4 Things I Learned From Doing a Juice Cleanse

Oh, juice cleanses. We've all heard about them. However, what we haven't heard of are any definitive scientific studies supporting or disproving their efficacy.

The premise of a juice cleanse is fairly simple– in theory, by only drinking organic juices full of antioxidants and nutrients, you will clean all the toxins out of your body. However, according to science, there is no evidence that supports the claim that juicing speeds up this detoxifying process. Dr. John Emsley, a chemical scientist, assures that our body does this naturally via our liver, kidneys, and other organs.

However, a juice cleanse can aid in weight loss because it significantly reduces the amount of calories and fat consumed that day. This isn't surprising– the average juice cleanse contains about 1000-1200 calories, much lower than the recommended level for women.

But there's nothing like collecting your own empirical data, which prompted me to try cleansing out myself. Companies like BluePrint Cleanse and Pressed Juicery offer daily regimens at close to $70 a day, so I thought I'd save money and go the homemade route.

One farmer's market and $30 later, I was ready to start making my own juices. This is what I made: (below)

1. Green Monster: kale, pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, blueberry
2. Solar Power: orange, pineapple, carrot, lemon
3. The Blackberry: blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, grape, romaine lettuce
4. Pearberry: Pear, strawberry, orange, pineapple, carrot
5. The Mediterranean: grape, pear, tomato, romaine lettuce
6. "All the Fruits": Apple, grape, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple, kale, carrot

And this is what I learned:

  1.  Starting out your day with juice is great.

You know that feeling you get after you've had a really big, heavy meal? That doesn't exist in the juice cleansing world. Usually I eat yogurt and granola for breakfast; but I didn't realize how much it weighed me down until I only had juice. During the whole morning, I felt light and energetic, ready to take on whatever came my way. And when it was time for me to go to the gym during my lunch break, I had a great workout, running a good time on my mile even after having been sidelined due to an injury.

  2.  But don't plan on making it through the day.

However, after my post-gym high, I felt like I ran into a brick wall. Where I had been energetic and sprightly, I was suddenly lethargic and sluggish. Even my lunch juice did nothing to raise my energy levels. I shouldn't have been surprised, though– when you expend a drastically higher amount of calories than you take in, you are apt to feel effects from it.

Unfortunately, things got a bit dangerous in the evening when I almost passed out in a grocery store. I'd never felt that way before– all of a sudden, I could barely see out of one eye and had to sit down before I fell over. It was clear to me that continuing the cleanse for the day would not be a good idea, and I immediately went to make myself a vegetable rice bowl for dinner.

  3.  In fact, beware of post-cleanse binging.

Armed with this warning, I didn't overeat at dinner, but I easily could have. I was so hungry from only drinking juice that I had to be careful not to wolf down all the food in sight. 

Having read a decent amount about juice cleansing prior to my own trial, I felt angry and misled that I hadn't seen any admonition against working out while on a juice cleanse.  But, on the other hand, I should have foreseen this myself– there's a reason why people eat protein bars after a workout. Having ran a few miles for my workout on top of my regular weight training, I should have known that I would need more than the standard six juices. 

  4.  Moral of the story: find balance.

While the afternoon was the yang to my yin morning, I learned (or rather, reinforced) a very valuable lesson– everything in moderation. Homemade juices can absolutely be meal replacements, or a supplement to balanced diet. However, I think the whole "juice cleanse" fad is more hype than health. 

I can understand why the trend gained such popularity... everyone wants a quick fix to their problems, whether it entails "detoxifying" their system or dropping a few pounds fast. But true health is a culmination of healthy eating, exercise, and the right attitude. Avoiding foods that contain preservatives and oxidants is the true requisite for any sort of cleanse. By only choosing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, calcium-rich dairy, and good fats (like olive oil and avocados) can we genuinely detoxify our bodies. And, like I said, juicing can be a great supplement to this lifestyle, but thinking that a cleanse will make any real, immediate changes is just wishful thinking. 

But, to end on a positive note– the juices I made were really delicious, and I'm grateful to have had this learning experience! It was a great opportunity to learn about my body and my health, and to eat more fruits and vegetables along the way.