Juice Cleanse 101
Is it time for a reset?
With everyone up in arms with gut health and how to increase metabolism, I have found that the best solution to all my issues is a nice juice cleanse reset. Everyone is different with different bodies so I can’t guarantee this will work for you, but I have found success and have been able to help others through the process. I hope you enjoy this juice cleanse guide!
Why do a juice cleanse?
From my own personal experience, I have found that doing a Juice Cleanse allows my digestion to take a break and reset.
I typically like to do these cleanses after any crazy vacations where I may be indulging in food, after the holidays of stuffing my face until I can barely breath, or after long periods of time that I may be consuming one too many shots of alcohol.
Essentially, I do these any time my digestion needs a nice restart.
Benefits
Some benefits of juice cleanses is that you rid your body of toxins and increase your metabolism. Other benefits I have found from doing juice cleanses, are clearing up my acne and getting back to eating more intuitively.
My face glows after finishing a juice cleanse and my overall “diet” is refreshed. By resetting my pallet to get back to eating more healthy plant-based meals, I become more mindful of when I am actually hungry versus just wanting to snack because I am bored.
Juice cleanses are hard but totally worth it!
I will not lie, this is not the easiest thing to do. The pure fact that you are replacing your solid meals with juice is a difficult task. It definitely takes mental toughness and I usually like to do juice cleanses when I know I will be decently distracted and not just sitting around at home all day. Some of the “rules” that come with doing a juice cleanse can be difficult to follow, but they are important to follow to insure you are safe.
Rules you MUST follow are
- Extremely light working out (yoga, stretching, walking) for all 5 days of the cleanse.
- No consuming alcohol for all 5 days of the cleanse.
- No coffee. If you need caffeine, drink Green Tea.
Another issue that can be difficult is that this will affect your social hangouts. You most likely will not want to be around anyone that is eating. If you live with a significant other, roommates, children, or really just anyone, then it will be difficult to want to be around them.
I try to isolate myself from anyone when it comes to meal time, but that is just something I need to do. Everyone is different so maybe you won’t need to do this!
How does the process work?
The juice cleanse lasts 3 days, but with the 2 day recovery the entire cleanse will require 5 days total. Each day you will drink 6 juices in total and each juice should be 12 to 16 ounces.
The types of juices you drink will be entirely up to you. This mostly depends on your experience level with doing a juice cleanse.
The 2 day recovery is to help you slowly acclimate your body to eating food again. This is the most important part of the juice cleanse because if you do not do this properly, then the entire cleanse was for nothing.
What type of juices are in the cleanse?
There are 4 types of juices that you can mix and match throughout your juice cleanse. The juices you decide to drink will depend on you and how you want to design your cleanse. My recommendation for those that are just starting your first juice cleanse is to do an even mixture of all 4 different types of juices. If you are more advanced, feel free to lean towards more green juice!
4 Types of Juices
- Fruit Juice: This contains any natural sugars through fruits like pineapple, apple, orange, etc.
- Beet Carrot Juice: This contains carrots and beets with an addition to some fruit to help with the taste.
- Green Juice: This contains some amazing greens like kale, spinach, romaine, cucumber, celery, parsley, etc. Adding lemon, lime, or apple help to make green juice taste better as well.
- Almond Drink: This contains some great healthy fats and helps to keep you full and satisfied. Other alternatives could be cashew-based or any plant-based protein type of drink.
What can I have in addition to juices?
Liquids
You may consume any liquids that aren’t processed, which leaves water and herbal tea. You absolutely want to drink plenty of water throughout the cleanse to help with moving along the toxins. I recommend drinking herbal tea throughout the day as well. Some of my favorite teas are Ginger, Peppermint, Rooibos, Turmeric.
Solids
If you are absolutely dying of getting something solid, then stick to the clean stuff like organic fruits and vegetables. For example, berries, carrots, celery, and cucumber. If you need a bit more, then you can snack on some nuts & seeds. For example, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Where can I get juice?
Juice Vendors
If you have any local juicing vendors located nearby and don’t mind spending a good amount of money on a juice cleanse, then I recommend checking that out. A very common and well known business is called Pressed Juicery. They provide different juice cleanses that you can even pick out, but like I said it can be very expensive.
Local Grocery Stores
Other great sources would be to head to your grocery store and pick up some juices. For example, Whole Foods Market makes their own pressed juice that they sell daily. In Kroger or Sprouts Farmers Market there is a whole section of different juices. I like to buy Suja’s juices if I end up buying juice for a cleanse. As for the Almond types of juices, I like to get Rebbl or Koia.
Make it yourself!
If you are like me and like to get the best bang for your buck, then I suggest making your own juice! It’s not very difficult and is just a fraction of the price of buying or putting together your own juice cleanse.
Juice Cleanse Log
Now that you understand all the rules and basics of juicing, it is time to start planning out your cleanse. As I mentioned before, it is important you plan to drink 6 juices (12-16oz each) every day for 3 days.
Do not forget to drink lots of WATER. It is important to stay hydrated, so be sure to get some water in between your different juices. Also, it’s great to start each morning with Hot Lemon Water and then drink herbal tea throughout the day.
Here is an example of a great first timer Juice Cleanse Plan
Day 1, 2, and 3
- Hot Lemon Water / Herbal Tea
- Fruit Juice
- Beet Carrot Juice
- Green Juice
- Almond Drink
- Green Juice
- Almond Drink
My recommendation is to start your day with a fruit juice because it helps to give you a boost of energy and it’s great to have fruit first since it digests the fastest. I then recommend ending your day with the Almond Milk because it’s heavier and will help keep you satisfied overnight.
As you do more juice cleanses, you can change up your juices by adding more green juices. After 2 years of juicing, I am now able to do a complete 3-day juice cleanse of all green juice. But I do not recommend doing this unless you have worked your way up to this.
Juice Cleanse Recovery
It’s almost time to celebrate that you’ve completed the difficult part of the entire cleanse, but you are not finished yet! Now it is time to get your body back into eating solid foods, but slowly!
Again, you want to make sure you are drinking plenty of water and staying HYDRATED. The first day of recovery requires you to still have 1 liquid meal. The second day of recovery requires all solid meals. These solid meals, however, are very light.
Your solid meals for the 2 day recovery will consist of salad for the most part. When I say salad I mean you can put vegetables, fruit, nuts, or quinoa/brown rice on top of some leafy greens.
Example 2 Day Recovery Plan
- Day 1
- Breakfast – Light Solid Meal
- Lunch – Liquid Meal
- Dinner – Light Solid Meal
- Day 2
- Breakfast – Light Solid Meal
- Lunch – Light Solid Meal
- Dinner – Light Solid Meal
If you didn’t notice, I usually have a solid meal for breakfast on day 2 but don’t worry, it’s not salad. You may have unsweetened yogurt or very basic overnight oats for breakfast, just make sure you aren’t dumping vast amounts of processed sugar into your morning bowl!
The Aftermath
I am going to be very blunt. Do not be concerned if you are not pooping, that is normal. It sometimes takes me about 1-2 days after the cleanse to finally poop. After that my metabolism is extremely fast and it blows my mind.
Time to Cleanse!
Now that you have all the tools you need to put your best foot forward into doing a Juice Cleanse, I wish you the best of luck and hope you feel like a brand new person on the other side.
THANKS FOR READING
Thank you Nutti’s for taking the time to read this post and I truly hope you enjoy this Juice Cleanse Guide! If you make this recipe, please let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Feel free to pin this recipe to Pinterest if you liked it! I always love to see what recipes you enjoy. Also, you can follow me on Pinterest for more recipes, just click the link below my bio or search for Nutti Nelli!
Mahalo!
Janelle
Nutrition Disclaimer: I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual. You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health.