Having a healthy lifestyle is important, and juicing is a great way to do this. Juicing can be great, but finding the right juicer is a challenge. Check out a good breville juicer review that will help you decide what juicer is right for you. 

However, once you have a good juicer, you need to know how to do a good juice cleanse the healthy way. If you do a juice cleanse the wrong way it can be especially bad for you. 

So, check out our tips on how to do a healthy juice cleanse.

What is a healthy juice cleanse?

You have probably heard of juice cleanses, and probably wondered what they were at some point. You probably wonder if they work, thinking they might just be one of those pop culture fads. 

You should always read up on the current research and evidence available online and through science. Juice cleanses often go and come in popularity, one minute in popular magazines, especially New Year and springtime for ‘beach body’ season, the next minute they have completely lost their popularity. 

Juice cleanses are also a detox diet, and during the time you do this cleanse, all you consume is fruit or vegetable juice. This usually lasts 1–3 days. Those who do these cleanses believe that juicing will bring a great deal of nutrition to the body and helps you to flush your body with waste and toxins. 

Juice cleanses are meant to clear the body of caffeine, sugar, refined foods and so on, which can deplete the body of energy. Although, these claims are not 100% backed up, and it is believed that if you lose weight during a cleanse you are likely to regain weight when you return to eating as usual. 

What can you eat on a healthy juice cleanse?

When on a healthy juice cleanse, drinking unpasteurized organic juice is most recommended. You could buy pre-made juices or even better – make them yourself. You can also add in some lukewarm or room temperature water between each juice-based meal. 

Smoothies and some healthy food could be included in a healthy juice cleanse if you need more calories. Some people could just opt to have vegan food or raw food, but others may even go for snacks and gluten-free meals. 

These cleanses are short-term fasts which restrict solid foods as being unhealthy, this is something to be careful of, as it can be very triggering for those who have an eating disorder. 

What can you not eat on a healthy juice cleanse?

While not every juice cleanses diet will restrict solid foods, many do, and some will also restrict liquids that are not many from vegetables, nut milk, or certain fruits. 

So, on a healthy juice cleanse what exactly are you not allowed to eat? 

Animal products are at the top of the list of foods not allowed. This includes poultry, eggs, meat, fish, dairy, and even seafood. 

Another thing that you cannot eat on a juice cleanse is processed foods and non-nutritious foods, these include sugar, candies, and sugary drinks, as well as caffeine, alcohol and so on. 

What are the risks of a juice cleanse?

While juice cleanses can be good, they are not always, and there are actually a few risks that are related to doing a juice cleanse. 

You see, cleansing diets are very low in calories, and reduced-calorie diets often lead to weight loss, although this usually does not last very long. 

Similarly, eating an insufficient amount of calories can often cause people to experience symptoms that relate to having low blood sugar as the body just does not have the energy. This can often result in symptoms such as hunger, fainting, dehydration, weakness, and headaches. 

If you do not consume enough fats or proteins, these can lead to malnourishment if avoided for too long. These are both critical to the function of the brain and overall health. 

Finally, if you were to consume juices which have not been treated to remove bacteria, or are unpasteurized, you are more likely to fall sick, this is especially true if you have a weak immune system.

Benefits of a juice cleanse

Advocates for juice cleansing often list the following as the benefits: 

• Weight loss
• Change in gut bacteria
• Detoxification

The biggest benefit people tend to claim is the detoxification effect. It is said that it can remove toxins, however, facts state it is more likely that an increase in fluid intake can help to remove non-organic waste inside the body.

Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.