For those who love trying out new methods to lose weight, a Juice Cleanse detox diet is something you may have heard about before. Like the name suggests, it’s a kind of detox diet plan where you must consume only liquids for a set number of days. Such diets can help flush out toxins from your body. However, they can also come with risks. It is vital to know everything before you decide to go on an all-juice detox cleanse.
Below is what you need to know, some tips, pros, cons, and a food list. Also read on to explore a 5-day juice cleanse plan:
More On Juice Cleanse Diet
Also known as a juice fast, a juice cleanse is a kind of detox diet, where you would be consuming vegetable and fruit juice, and nothing else. Such diets are usually done for a specific period of time, like 3, 5, or 7 days, as they can be highly restrictive and may cause deficiencies.
If done right, a juice detox can help flush out all the toxins, support the natural detox process, and clear your body of sugar, caffeine, refined food, and other substances that may deplete your energy.
While there are lacking claims, certain studies do suggest that people might lose a few pounds during this diet. However, it can bounce back after you regain your normal eating patterns.
5-Day Juice Cleanse Plan: What To Eat?
A typical detox diet can last from one to three to five days. Going beyond 7 days can lead to extreme nutritional deficiency and is not recommended by medical experts.
Day 1: This is the preparation phase. Your main aim here would be to gradually eliminate coffee, meat, dairy, alcohol, wheat, refined sugar, and nicotine. This might lead to withdrawal symptoms like cravings or headaches. Increase the intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, and fluids. Consume very minimal amounts of restricted foods, and consume fruits, vegetables, and juices when the cravings hit.
Day 2: Once your body starts to go into a cleanse mode, start consuming juices as your meals. Consume 8oz green vegetable juice for breakfast, 8oz smoothie with almond milk and berries for lunch, and 8oz vegetable broth for dinner. You can drink 8oz of carrot, beet, and apple juice for evening snacks. If the cramps are severely uncomfortable, consume an apple.
Day 3: Now that your body is getting used to this, one of the best ways to lose weight and detoxify your body is to stick to juices. You can go with a smoothie with coconut milk, a small salad with no dressing, green vegetable juice, a small portion of celery and apple, ginger, and cucumber juice.
Day 4: Your body has most likely gone through cleansing here. Gradually start adding foods back in.
Day 5: Keep adding some calories in small amounts, while consuming juices as well.
What To Eat When On A Detox Cleanse?
Raw, fresh, or organic juice is perhaps the best meal replacement here. You can make them in the morning with fresh produce- or do the meal prep the day before. Room temperature water should be consumed between every juice meal to help flush out toxins.
A juice cleanse diet is a short-term diet that labels almost all food groups as restrictive. That said, it can be triggering for people recovering from an eating disorder.
Fruits & Vegetables
Below are some of the raw veggies and fruits you can consume in the form of juice or snacks:
- Kale
- Carrot
- Beet
- Peppers
- Leafy Greens
- Celery
- Spinach
- Apple
- Cabbage
Gluten-Free Whole Foods
Gluten-free whole foods are sometimes suggested in the form of small snacks to help keep the cravings away. Below is what you can consume:
- All fruits and vegetables
- Soy products like tofy
- Beans
- Legumes
- Whole grains
Nut Milk
During a 3-day detox cleanse diet, nut milk can help offer important nutritional value. Below is the kind of nut milk you can consume:
- Coconut milk
- Cashew milk
- Almond milk
What Not To Eat When On A Detox Cleanse Diet?
Below is an entire list of foods you can not consume on a super-restrictive juice cleanse diet:
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Poultry
- Meat
- Fish
- Caffeine
- Sugar
- Sugary drinks
- Sweets
- Fried foods
- Alcohol
Highly Restrictive Juice Cleanse Schedule with Time Stamps
Wake Up: Lukewarm water with a splash of lime juice.
9 am: Juice like green vegetable juice
11:30 am: Juice like a smoothie
2 pm: Juice-like smoothie
4 pm: Juice like carrot, apple, and beet juice.
6 pm: Juice-like smoothie
8 pm: Nut milk
Is Juice Cleanse A Healthy Choice?
Based on the fact that this diet is highly restrictive, experts suggest that this juice cleanse diet should not be continued for a long period of time. This diet doesn’t essentially help you lose weight. It just offers detoxification. Though you might shed some pounds, which usually come back once you start eating healthy again.