How to do a Juice Cleanse to Reset Your Diet

 

Our environment and our busy schedules can make it very difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle balance and we find ourselves looking for a way to get back to feeling healthy and energetic. When we drink fresh juice from whole fruits and veggies rather than eat them, it gives our digestive system a break, and allows our bodies to easily absorb the flood of nutrients we are taking in. This break gives our body the time to focus on healing itself and flushing out stubborn toxins and waste. Our bodies have the power to heal themselves, they just need to be given a chance to do so. If we are constantly taxing our body by feeding it unhealthy and processed foods, we are not giving it the opportunity to keep us in optimal health. A purposeful juice cleanse from Virtue can help transform your life in many different ways.

Our customers have reported six potential benefits you could receive from doing a juice cleanse:

1.  Helps to eliminate toxins
2.  Jump-starts weight loss and healthy eating habits
3.  Gives your digestive system a rest
4.  Improves energy and skin tone
5.  Reduces bloating and improves digestion
6.  Helps identify food sensitivities

A juice cleanse is a great way to break back into healthy eating habits, but it is also important to consider your motives for wanting the benefits from your cleanse. Ask yourself why you want to achieve those benefits. What will attaining it mean for you? How will it impact your life? Having a clear vision of your goal will make it easier to remind yourself of why you are doing it and press on in moments of weakness.

Before starting our juice cleanse:

Virtue offers multiple cleanse types including:

• our standard, well balanced cleanse
• a low sugar / low glycemic cleanse that is easy on the kidneys
• a full green juice cleanse, prioritizing leafy greens and vegetables

Virtue can customize your cleanse according to your specific needs and goals and can also build it for the number of days you desire. Contact Virtue to coordinate the best cleanse program for you.

Unless you are doing a one-day juice cleanse, you will want to prepare your body for your juice fast. If you are doing a two day, three day, or more cleanse, you will want to consider the recommendations below. If you jump right into the cleanse from an unhealthy diet, you could feel quite sick from the detox side effects and not want to continue or even attempt it again.

The week before:

• Transition unhealthy meals and junk food out of your diet and replace them with more raw organic vegetables and fruit making about 75 to 80 percent of your diet raw and whole foods. 
• Eat smaller portions than usual, eating only enough to satisfy your hunger.
• Incorporate regular, non-strenuous exercise into your routine.
• Make sure you are drinking enough clean water, which is key to flushing out toxins.
• Slowly wean off of caffeine consumption, if possible. Herbal tea or black coffee with no cream or sugar are good options if necessary.

 

Starting your cleanse

Warm lemon water is your best friend during a juice cleanse. It’s an incredible liver stimulant and it helps begin the cleansing process before you even take a sip of that first juice. Once getting into the habit of it during your cleanse, you might find that it is something that you want to continue to do post-cleanse. In addition to drinking plenty of water, you can also include herbal tea into your cleanse plan.

• Aim to drink a juice every 2 to 2.5 hours.  If you space your juices out over 10-12 hours, your body will thank you. Skipping juices will likely leave you feeling hungry and can result in a drop in your blood sugar, which can leave you feeling lethargic and maybe even give you a headache. 
• Light exercise is fine, but listen to your body. Your energy levels can change and be a bit unpredictable during a cleanse so you may want to limit yourself to walks, yoga, and stretching.
• Allow your body and mind to relax. We've heard from our customers that meditation or journaling are helpful during a cleanse. Get plenty of rest and take naps if possible.
• If you feel hungry, please eat something! Cleanses are not supposed to strain your body or feel uncomfortable.  Whole and nutrient dense foods work well here, such as salads or soups.

The most important thing is for you to pay attention to your body and what it needs. If you feel too weak, then go easy. If you feel good and full of energy, then ramp it up!

 

Breaking the cleanse

End your cleanse when you feel the time is right. After you finish your cleanse, celebrate what you’ve accomplished. Every day that you juiced, you nourished your body with around 20 pounds of organic nutrients. That’s something to applaud yourself for!

Now is a great time to think about how you want to incorporate what you’ve learned into your daily regimen. Maybe you want to supplement one meal a day with a raw cold pressed juice?

The day after your cleanse you’re going to want to ease into solid foods. One of the best ways to come off a cleanse is to drink smoothies and eat small pieces of juicy, watery fruit.  Some people recommended to wait at least 3 days before you start adding proteins (organic meat) and whole-wheat grains, but again, listen to your body and monitor how you feel.

In the days following a cleanse, you also have the opportunity to identify any food sensitivities. If you suspect you are sensitive or allergic to something, systematically add it to your diet and see if it’s a trigger for you.

 

The references made in this article website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. 

Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results may vary upon use and are not guaranteed.