April 7, 2017
I will admit, I was hesitant to do my first 3-day juice cleanse.
How will I go without food for three days?
Will I feel good enough to get on with my daily life?
Will I have the willpower to even finish the darn thing?
I’m sure these and many other questions go through the minds of people who are considering a juice cleanse and rightfully so. I had many doubts about the process but I also knew the extremely long list of benefits that I could potentially experience from the cleanse. It was these benefits that convinced me to go for it. I’d like to share 5 of them with you.
5 “Liquid” Reasons to try a Juice Cleanse
Increased Energy
Despite my original hesitation of not having enough energy during my cleanse, I was pleasantly experiencing a great feeling of lightness and an increased amount of energy as I progressed through the cleanse. I found myself bounding up stairs and doing extra tasks around the house with all my energy. This was happening because instead of my energy being depleted by digesting solid food and battling any toxins that I was regularly consuming, my body had more energy to do what I really wanted and needed it to do. This energy that I experienced actually increased each day throughout the cleanse and was at its highest the morning after the 3rd day. This was opposite to what I had expected to happen and I was very pleasantly surprised.
Better Sleep
With two young children under the age of 4, sleep is not exactly something I get a lot of these days. So when I do get a chance to close my eyes, the quality of my sleep is so important. Normally I eat dinner around 5:30 and often have some sort of a snack before bed. When I think of it, I was actually giving my body more work to do when I was supposed to be sleeping and repairing myself. During a juice cleanse you are only consuming raw, unprocessed fruit and vegetable juice, full of nutrients and lots of water to cleanse out the toxins. By doing this, the body is given a break from the digestion process allowing it to direct its energy to more important things like rest and repair. I personally found during my cleanse that I felt more rested and more energized throughout my days than I ever did leading up to it.
Weight Loss
I must admit, this benefit was far down on my list of reasons to do a cleanse in the first place, but it was certainly a welcome result. My body was able to use my stored body fat for energy because I was ingesting a reduced amount of calories throughout the day. I never weigh myself so I have no idea numerically how much weight I lost but let me tell you, at the end of my 3-day juice cleanse I was sliding into my skinny jeans a whole lot easier. I truly felt fantastic in everything I put on, knowing that I lost the weight in such a safe and healthy way.
Clearer Skin
The SAD(Standard American Diet) tends to contain many congestive and acidic foods which cause many negative health conditions, many of these being conditions of the skin. Some examples are acne, psoriasis, and eczema. I personally do not suffer from any of these conditions so this benefit was not something I was seeking as I progressed through the cleanse however I did notice an overall glow to my skin and the texture of it became much smoother. I am a huge fan of dry skin brushing, a simple detox habit that can be done every day. So naturally I continued this habit throughout my juice cleanse and really reaped the benefits. By brushing my skin I was able to remove the top layer of dead skin cells and really assist my body in the cleansing process that it was going through.
Clearer Mind
Clearing the body is directly related to clearing the mind. As the body cleans out toxins, so too does the mind. I found that as I progressed through my cleanse I began letting go of things I could not control and began developing a positive attitude towards the things I could. I was much more motivated to tackle things that I had been putting off and I did so with a clear and energized emotional charge.
So, if you are or have ever considered trying a juice cleanse, whether it is just for a single day or 2 or more, I would highly recommend it. The benefits are endless and if anything you will be giving your body a break from the incredible amount of energy it has to put out to digest all the food you put in it on a daily basis.
Just be aware that juice cleanses are not for everyone and if you have any doubts you should always consult a professional before jumping into one.
Happy juicing!