You know the feeling; your jeans are tight, your skin is broken out and you feel like you look 8 months pregnant because you’re so full from excessive holiday eating. Don’t try and deny it, we all occasionally fall to the wayside when it comes to our clean eating routine, especially when we hop from party to party. Most of us feel the need for a “quick fix” after all the celebratory feasts and festivities – something that will make you feel rejuvenated and refreshed by the time the next day rolls around, but that’s not the answer. Long lasting results don’t come from spur-of-the-moment solutions. Juice cleanses and detoxes are actually more harmful than they are helpful! I’ll tell you why…
When you’re on the lookout for something simple, healthy and satisfying, fruit and vegetable juice immediately pops into your head. Juices and cleansing elixirs look so appealing and refreshing with their bright colors and frothy flavors, but don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Juicing promptly removes necessary nutrients from fruits and vegetables by destroying the healthy fiber and antioxidants found in the seeds and skin. Money words like “organic, all natural, nutrient rich, and cold-pressed” are just cover ups for water packed with way too much sugar.
Although certain juices may increase your vitamin intake, when you eat whole fruits and vegetables you will earn abounding health benefits compared to gulping it down in a glass. High sugar consumption skyrockets blood sugar levels which result in fatigue, hunger pains, dehydration and an empty and unsatisfied feeling in your gut. Not only are juices high in sugar, but they lack healthy fat and protein which aid in muscle reconstruction and healthy hair, bones, skin and nails.
THINK BEFORE YOU SIP.
I know what you’re thinking, “I just want to lose the 5 pounds I gained while I gorged on cookies and turkey!” Don’t do it! Although the number on the scale might decrease, your body will feed off it’s own fat and muscle tissue, making your numerical weight lower but your appearance seem less toned. When you look in the mirror your body will shout at you and say “give me protein and get to the gym, stat!” Relying on juice and drinks makes your immune system jump into starvation mode, lowering your metabolism and making you digest food slower and hold onto fat longer. You don’t need juice to detox your digestive system, we already have organs that naturally “detoxify” our bodies for us. Our liver, kidneys and intestines filter everything we ingest, giving us a fresh start only a day or two later. Many people say they feel happy and energized while doing a juice cleanse, but once you quit taking swigs of sugar, you’re going to drastically crash.
Start this year by acknowledging the things you’re putting into your body and your mind. Just like you avoid negative people who bring you down, avoid unfavorable foods that make you feel lousy. You juice, you lose.