Juice cleanses have become a popular way to give your body a break from processed foods, refined sugars, and caffeine, and provide it with an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals from fresh fruits and vegetables.
However, before jumping into a juice cleanse, it is important to prepare your body properly to ensure a successful experience.
In this article, we will discuss how to prepare for a juice cleanse and the benefits of doing so. A juice cleanse can help:
🌟Provide a range of other health benefits
By following these preparation tips, you can ensure a safe and effective juice cleanse experience.
Here are some tips for things to do before, during, and after a juice cleanse:
Before the Cleanse:
- Ease into it: It's best to gradually eliminate caffeine, sugar, and processed foods from your diet a few
days before starting the cleanse. This will help prepare your body for the sudden change in diet. - Hydrate: Drinking plenty of water before the cleanse will help hydrate your body and prepare it for the cleanse. It's important to stay hydrated throughout the cleanse as well.
- Prepare for your cleanse 7 days in advance. By doing so, you’ll effectively prepare your body for the juice cleanse by easing into a nutritional diet. Here’s an example of a preparation plan to follow:
Day 1: In the preparation phase, gradually eliminate coffee, refined sugar, meat, dairy products, wheat, alcohol, and nicotine to reduce headaches, cravings, and other withdrawal symptoms during the cleanse.
Day 2: Continue eliminating the listed foods. Increase intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, and fluids.
Day 3: Consume minimal amounts of restricted foods, and further increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and fluids.
Day 4: Begin day 1 of your juice cleanse
Day 5: Begin day 2 of your juice cleanse
Day 6: Begin day 3 of your juice cleanse
Day 7: Post-cleanse, eat lightly. Gradually add foods back in over the course of several days. Continue to add calories and previously restricted foods in small amounts.
During the Cleanse:
Should I drink water during my cleanse?
YES! Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Although the fruits and veggies in your cleanse contain water and the juices are liquid, many people often forget to drink plenty of regular H2O during their cleanse.
When a body isn't getting enough water, it will be more tempted to hold onto the water inside of it - this is what is known as water weight and what can cause the number on the scale to climb. Along with regular H20, you can have as much tea (green and herbal) as you like. This will keep your energy levels up and prevent crashing and/or headaches.
Can I exercise during a cleanse?
If your body feels up to working out, go for it!
Just remember, due to the reduced caloric intake, you may not be able to exercise as strenuously as you normally do, so take it easy. Light exercise such as walking, stretching and light yoga is recommended and often highly beneficial.
Listen to your body! If you feel weak or dizzy during the cleanse, listen to your body and stop the cleanse if necessary. It's better to stop and resume later than to push yourself too hard.
After the Cleanse:
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Ease back into solid foods: After the cleanse, it's important to
ease back into solid foods gradually. Start with simple, easily digestible foods like fruits and vegetables, and avoid heavy or processed foods.
- Avoid processed foods: To maintain the benefits of the cleanse, try to avoid processed foods and stick to whole, nutrient-dense foods. This will help your body continue to detoxify and heal.
- Continue to hydrate: Drinking plenty of water and herbal tea after the cleanse will help your body continue to flush out toxins and stay hydrated.
Here’s how Lemonkind help
If you're looking to kickstart your wellness journey and considering a juice cleanse, Lemonkind offers a wide range of juice cleanses to suit different needs. To learn more, take our QUIZ to see which of our juice cleanses is right for you!