what are the pros and cons of doing a juice detox/cleanse?
What is a Juice Cleanse?
Very Well Fit gives the following definition for a juice cleanse “a juice cleanse, also known as a juice fast, is a detox diet that involves consuming vegetable and fruit juice (and often nothing else) for a short period of time, usually one to three days. Advocates believe that drinking juice floods the body with healing nourishment while also flushing toxins and waste.”
What is the risk of juicing?
The scientific evidence on the effectiveness of juicing hasn’t been extensively documented. Whether doing a juice detox is beneficial to our health or harmful is a topic of debate. In the past I have done herbal detox cleanses this is my first juice cleanse. In my lifespan I have done three prior detoxes. This isn’t something that is recommended to do often. Before you decide if a juice cleanse is for you, consult your physician and conduct your own research. It is not advisable for those suffering from diabetes or hypoglycemia.
According to Healthline “Juicing may increase the risk of eating disorders. It could impact your relationship with food. For instance, some people may begin to see certain foods as solely “good” or “bad,” rather than recognizing that a balanced diet can include all types of foods. Some people may also develop disordered eating patterns. Frequently relying on such restrictive diets is especially problematic.”
The same article from Healthline lists the following potential benefits of juicing:
- Fruit and Vegetable juices can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- People who do juice cleanses may have greater amounts of healthy gut bacteria, which has been linked to weight reduction.
- Juicing enthusiasts contend that juicing provides an easy way to get the vitamins and minerals that many people miss out on — especially if they’re eating highly processed foods.
Why I chose to do a juice detox/cleanse
My motivation for wanting to do the juice cleanse was to have a reset. In my past detoxes, I have been able to drop specific eating habits long-term. For example, I used to put a ton of sugar in my coffee every morning after I did the herbal detox, I stop using sugar in my coffee altogether and I now add a small amount of creamer. On a separate cleanse I eliminated milk from my diet finding other means to get calcium in, I love cheese.
Ideally, you want to start and cut out foods in preparation for the cleanse and after the brief liquid diet you slowly add healthy foods back in by increments. Very Well Fit did a great job of outlining how to do this post. I also have had skin breakouts lately which is a shift. I liked that the detox can help clear skin. The possibility of an increase in energy is also appealing.
Why I chose Lemonkind 3 Day Core Cleanse
After reading about the different juicing brands, I decided to go with Lemonkind for several reasons. The company is women-owned and made in North America. They have packed superfoods and plant-based ingredients into their blends such as pineapple, ginger, spinach, berry, cinnamon, avocado, and cucumbers. These are flavors that I enjoy and I wanted to choose taste profiles that wouldn’t feel like a penalty.
Lemonkind boast these benefits of utilizing their juice cleanse:
- Immunity & Metabolism Boost
- Break Bad Habits
- Help with vision and clear skin
- Antioxidants
- Anti-bloating/ aid in digestion
Other benefits listed on Web MD are a megadose of nutrients, short-term weight loss, improved gut health by balancing bacteria, and cleansing organs. I am halfway through my cleanse. I will update my results here as I experience them.
3 Day Lemonkind Cleanse
Day 1: We both felt tired at the end of the first day, it was also a gloomy overcast Monday. The act of grazing takes time and energy so without that we were frankly bored after working. All eight of the juice blends were tasty, James didn’t love the pumpkin turmeric flavor. I think the peppermint mango was my least favorite. I noticed I had to urinate more than usual in the evening, I felt a tingling sensation in my abdomen as if I could feel my intestines working to cleanse themselves. Most notably I slept very deeply, I had two different dreams that I remembered vividly in the morning, so I got into REM sleep.
Day 2: Out of curiosity I weighed myself each morning and I was down 3 lbs after the first day of juicing. Having slept deeper than normal I woke up earlier than usual and my energy was higher than the previous day. So far I haven’t felt hungry either day consuming 8 pouches actually felt frequent. I still prepared dinner for the kids to eat and so far haven’t felt tempted to cheat. I did not sleep as deep as I did the first night but I had an event the following day.
Day 3: I woke up earlier again on the 3rd morning. My energy peaked and I felt really good. I remained satisfied throughout the day with consuming the eight pouches of juice, in fact we almost forgot to drink the last one at 9pm. The flavors repeat themselves everyday and I still found all of them to be pretty good. I felt less bloating and less sluggish. Weight loss was not one of my focuses but I lost a total of five pounds but I am sure most of that will come back when I return to a normal diet. Ending the juice cleanse I felt an overall feeling of wellness and clarity. and also a sense of accomplishments that I could do it.
Leave a Comment