Why a Juice Cleanse is Not the Answer
The new year is a great time because it inspires so many people to get healthy. Many of you might decide to kick off the new year with a juice cleanse. To be honest I'm not a big fan of juice cleanses as they're very high in sugar. A few days might serve you but anything longer then that might not be the best option in supporting your weight loss and health goals.
I have clients who come to me wanting to try out different fad diets or expensive juice cleanses in the new year, and to be honest, I’m just not too thrilled about these at all. I like to pick a food plan based on the individual and their specific needs.
So what makes a successful new year health plan? One with the goal of DETOX.
But detoxing doesn't just happen by doing a seven-day juice cleanse once a year. Sorry to let you down!
Why we have to detox:
If we aren't properly detoxing on a daily basis by having 1-3 bowel movements a day (ideally at least 2), then excess estrogen builds up in the body creating a hormonal imbalance that leads to weight gain, painful periods, and if untreated manifests into even bigger health issues. Detoxing is important because it allows the body to cleanse of toxic metals or chemicals we are exposed to from our food, toiletries, plastic containers, etc. These metals and chemicals are stored in our fat, which is why losing extra fat is part of the process.
When it all boils down, the less fat you have, the fewer toxins.
But as I said earlier, following a juice cleanse once a year for one week is not going to do the trick. This is because there are two different detox pathways (however when it comes to estrogen there are three!) which need to be supported in order to cleanse. And a juice cleanse is only supporting one of them.
The Two Detox Phases:
Phase One:
In phase one, oxygen and enzymes oxidize toxins. Over 100 enzymes are involved, and the results are STILL toxic until flushed out by Phase Two of the detox phase.
This means that if you are only doing a juice cleanse, then all of those toxins are now even more toxic, and even worse, still hanging out in your body doing damage!
This is why it's important to follow a plan that also supports Phase Two.
Phase Two:
The damaging chemicals from Phase One are now combined with sulfur, amino acids, plus organic acids to be excreted as bile. We get these elements (fiber being one of the key ingredients) from eating whole foods.
So what would an example of a Phase One and Two Detox Look like?
Day 1-3 PHASE ONE:
If you are doing a juice cleanse, keep it short. Or even better yet, just do a simple fast that incorporates Bulletproof coffee or matcha , water and apple cider vinegar, and/or bone broth for the first 3 days. You can still have full-fat coconut milk, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, collagen, or ghee in your tea or coffee. This will help keep you full. A personal favorite of mine (I do this every 3 months) is the 60 hour Keto Reboot.
Days 4-10 PHASE TWO:
After your days of fasting, you will then begin to eat gentle, whole foods. Think plenty of vegetables, healthy fats, moderate protein, and lots of water. Nothing from a package, no sugar, and absolutely no alcohol or pain medicine (headaches are common during detoxes, but you just have to be strong). Notice I didn't say you have to cut out caffeine! I'm a big fan of coffee, matcha, and green tea (if it's organic and high quality) as they are full of polyphenols and antioxidants. But if you wish to cut out the caffeine then please do so! But if you are suffering from HPA Axis Dysfunction, it's best to cut out caffeine entirely.
Methods to get better results from your detox:
1. Supplement with Glutathione or NAC.
2. Drink dandelion root tea (drink this everyday for 14 days) This will support your liver.
3. Take activated charcoal once a day as it binds to toxins and helps flush them from the body
4. Take epsom salt baths and/or sit in an infrared sauna to help draw out toxins.
5. Do a coffee enema. The enzymes in coffee, known as palmitates, help the liver carry away toxins in bile acid.