Rise and Be Well: The Gospel According to Juice

We've all heard about Juice Cleanses.

I remember when I was in my early 20s, I bought a Jack Lalanne juicer.

I had seen infomercials with all of these healthy people drinking thick green juice with Jack, looking super happy and very fit.

A light bulb went off in my head and I thought - That's it! All I need to do is drink juice! I'll have more energy and get thin and feel great. This was going to be the start of a brand new Megan.

Here I am at 32, and I have no idea where it is.

At any rate, juicing has made a come back in a big way.

Juice it Real Good

Juice Bars are popping up left and right.

You see crazy expensive 12oz bottles of beet/kale/lemon/apple mixtures in grocery stores and fitness studios.
People are selling juice cleanse programs online to those looking for a reboot.
Even the Walgreens here in New York have some pretty fancy looking juice bottles!

But is the juice worth the squeeze? What are we aiming for by going on a juice cleanse? When you pick up a pint of liquid greens, what is your intention?

I did some research and found that the most common adjectives used around a juice cleanse are:

- Energy
- Detox
- Restoration
- Clean
- Alert

Ultimately, people will drink liquefied kale because they want to have more pep in their step through the day, and get rid of whatever toxins are making them feel constantly sluggish.

And that makes sense! One of the most common complaints of a typical desk worker is having low energy throughout their day.

But why turn to the juicer?

It's just juice, right?

The Juice Cleanse craze started picking up speed in the 1990s on the West coast. It claimed to help people feel better, rid their body of unwanted toxins, and ultimately press a reset button on your body.
It took hold fast, moved across the country and was in full blown swing by 2010.

Ever since then, people have been willing to shell out anywhere between $150-400 for a few days worth of cold pressed gold. And the marketing for this is genius.

Detox your body!
Burn clean!
All natural energy!

Who wouldn't want that?

Drum roll, please...

Start your blenders!

I did a LOT MORE research (links posted at the bottom of the page) to find out if these juice cleanses back what they promise, and the overwhelming opinion everywhere I looked was:

Juice cleanses don't work.

At least not in the way we want them to.

Now let's not shame juices all together - Majority of people don't get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet (no secret there) and juicing is a quick and easy way to get those supercharged superfoods into our system.

So there is a benefit to having fresh juice in your regular diet!

But why wouldn't a cleanse of just superfoods give us the super results we want?

Let's tackle some of these adjectives...

I have to Detox!

For the most part, the words Detox and Cleanse are just buzzwords that don’t actually hold that much weight.

Your body (hopefully) already has what it needs to rid your body of toxins: 2 Kidneys and a Liver.

These organs are purposed with keeping your body in optimal health.

“Doctors typically define (toxins) as something that enters the body that has a damaging effect on its own — like pesticides, lead or antifreeze — or in large quantities, like alcohol or medications such as acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol.” - New York Times

So unless you are specifically focusing on a Last-Friday-Night Cleanse or a Las-Vegas-Regrets Detox, or LITERAL REHAB your body doesn't have a ton of extra toxins to get rid of.

But what about more energy!

This comes down to addressing the culprit of the issue, and not the symptoms.

We all LOVE the fresh feeling of waking up and not feeling uncomfortable in our own skin (internally or externally).

But if you aren't getting 8 hours of sleep, and aren't eating right, and drink tons of coffee, and don't work out etc etc etc... it's no wonder that you're feeling sluggish and foggy.

Your body will burn on the fuel it's given, and will recover with the rest it's provided. If you're not supporting your body on a consistent daily basis, you'll start feeling slow.

So, should I do a juice cleanse?

Ultimately, it's up to you!

Some people think a juice cleanse is a great mental reset on your view of food. Kind of like jump starting your way into a healthier lifestyle of clean eating.

If you're looking to lose weight fast, your body naturally fluctuates anywhere between 5-10lbs of water weight. So you'll lose that, and gain it right back.

My opinion? I think a fresh pressed juice is just a great way to replace a midday snack, or get that morning boost so that you're having more fruits and veggies instead of a bag of chips or a muffin.

If you're going to do a juice cleanse, consult a nutritionist to help you with it. This way you're working together on your food plan, and coming up with a game plan to help you work towards your ultimate long term health goals.

(We provide goal coaching as well!)

Liver Laugh Love

The best thing you can do is support the organs that are responsible for keeping your system clean. And that means supporting your kidneys and your liver.

How do you support your Kidneys and Liver? It's really simple, but not always easy:

Cut out alcohol - Alcohol slows everything down, from metabolism to liver function. So keep your spirits to a minimum (my trick - Kombucha! Still has a fizzy strong taste, and a tiny bit of alcohol, but not anywhere near as hard on your system)

Avoid pain killers such as acetaminophen - If you find yourself taking a lot of pain killers, see what you can do to help lessen this. I have an all natural pain reliever that I love, here's some more info about it.

Take a Probiotic - most people that are diagnosed with kidney disease are prescribed supercharged probiotics as this helps with kidney function. This isn't the first time we've told you to try a probiotic!

Low sodium diet - This one is trickier than you'd think. Most prepared foods are much higher in sodium than we realize. Take time to read the label of your fav foods, and keep an eye on your daily intake.

So don't be ashamed of your green drink!

Just keep in mind that juice cleanses are not necessarily the sole answer to feeling healthier.

Fresh fruits and veggies, in whatever form, are important to your health. And juice can be an incredible tool to help you nourish your body in new ways.

But just please don't do a juice cleanse to lose weight quickly...