Why nutritionists WON’T recommend a juice cleanse as a New Year resolution

The Christmas rush is over and you’ve got a few days to relax, mull over your life and start planning your New Year resolutions. Did you know that the most popular resolutions every year involve self-improvement? Living a healthier life, getting happier, losing weight, exercising more and decreasing your alcohol intake are all included.

If you too want to jump on the health and weight loss bandwagon this year, we applaud you. You’ve made the decision; now you want to take action and get results. So, should you resort to a juice cleanse? Most nutritionists would give a resounding NO to that question and in this article, we’ll tell you why.

What is a juice cleanse?

For a start, a juice cleanse or juice detox is a juice-only diet consisting of fruit and vegetable juices, with no solid food.

The premise is that drinking only juices will boost your nutrient intake, detox your body and liver, improve your skin, decrease any inflammation, plus help you lose weight. A juice cleansing diet tends to last for approximately three days to two weeks.

Their main appeal is that they offer a quick fix and who doesn’t want that? They’re also popular thanks to celebrity endorsement which make them socially acceptable and fashionable.

However, you’ll rarely find a juice detox diet recommended by a dietitian or nutritionist. Why is that?

What’s wrong with juice detox diets?

Straight up, a liquids-only diet is extreme. Particularly so if it represents a substantial departure from your usual food habits and intake. Unfortunately, any sort of dramatic lifestyle shift can cause your system to protest in the form of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and side effect like headaches and stomach upset.

The severe calorie restriction typical on a juice-only diet is also likely to contribute to knock-on effects. If you’re not consuming enough calories, it’s true that you’ll probably lose weight in the short term. But too little energy can send you into a metabolic slow down that leaves you feeling lethargic, constantly hungry, irritable, always cold and having trouble sleeping. That sure isn’t going to feel good! Going on a diet and feeling awful only leads to one thing – ultimately, breaking the diet and ending up back at square one.

The next issue with juice diets is sugar consumption. When you eat a piece of whole fruit, you’re also getting plenty of fibre and other components that work together to slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. But with fruit juicing, you remove the fibre so your body gets one big hit of sugar that leads to blood sugar spikes and crashes. Vegetable juices are better as they are lower in sugar, however, they still lack fibre. Fibre is critical for good gut health, promoting the growth of the healthy bacteria. It also helps you feel full, prevents hunger and aids weight loss.

Because most fruits and veg don’t contain much protein, a juicing diet is severely lacking in protein which also creates hunger and can have a negative impact on the health of your muscles and bones.

And finally, another key concern for nutritionists with juicing diets is that they can lead to an unhealthy, dysfunctional relationship with food. That’s because you’re not eating solid food or working to create meals, so the diet doesn’t teach you anything about positive eating habits.

How the body detoxes itself

Thankfully the body has its own team of organs that work synergistically to process and eliminate toxins from the body. These include:

Kidneys - filters your blood and removes contaminants via your urine.

Liver - helps to process nutrients and break down toxins to ease elimination via the kidneys.

Lungs - removes airborne contaminants.

Colon - eradicates waste and pollutants through bowel movements.

Skin - the largest organ of the body, removes toxins when you perspire. Clear, glowing skin is a sign of detoxified insides whereas skin rashes can be caused by toxin build up not effectively eliminated via other organs.

All our detoxing organs are continually switched on and working to clear your body of any harmful substances. However, your internal mechanics can certainly become sluggish or hit overload if exposed to many environmental pollutants or consistently fed the wrong diet. If you feel in need of a tune up, you can support your body’s detox systems to function optimally using the advice below.

A healthier alternative to juice detoxing – 9 top tips to detox your body

Now for the good news! You can still achieve results like weight loss, glowing skin, decreased inflammation and a clean-up of your insides, in a safe and effective way. The answer is a food cleanse. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Remove processed foods - if you want to detox your body, the best way of doing this is to start by removing all the heavily processed food you eat. Unfortunately most Australians eat far more processed food than they should and the amount is steadily increasing. The more processed a food is, the less it resembles its original natural form, and the more likely it is to be filled with artificial additives, preservatives, flavourings, colourings and fillers. That’s not to mention the high fat, high sugar and high salt content. These ingredients are hard to digest, offer minimal nutrition and sap your body of vitality.
2. Try clean eating – focusing on plant-based foods such as whole vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds alongside some white meats (chicken/fish). Red meat can be harder on your digestive system.
3. Lower your sugar consumption - this article will help with tips for cutting back.
4. Boost your fibre intake – for gut health and to assist your weight loss efforts. Smoothies are a good alternative to juices as you can pack them with fibre.
5. Eat mindfully – remove distractions and enjoy every mouthful slowly. It’s been proven to help reduce overeating and cravings.
6. Exercise regularly – particularly building up a sweat to help release toxins via the skin.
7. Rest well – try to prioritise good sleep and some downtime so your body’s repair systems and detox organs can work properly.
8. Stay well hydrated - with plenty of water and herbal teas. Limit alcohol consumption as alcohol monopolises the liver.
9. Try a Dietlicious healthy food cleanse – it’s simply the easiest way to get the detox formula right as we’ve done all the hard work for you. You’ll feel shiny and new within a few days of eating our clean, energising menu that’s free from hard-to-digest additives, red meat, sugar, dairy and processed foods.

Check out the Dietlicious Food Cleanse

We live in a society today that thrives on quick fixes but unfortunately, when it comes your health and wellbeing, juice diets can be dangerous and unsustainable. They’re not the healthy answer to your New Year resolution prayers. Sit down and take some time to work out what you need to change about your eating habits and what health and weight loss outcomes you want to achieve. Then use our 9 detox tips above to get started. Be sure that you don’t focus entirely on food but include aspects like exercise and sleep for your overall wellbeing. That way you’ll actually feel better, physically and mentally, and get more out of life in the long term.