This morning I was reading one of my favorite fitness magazines and came across something that got me really fired up. It wasn’t that it was wrong, it was just completely one-sided. It stated 3 things to know before you start a juice cleanse:
- You aren’t flushing out toxins – your system has an automatic function
- You are only losing water weight or gain it back right away
- You’ll feel like you have the flu – flu-like side effects are common and it could even trigger an eating disorder
Here’s what I have to say about that: False. False. And, well, true.
The problem with this is that it doesn’t give you the whole truth or the real reasons to partake in a juice cleanse. And this problem happens often.
There is a simple reason for this:
- Changes are hard.
- Food is a touchy subject.
- Changes in the way you think about food? That can bring up a lot of sh–stuff.
It’s ok – change is hard and food is touchy subject right? Put them together and that is enough to trigger anyone’s defense response. Unfortunately, it also leaves you, the consumer, with a lot of untrue and misleading information. GMO’s, juices, organics, dairy – the list goes on.
So let’s start by clarifying and debunking these juicing “myths”.
3 things you should before you start a juice cleanse – The REAL truth:
Myth #1 There is no need to cleanse, you body is made to do that automatically.
Well, there is a little truth to that – your body is made to cleanse efficiently, on it’s own. It’s meant to clear out toxins built up within your organs and bloodstream. They problem though, is that we overload our systems so there are WAY too many toxins to remove efficiently. Along those same lines, our digestive systems also get overloaded and clogged (aka IBS and constipation), which need a little break and boost to fully cleanse.
Juices (and smoothies, somewhat) are super easy for your body all the nutrients. Since they are already broken down, your body doesn’t have to work as hard to pull the nutrients out and break down fiber. This means it gets into your bloodstream sooner and gives your body the much-needed break to cleanse itself.
Myth #2 Weight Loss – it’s just water or purely from lack of calories.
Not completely true. Not completely false. Yes, you might lose weight from eating fewer calories, but well, that is the generally accepted way to lose weight. And if you do a juice cleanse correctly, you shouldn’t have too much of a calories deficit. When done correctly, you get the calories your body needs, because you drink juice throughout the day, any time you fell REALLY hungry.
And since you are flushing things out, yes, you might lose water weight aka bloat. The truth is, most of us eat way too many processed foods, containing salt and digestive irritants. This can make you hold onto extra water and trigger excess gas. A juice cleanse helps you flush your system, so you release EXTRA water and eliminate bloat from food intolerances like dairy and wheat.
Myth #3 You will have flu-like symptoms or trigger an old eating disorder
This one, is actually true to a point. You will experience flu-like symptoms. But no worries, sometimes you have to tear it down to rebuild. Right? These symptoms (headache, bloat, fatigue) often occur on the second day of a cleanse and are usually gone by the third or fourth day. The reason for them is simple – you are releasing toxins from your organs and bloodstream and removing excess build up in your digestive tract.This isn’t always pleasant. Those toxins are released into your body, processed, and then flushed out through sweat, and well, pee and poo. Until they get fully “released” from your body, you might feel like poo yourself. The best and most rewarding things in life are often the things that take the hardest work after all 🙂 As far as triggering an old eating disorder, unfortunately, this is very true, as it is in any diet program. Only you can decide if it would be something that would become an issue or a trigger for you and then of course it might not be the right choice for you.
The main point is this: a juice cleanse, and the weight loss that comes along with it, aren’t meant to be permanent. They are meant to be a kickstart to a healthier lifestyle and a way to cleanse your system so if works more efficiently. After all, you wouldn’t go the gym for 10 days, get great results, never go again and expect to stay in the same shape, right? And sometimes routine sweeping of the floor just isn’t enough and you need to get out the mop and scrub it clean.
Now that you’ve clarified these 3 myths of juicing, I challenge you to think about how these things have been holding you back from starting your own cleanse or wellness program.
If you are ready to start your own cleanse, or perhaps are just curious enough to see how easy and beneficial it could be, click below to download your free juice cleanse guide.
It just might be the tune up your body has been craving.
