Juice Cleanse: How long should you do it for?
The practice of doing a juice cleanse is not new. Many people are familiar with the benefits of a good juice cleanse. In fact, things like juice cleansing and fasting have become a common practice among some who are committed to fitness and health.
Yet, some of us are not clear about how long we should do a juice cleanse. We know a juice cleanse is great for clearing out toxins and rejuvenating the metabolism, but other aspects of this practice may not be obvious.
A healthy juice cleanse can eliminate toxins from the body. It can help clear out the liver and kidneys and restore proper functions. A juice cleanse can simply make you feel better. But there are some important details about juice cleaning that we should know.
What is a juice cleanse? What are the benefits of a juice cleanse? And how long should you stick with a juice cleanse? This guide will give the ins and outs of juice cleansing so you understand how long you should stick with a juice cleanse.
What is a juice cleanse?
Simply put, a juice cleanse is a diet that entails exclusively or primarily fresh vegetable and fruit juices. The idea is that by limiting our intake of fresh juices, we make it possible for our natural elimination systems to cleanse our bodies of toxins and chemicals that come from certain kinds of foods.
The food we eat today is often filled with additives, processed sugars and fats, and even things like pesticides and herbicides used in the production and cultivation of food. What is more, many of the foods we eat release compounds like free radicals that can contribute to cancer growth and other deadly conditions.
A juice cleanse, first of all, gives our systems a break by providing nothing but simple foods to process and convert into energy. Second, a good juice cleanse can provide compounds that actively clean the body. Many of the juices routinely included in a juice cleanse contain antioxidants that eliminate free radicals and other dangerous chemical compounds.
Ideally, a juice cleanse would consist of juices made fresh as needed. There are sound ways of getting extremely healthy juices, which we will explain below, but there are some good juicers available now that can allow you to make fresh vegetable and fruit juices.
A juice cleanse typically lasts for a specific period. Some people do a juice cleanse once a week for a day. Others will do a sustained juice cleanse for longer periods. How long you sustain a juice cleanse depends on several factors.
Benefits of a juice cleanse
The nutrition and boosts to immunity are immediate and obvious benefits to a juice fast. However, there are more benefits than the obvious. Some of the primary benefits of a juice cleanse include:
Detoxifies cells and tissues
Because the juice fast increases key nutrients and things such as antioxidants while simultaneously depriving the body of chemicals that are damaging, the process of a juice cleanse opens channels of detoxification.
There are four principal excretory routes in the body: the skin, bowels, liver, and kidneys all play crucial roles in removing toxins from our physiology. A juice cleanse opens all of the pathways and flushes toxins out of the system. As these toxins follow the excretory pathways, antioxidants in the juices clean up things like free radicals which can cause serious damage to cells.
Assists in weight loss
Weight loss with a juice cleanse comes in the form of calorie control. This happens in two ways. First, by maintaining a strict regimen of juices through a juice fast you significantly reduce your calorie intake. Second, because a juice cleanse necessarily means keeping careful track of the types of juices and the quantities of juices you consume, it is relatively easy to calculate the exact number of calories you consume. Counting calories and the sources of calories is half the battle for weight loss. Perhaps most significant for weight loss, a juice cleanse can recalibrate your metabolic rate. This will lead to a long-term benefit of not retaining calories in ways that lead to weight gain.
Help prevent chronic disease
The primary health benefit of a juice cleanse is the huge surge of antioxidants and fiber. Many antioxidants are bound up with fiber which is then separated in the digestive system.
High levels of juices can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. Particularly, apple and pomegranate juices have been shown to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels which leads to better heart health.
A juice cleanse that includes vegetable juices is known to reduce the levels of a chemical called homocysteine. This is a marker of oxidative stress. By reducing the presence of this chemical and others like it, vegetable juices reduce the risk of heart disease.
A healthy juice cleanse that includes a good mix of fruit and vegetable juices has also been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe an increase in polyphenols from juices inhibits the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Do juice cleanses work?
The evidence shows that when done properly, a juice cleanse does work. Juice cleanses can help your body restore natural gut health, they are loaded with antioxidants, and they give you a serious boost of vitamins and minerals.
How to juice cleanse
A general breakdown of how to do a juice cleanse consists of preparation, the fast itself, and how to return to normal eating patterns. Detailed juice fast programs will have more specific procedures.
Before
Prior to fasting remove all toxic foods and indulgences. Stop smoking (Do this anyway). Abstain from alcohol. Do not eat junk foods or sweets, and especially avoid processed sugars. This is to cleanse your system of things that will simply leave on their own.
During
Any juice fast will have a specific protocol, but a good general guide consists of the following:
When you wake up: Lukewarm water with a splash of fresh lemon juice
8–9 a.m.: Juice, such as the green vegetable juice
10:30–11:30 a.m.: Juice (or smoothie/cleanse food)
1–2 p.m.: Juice (or smoothie/cleanse food)
3–4 p.m.: Juice such as beet, carrot, apple juice
5–6 p.m.: Juice (or smoothie/cleanse food)
6–8 p.m.: Smoothie or almond or cashew nut "milk”
After
After the cleanse is complete, you can slowly build up your intake of normal foods. Make sure you progress by degrees. A swift return to your normal diet can be a shock to your entire metabolism and lead to intestinal distress and feeling ill. Proteins, for example, are often difficult to digest, and your body will need time to reacclimate to digesting proteins.
How long should a juice cleanse be?
The question then comes down to how long should you adhere to a juice cleanse? The length of your juice cleanse depends on several factors. First, each of our bodies is different and we all have different histories when it comes to the types of impurities and toxins we ingest. You need to honestly evaluate your eating history and understand just how much of a break you need to give your body and how long you may require the infusion of healthy vitamins and minerals. That said, there are some simple guidelines to think about.
1 Day Juice Cleanse
The 1-day juice cleanse is great for two purposes. It is the best way to introduce yourself to the process of the juice cleanse since it is not too demanding. And for those who are experienced with juice cleanses, the 1-day juice cleanse is a fine maintenance regimen to continually restore balance and health. .
2-3 Day Juice Cleanse
A 2-3 day juice cleanse is the most common length of time for this process. @-3 days is about ideal for eliminating most toxins. The 2-3 day window will bolster your immune system, stimulate weight loss, clear out gastrointestinal imbalances, and even clear up your skin.
4-5 Day Juice Cleanse
4- 5 days places you in the level of a controlled fast. The primary purpose of this length of time for a juice cleanse is to relieve stress and strain on the liver and kidneys and restore proper function. You will need to diligently monitor your calories from juices as well as the level of nutrients and vitamins you take in in order to properly maintain your health.
6-7 Day Juice Cleanse
Extending your juice cleanse to 5-7 days is recommended for people who have a high-stress lifestyle. One that may include eating too much fast food, alcohol, smoking, or other activities that bring in large amounts of toxicity into the body. Pushing the juice cleanse for as long as 7 days allows your body time to flush out the worst of the toxins. A cleanse of this kind and length can lay the groundwork for permanently eliminating things like smoking and consuming fast food.
Side effects of a juice cleanse
The side effects of a juice cleanse are less a result of what you are eating and more about what you are not eating. Some of the side effects of a juice cleanse are actually the result of the very things you are working to induce.
You may “go” a lot: Because you are living off liquids in the form of vegetable and fruit juices, some of which are high in fiber, you may find that you are having frequent bowel movements. Though potentially uncomfortable, this is the natural process of elimination.
Fatigue: Some people feel less energy and even fatigue while going through a juice cleanse. This is normal since you are not getting the proteins your body is accustomed to, and your caloric intake may be reduced. Be vigilant about this, but it is quite normal.
Sugar buzz: This is not a real sugar buzz like you get from eating too many sweets. Some people feel a little shaky during a juice cleanse because the increase in natural fruit sugars in the absence of other nutrients can be a shock to the system. You will likely even out, but pay attention to your body and stop the cleanse if this does not pass.
Allergic reactions: Since you will be subsisting entirely on fruit and vegetable juices, you may discover that you are allergic to some of these juices. This is rare, but it does occur.
Impact on other health conditions: If you live with certain health conditions, particularly those linked to diet like diabetes, you should take this into consideration before doing a juice cleanse. Consult your doctor to make sure you are able to withstand the restrictions of a juice cleanse.
Spartan detox plans
The best juice cleanse plan available is the Spartan Detox Plan. Spartan offers several plans designed to meet your specific needs. Whether your goal is to lose weight or to bolster your immune system, Spartan Detox provides plans that include the juices and smoothies that will help you meet your goals.
Spartan Detox Plans are made from natural juices and smoothies are prepared every day using the best quality fruits outdoors offering an exceptional taste and drink experience that will help your body feel energetic.
Spartan Detox also provides support through your detox programs.
Conclusion
Healthy juice cleanses have become a common part of health and fitness. Eating right, taking the current supplements, and going through a good juice cleanse are all-natural features of health and fitness plans.
Taking care to make sure you are doing a juice cleanse long enough to achieve your health goals is something many of us ask about. How do we balance the need to detox and restore natural balance against the basic nutritional needs of our bodies?
Much of what we need to know about how long to do a juice cleanse can be answered by listening to our own bodies. When doing a juice cleanse, simply pay attention to how you respond to the decrease in proteins and other nutrients versus how the cleaning process is working.
Beyond listening to our bodies, this guide should help you determine the best juice cleanse program for you. If you simply need to reset your metabolism, a shorter cleanse may be all you need. If you are living with a high toxic load, you may require a longer juice cleanse.
