If your spring clothes feel more snug than last year and your digestion feels “off,” you may find yourself drawn to the allure of a quick fix juice cleanse.
Skip it.
Juice cleansing is an expensive “reset” that lacks evidence for its effectiveness or health benefits.
On my quest to gut wellness, I must admit that Instagram ads are really hitting the mark. After seeing multiple juice cleanse ads for a couple of weeks, I caved, and decided, yeah, I want to spend a day drinking juice. I love trying new things and ever since Queen Bey’s famous cayenne pepper lemonade master cleanse, I have been curious to see how these work.
Well, I did it, and my biggest takeaway is that this was my first and last juice cleanse.
What is a Juice Cleanse?
A juice cleanse is a 1 to 7 day (or longer) “detox” diet where you only consume fruit and vegetable drinks. This restrictive liquid journey allegedly “resets” your digestive system, cleansing out toxins from the body. Who doesn’t want that?
Let’s be real, it’s a diet fad, and I fell for it.
What does a Juice Cleanse Entail?
I tried the six juice BluePrint OG (Renovation) Cleanse (also conveniently sold at Whole Foods) and my juice fast consisted of:
8 a.m.: Hot lemon water
10 a.m. Kale it Up 25g
12 p.m. Pineapple Power (my favorite) 40g
2 p.m. Kale it Up 25g
4 p.m. Lemon Reset 20g
6 p.m. Beet Blast 33g
8 p.m. Nut & Bolt 4g
The Pros and Cons of a Juice Cleanse
Pros:
Healthy dose of fruits and veg. Close to 20 pounds of produce a day to be exact. The juices themselves are delicious and cleverly named.
You feel good. The next day after the cleanse, I did feel light and pretty good. But not good enough to run to the grocery store to buy another pack for a second day of juicing...
Cons:
They’re expensive. Even with the “bulk” discount at Whole Foods, the six bottle cleanse case cost roughly $45.
So much sugar. In one day, I consumed 147 grams of sugar. That’s 488% more than the daily recommend average of 25g. How “good for you” are these really?
Hanger is real. While some of the juices may have a similar amount of calories as a meal, you’re psychologically left feeling unsatiated.
The Juicy Side Effects
My first-time reaction: not for me. It was simply too much juice! All day, you’re drinking. I found myself taking up to two hours to finish one juice (looking at you, Beet Blast). And, I couldn’t even stomach the last 16 oz of the day. To be honest, my mouth was raw and swollen, my belly was bloated and by the time the sun set, I was fighting the urge to quit.
I also wasn’t at my best throughout the day. My mental focus was off and I made a few goofy mistakes. Three (or seven!) days of this would’ve been a woeful mistake.
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