There is so much speculation and misconception about juice cleanses that I admit I too believed for many years.

While I used to think juice cleanses were just a trendy way for models and celebrities to lose weight quickly, I have now learned how to juice cleanse safely and how beneficial it is for my body when practiced a few times a year.

In this post I will share my experience from the 3-day juice cleanse I just completed as well as my insight from the other 3 juice cleanses I have done over the last 12 months. Juice cleansing is just one small part of my approach to a healthy lifestyle.

I hope that by sharing my experience I can answer some of your questions about juice cleanses and motivate you to take steps towards a healthier you.

What Is A Juice Cleanse?

A juice Cleanse implies a break from everyday eating patterns. The body accumulates internal toxins and strains on the digestive system.

These toxins and imbalances can be from poor eating habits, medications, health issues and well just about anything.

Regularly detoxing the body can give your digestive system a break and help reset your body physically and mentally.

Juice cleanses work particularly well as a form of detoxing because the energy normally spent digesting solid foods is now free to redirect blood and energy to neglected areas like the liver and brain. Its important to note that a juice cleanse is not a fast or a means of starving yourself. Instead it is a way to simplify what the body has to digest and flood your system with vitamins, minerals & enzymes as the toxins are eliminated. You are taking in a normal amount of calories per day, while flushing the bad stuff out of your body.

Benefits of Juice Cleanses

Healthy Cravings

The first few days of a cleanse are tough but then you’ll start to crave healthy foods your body actually needs. At the end of my juice cleanses I always crave healthy fats such walnuts, and avocados. It’s so bizarre but makes the transition make into healthy eating much easier.

Improved Eating Habits

At the end of a juice cleanse you should gradual add food groups back into your diet so as not to shock your digestive system.

This is also a great chance to isolate certain foods may be causing inflammation in your body. Dairy, gluten and soy are common culprits.

After my first cleanse (July 2017) I reintroduced solid food by starting with fruits and veggies. After a few days I planned to add meat and dairy, but the meat craving never returned!

I told myself that if my body craved it I would eat it, but the day never came. While I didn’t go into my first cleanse with a diet change in mind, somehow it just happened naturally and now I eat a mostly plant-based diet with the exception of dish.

I didn’t give up sugar, meat, gluten and dairy all at once. I did it in stages with the help of my juice cleanses and gradual changes to my lifestyle over the past year.

Diminished Bloating

This past January before NYFW I had been eating super well and working out like crazy but somehow I still had that annoying stomach bloat I could not get rid of. The week prior to walking in the Ana Ono show I did a 3 day cleanse and it really helped me de-bloat my system! I love how the cleanses makes me feel so much more comfortable and eliminate that uncomfortable gas associated with problematic digestion.

Weight Loss

I am hesitant to even put this in here. I NEVER started juice cleanses to lose weight. Sure you will lose a few pounds during, but that won’t stick.

Once you start eating solid food again you’ll gain it back. The real benefit is the change in lifestyle and the reset.

After a holiday vacation where I eaten really poorly and gained some weight, I enjoy a juice cleanse to help me detox and get back on track.

It’s not that I actually lose that much weight during but it gives me the motivation and the confidence to stay on the healthy path moving forward.

Improved Energy

The first 1-2 days are rough in terms of energy especially if you are completely limiting caffeine. By the 3rd day though most people begin to feel more energy and more clarity

What Type of Juice Cleanse is Right for Me?

There are a variety of juice cleanse approaches and you need to determine what will be best for you. You can do a juice cleanse at home and make all the juices yourself or you can purchase a package from a restaurant or online retailer.

I have only done my juice cleanses through a local shop (Juice Vibes Cary) that I came to love and trust. The thought of making all my juices at home was just too overwhelming.

I wanted a place that could educate and guide me through the process and provide high quality clean ingredients.

At Juice Vibes Cary, there is no one size fits all. Each juice cleanse is customized to you and your needs.

Every time I cleanse, the owner Stephanie reviews my current eating patterns, cleanse history and goals and recommends a level of cleanse that will best support my body.

As I went through my first cleanse I asked for modifications based on taste, sweetness and ingredients. They are super receptive to feedback and since you only get 1-2 days of fresh juice at a time you are able to make changes.

If the juices were too green (or bitter), they added a little pineapple juice to make it manageable. I generally request my juices to be low in (natural) sugar and incorporate chia seeds (for chew), carrots, and beets as much as possible.

If you’re not ready to jump right into 6 juices a day (no chewing), you can try a modified cleanse schedule. At Juice Vibes Cary they call this the “Juice Cleanse Repeat”.

This option is 4 juices per day with the addition one super healthy salad. I would highly recommend this option for beginners.

For my very first cleanse I did a full 5 day cleanse of juice only and it was intense. I missed chewing SO much. For my “reset” cleanses I generally do 1 day of 6 juices and 2 days with 4 juices and 1 salad.

The salad definitely fills that crunching/chewing desire and helps me mentally make it through the cleanse process.

Juice Cleanse Pricing

When it comes to juice cleanse pricing there is a lot of variety. Normally juice cleanses are priced per day since the expectation is the juice (or juice/salad) will cover all your “meals” for the day.

I have seen the daily price range anywhere from $40 to $90 per day. I find Juice Vibes Cary  rates to be very reasonable considering all the customization they provide.

Juice Cleanse Plans

When to Do a Juice Cleanse

While the inclination may be to do a juice cleanse right before a big vacation, I recommend against this. Instead I recommend doing a juice cleanse after a particularly poor period of eating and at a point when you are ready to rededicate yourself to change. Maybe aim for after that vacation or holiday. Set yourself up for success and make sure your able to follow up your cleanse with healthy changes to your eating and lifestyle.

Side Effect During a Juice Cleanse

Everyone’s side effects will vary but I will share with you my side effects and what I have heard from others

• Headaches are particularly common on the first two days and will be intensified if you are limiting caffeine.
• Fatigue is extremely common during the first few days. I find it helps to lay low, rest and drinks tons of water.  The fatigue can be due to a reduction in calories, lack of hydration as you may not feel like drinking more water when you’ve already drank juice, withdrawal from certain substances such as caffeine, sugar etc. Once you body has adjusted to the dietary changes, you will start to feel a surge. I am on day 3 as I write this and my energy is double what it was two days ago.
• Stool changes such as diaharrea can be common as your body adjusts to the juices or as you add solid food back into your diet. This is completely normal and will subside.
• Brain fog is super common and insanely irritating. Knowing it’s coming helps and for those of us who are used to “chemo brain” just know it’ll be heightened for a few days.

My Tips After 4 Juice Cleanses

• Ease into it. If you are currently eating poorly, try to give yourself a few days to slowly eliminate junk food from your diet. This will make it a lot easier during your cleanse instead of just going cold turkey.
• Preparation is key! Plan your cleanse for a week when you don’t have any exciting food plans. Use the time you would normally be cooking and eating to incorporate a little pampering.
• Drink plenty of hydrating fluids such as water, coconut water, herbal tea. I love to flavor my water with lemon essential oil. It helps me stay more hydrated.
• Plan in down time. I find during my cleanses all I don’t have the energy for my regular workouts, so I listen to my body, pause my workouts, take a short walk and binge on Netflix.
• Have a game plan for post-cleanse. Juice Cleanses are designed to kickstart lifestyle change or reboot so set yourself up for success. You don’t want to  fall back into unhealthy patterns. I usually grocery shop ahead of time and plan out plant-based, easy to digest meals following my cleanse. The recommendation is to limit meat, dairy and wheat for at least 3 days following a cleanse
• Watch for warning signs. If you start to feel super dizzy, shaky, starving or sick don’t ignore those signs. Instead eat something like a light salad or steamed veggies to replenish your symptoms. If the symptoms don’t go away, talk to your cleanse specialist consider ending the early.