9 Benefits of Doing a Juice Cleanse

By Guest Contributor , published Sep 8, 2017

Are you sure you want to do a juice cleanse? Believe me; it’s not going to be a piece of cake. That’s quite literally true, because instead of eating like you normally do, you’re going to just drink fruit and vegetable juice. The fresh kind from real fresh fruits and vegetables. None of that commercial stuff that you buy in the aisle of the supermarket that is laden with additives and sugar.

Why Is Juicing Popular?

There are several possible reasons why it’s a trend that seems destined to stay in the national consciousness. One obvious reason is that lots of celebrities are doing them, so people emulate stars like the Kardashians, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, and Beyoncé. There’s this unconscious hope that people can look like these celebs if they only do a juice cleanse.

Of course, there’s probably no diet plan and workout plan that can make you look like Salma Hayek. But you can at least enjoy the various benefits to your health and figure by doing one every now and then.

9 Health Benefits to Doing a Juice Cleanse

You can learn more about how to prepare for a multi-day juice cleanse and what to be weary about by checking out this guide here.  However in short here are 9 benefits to doing a juice cleanse:

1. Your liver takes a breather As you should probably know, the liver is the organ that detoxifies the food we consume. The problem, though, is that for many of us our diets are basically lumps of toxic junk. Our livers are constantly overwhelmed with the various unhealthy food elements that the liver is trying to screen.

You’ve got refined carbohydrates and saturated fats. Many foods are laced with pesticides. Our livers can’t cope, which is why a lot of these toxins get through so they can cause a lot of trouble to our health.

2. You let your intestine recuperate. A lot of factors can make our gut worse. Aside from toxic food items, you also have various medications that can take their toll. The function of your gut can even deteriorate because of stress. Now going on a juice cleanse takes away these things so your gut can take a rest. It doesn’t take as much energy to consume the juices, and the nutrients in the juice help your gut start to repair itself.
3. You start to hydrate more effectively. It’s a sad fact that many people aren’t properly hydrated. You have to drink 5 to 6 glasses of water a day. But some people eat instead of drink, which adds to their health problems and obesity. Others also drink coffee or soda when they’re thirsty, and that’s not really the same as drinking water.

With a juice cleanse, you’re more likely to hydrate because you’re encouraged to drink water when you’re hungry. You also drink juices instead of eat food, and that also helps with hydration. 

4. Your body gets more nutrients. Lots of food items these days don’t really offer enough nutrients. They’re either full of toxic stuff, and sometimes the cooking method destroys the nutrients in the food.

With a juice cleanse, at least you can be sure that you’re consuming the nutrients and vitamins you’re supposed to get from fruits and veggies.

5. It helps you deal with food cravings. It’s all a matter of will power when you’re on a diet. You must say no to certain foods. But with a juice cleanse, you must say no to all of them. That means you can’t be tempted by a certain snack since you don’t have a good reason to fool yourself.

Once you realize that you can say no to these foods, you can break the hold they have over you. It’s about forming a healthy habit of denying yourself a sinful food treat. When you get into this habit, staying with a proper diet is much easier.

6. Your skin will improve. This may seem like vanity, but so what? Your skin however, doesn’t just make you look more attractive. It’s also the body’s first defense against disease.
7. You’ll lose weight. This may seem obvious, right? After all, if you stop eating solid food for a few days, it’s only natural that you’ll lose some weight. But you can do so not just in the short term but also in the long run.

Basically, it’s about helping yourself get accustomed to healthier habits. You can segue from a juice cleanse to a diet much more smoothly because a low calorie diet (which is common for weight loss) is much easier than the “no food” general rule of a juice cleanse. It won’t feel like you’re denying yourself the high-calorie treats you want.

8. You can find out which foods you should stay away from. You may find that all this time you’re actually allergic to some food items. Your allergy can sometimes actually be why you’re not feeling too well or you’re feeling lethargic. But once you go into a juice cleanse, you can reintroduce healthy food one at a time into your diet and find out which foods are making you ill.
9. It can help fight aging. This is due to the juice cleanse and to the antioxidants in the juices. Antioxidants fight free radicals that cause lipid peroxidation, which leads to cell damage and faster aging. It has been found, however that after a juice cleanse there’s a notable decrease in lipid peroxidation.

You can probably sum up all these benefits into a single statement: by going on the occasional juice cleanse, you can get healthier. You’ll be more active, you’ll be less prone to diseases, and let’s not forget that you’ll look better too because you can lose excess weight. That’s a goal that many are constantly aiming for.

It should also be mentioned that by going on a juice cleanse doesn’t mean you should cease taking other various supplements such as as the Omega 7 oils that are so beneficial to your body. I’m personally a big fan of omega oil and take it daily. By simply adding these oils to the juices themselves, will in fact increase the overall nutritional goodness  of the juice.

With the improvement in your health, your confidence can grow and you’re more likely to achieve social and professional success. That means when you ask yourself if you’re sure you want to do a juice cleanse, just grit your teeth and say yes!

 

Joana is the editor in chief over at TheJuiceChief.com. She’s a prolific blogger with a bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition and is deeply passionate about organic juicing, nutrition and fitness. She also loves helping others succeed with their health goals.