Juicing is the buzz word in the media these days especially with the popularity of 3-7 day juice detoxes and so on. The reason I’ve taken the time to write this blog is a number of people have been asking and emailing me recently about juice detoxes.
The most important question is why does one feel the need to “detox”? More often than not it’s more to do with wanting a fast way to drop weight rather than a form of detoxification. If you are looking to shed a few pounds permanently, then a juice cleanse is not the answer. Drinking juice all day might help you to loose some water weight, but you will gain those pounds back post-detox when your body starts utilizing real food again.
I personally advise against such so called detoxes as there is very little evidence supporting the claimed benefits and I know from people who have ignored my advice that they can leave one feeling grumpy, lethargic and agitated. Feel free to add a green juice into your daily routine it’s the drinking of juices exclusively for a prolonged period of time I’d advise against. Cutting out macro nutrients i.e. proteins and fats from your diet for a prolonged period of time is simply a bad idea.
If you really want to reset your system and generally allow your body perform optimally I suggest you commit to the following for 10 days straight:
Quit all forms of sugar, all flour products and all artificial sweeteners. Ideally avoid all foods that come in a packet or carton or have any label listing ingredients. Stick to real, whole fresh food not including any grains of any kind.
- Quit caffeine and alcohol for 10 days.
- Get at least 8 hours sleep each night.
- Drink a minimum of 2 but ideally 3 litres of (spring) water per day.
- Eat protein at every meal especially breakfast. Use eggs, fish, chicken, red meat, nuts or seeds.
- Eat as much non starchy vegetables as you like e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, bok choi, mushrooms, artichokes, asparagus and so on. (No potato variations but for no longer than 10 days)
- Increase healthy fats with each meal, e.g. Extra virgin olive oil, organic cold pressed coconut oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, omega 3 fish oil as liquid or taken as capsules.
- Snack on berry variations if you feel like something sweet
That’s pretty much it. I can guarantee if you make the commitment and stick to these steps for 10 solid days it will far exceed any 3 day fad juice detox. The reason being even if you continue just 50% of the above plan long term it will assist in making a positive lasting change to how you look and feel.
Hope this helps and I really hope you give the 10 day healthy adjustments a go!
Any questions let me know.
