Drinking down a delicious smoothie in the morning for breakfast, or chugging down a kale, ginger, carrot juice for lunch? These are all parts of a juice cleanse that will help build your immune system and improve your health and weight loss.
Can you eat on a juice cleanse and what can you eat? It is true you can eat solid food while on your juice journey. You should stay away from processed foods and animal products, so that you can enjoy the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle and lose weight.
Today, you are going to learn about what you can eat while on the cleanse what a juice cleanse is and the pros and cons of the diet. While on your new food journey, make sure to set a limit or a goal of how much weight you want to lose and how long your fast is going to last, so that you don’t go overboard on drinking juice.
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In This Article
What Is A Juice Cleanse?
Here is some information about what a juice cleanse or fast is, just in case you or others may not know. Just as the name suggests, a juice cleanse is a specific type of dieting method that solely focuses on you drinking juice. The juices are only from vegetables and fruits. The main goal is to detoxify the body and lose weight. The cleanse will typically last for a short time, usually up to 3 days.
There is a list of benefits (or pros) that you can reap from taking part in a juicing cleanse. At the same time, there are also risks (or cons) that you should be careful to note. These will be listed and further explained later on in the article.
Here is a shortlist informing you of how to do the cleanse properly.
- Only drink juices and other liquids, i.e., water, for several days.
- Drink juices along with dietary supplements.
- Drink juices that will help cleanse the colon.
- In preparation for the cleanse, for 3-5 days, gradually limit specific foods, like coffee, meat, dairy products, wheat, etc .
- It’s recommended that you drink at least 32 ounces of juice or a smoothie, half containing a green vegetable juice.
- Once you are done with the fast, eat lightly for a few days and slowly start adding solid foods back into your diet. Be careful not to go overboard, start slow, and if you want to keep up the healthy eating, then watch what kinds of fats and sugars you are eating to help keep the unwanted weight off your body .
What Can You Juice?
You are probably wondering what types of fruits and veggies you can juice to stay healthy while on your cleanse journey. Well, this article will give you the answers that you are looking for so that you will be adequately juicing the right things.
- Almond milk
- Raw Nuts
- Coconuts milk
- Vegetable broth
- Celery, kale, carrots, cabbage, spinach, beets, and leafy greens
- Whole fruits like apples, peaches, apricots, cherries, rhubarb, kiwis, pineapples, and mangos if you are going to use fruits with pits, make sure to remove the pits, seeds, skins, and tops before juicing.
- Organic produce like avocados and bananas also work for adding in fat and protein in making smoothies.
You can also use store-made fresh and raw juices if you don’t have the time to make it from scratch at home or if you don’t have a juicer, if you are going to make smoothies, then it’d best to have a blender. While using fresh and raw fruits and vegetables, make sure to use them right away so that the freshness doesn’t decrease in value or that the food doesn’t spoil.
A handful of nuts can really help with hunger pangs.
Can You Eat on a Juice Cleanse and What Can You Eat?
The big question of the day! It is a common misconception that you can’t eat while on juicing. You can, indeed, eat while on this diet. You have to be mindful of what you eat. It would be best if you also stayed away from any animal products and processed foods.
If you are feeling hungry, you can always eat more raw fruits and vegetables, and vegan, gluten-free meals. You can also snack on carrots or peppers, apples, and kiwis. An all-vegetable salad is also an excellent alternative for your meals along with your choice of fresh juice.
For modified versions of your cleanse, if you still want to eat protein, you can modify what you are consuming by including eggs into your diet, whether that on a salad, hard-boiled or scrambled for breakfast with a fruit smoothie made with coconut milk rather than a fruit juice.
Pros and Cons of A Juice Cleanse
Similar to any healthy diet or diet detox that you decide to partake in, there are going to be benefits/pros and risks/cons that you can enjoy in and have to be mindful of when dieting. Here is a list of the pros and cons of a juice cleanse (Source):
Pros/Benefits:
- Juices contain lots of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidents that your body will absorb easier in liquid form. This can help reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.
- The juices can help improve digestion. You may notice needing to go to the bathroom soon after starting your cleanse. This is just the start, but it will get better.
- Though there is limited scientific support, some claim that juicing removes toxins and heavy metals from your blood and organs.
Cons/Risks:
- You have to consult a doctor first. Pregnancy, nursing, diabetes, immunodifficiencies, kidney issues, and gallbladder problems can all be exacerbated from the low calorie diet. It also flushes your body which can lead to dehydration, headaches, passing out, or worse.
- A specific note on kidney issues: since a lot of the juices are made from leafy greens and beets that contain high amounts of oxalate, drinking these juices may cause kidney stones.
- If you have ever suffered issues with low blood sugar in the past, you are more likely to suffer a similar medical emergency during a juice fast. This is not for you.
- Unpasteurized juice, or juice that has not been treated to kill bacteria, does contain enzymes that heal your gut, but it also contains bacteria that can make you sick.
Now that you know the pros/benefits and cons/risks, talk to your doctor to see if a juice fast is for you. Plan ahead of time how you will buy or make your juices, how long you’ll cleanse, and how you’ll phrase solid foods back into your diet. There is a lot of planning that goes into starting a cleanse, and that preparation will help you stick to it and get great results.
Conclusion
Please be careful so that you can reap the health benefits of a nutritious juice journey while avoiding the health risks. Therefore, can you eat while juice cleansing? You can. You don’t need to do a strict juice cleanse involving only juices and you need to make sure that you are still eating a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables or raw nuts.
If you don’t want to eat fruits and vegetables, you can always add eggs as a good source of protein. So, pour yourself a healthy fruit smoothie or a refreshing glass of vegetable juice, and drink up! Just avoid fried foods, processed foods or anything that might affect Gut health
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