Juice Cleanses Aren't All You Think They Are

If there’s one thing we can count on for the holiday season, it’s the carb-heavy meals and constant snacking, which feel amazing until all of a sudden they don’t. The one thing you shouldn’t turn to? A juice cleanse.

Juice cleanses and detox diets may seem like a good idea, but they might just cause you more harm than good. Mentally, using a detox as a punishment for having grabbed that last cookie is unhealthy, regardless of the physical repercussions. Remind yourself that you survived 2020 and that you deserve to fuel the body that carried you through the weirdest year of our lives. 

More often than not, a three-day juice cleanse won’t make you feel better. Wanting to feel like your body is cleansed is totally understandable, but no amount of juice is going to make that happen. Your body already self-detoxes through several internal systems. Your digestive, respiratory, and immune systems, as well as your skin, catch toxins and send them to your liver to filter and eliminate them from the body. Your kidney does the same thing for your bloodstream, and maintaining regular bowel movements helps your colon rid your body of toxins before they harm you. Your lungs also work to expel toxins you may inhale by breathing them back out.

These built-in detox systems only work if you don’t try to detox them on your own. To maintain your body’s natural processes, you need to feed and hydrate your body, and cleanses and detoxes only work to strip your body of the nutrients and good bacteria needed to maintain your health. Juice cleanses devoid your body of things like iron, protein, and calcium, not to mention fiber, which helps you feel full after eating. Instead, these juices, especially ones with lots of fruit, get rid of all the fiber and nutrients from the peel or skin of fruits and veggies and instead leave you with a huge amount of concentrated sugar, which can create blood sugar spikes and give you hunger headaches.

Long-term detoxes can also be harmful. Low-calorie diets can actually slow down your metabolism if you do them long term, which is likely the opposite effect you want the detox to have. Additionally, when you don’t give your body enough food, it enters “starvation mode,” where it stores your food as fat to conserve it because your body isn’t sure when it will get its next meal. 

While detoxes may not be the way to go, there are a few things you can do to feel like you’re getting back on track, in a healthy way. Quality sleep, lots of water, and exercise will definitely help your body stay healthy. If you’re feeling extra full after a meal, try going on a walk as you digest. 

In terms of what you can eat to feel good, make sure you fill your plate with nutrient-dense foods, like salads, veggie bowls, fruit, and nuts. Most importantly, listen to your body. What is your body in the mood for? If you’re still craving a juice, try opting for a smoothie instead. Smoothies are packed with all the nutrients that get expelled with your juicer. Processed and fried foods might leave you feeling crummy, as well as foods that are high in salt, added sugars, and saturated fats. Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol and increasing your water intake instead can also help keep your body hydrated and feeling good. 

Remember that if you are generally taking care of your body and giving those natural detoxifiers what they need, there is no need to go on a cleanse. Health is long term, and no one meal or holiday season is going to make or break that.

If you try out a new nutrient-dense meal (Check out Pinterest for inspo!), be sure to tag us @theedgemag.