The Great Juice Debate

 

I wasn't intending to challenge the cult of juice fasting. (I was going to post this article about healthy prepackaged snacks.) But then I spotted this article on HellaWella:

WHY A JUICE CLEANSE IS A WASTE OF YOUR TIME AND MONEY.

HUH???? I thought I was alone in my (silent) criticisms of juice cleanses. I mean, it's rare to see a health & wellness blog de-bunking them!  In the past years, juice cleanses have become like a David Guetta song: popping up everywhere, overly hyped, tough to get through, but yet everyone's seemingly into it.  Honestly- I've been anti-cleansing simply because I love eating food.  And because this to me sounds like hell:

I spent the evening drinking broth and messing about with this programme that lets you put your face on a celebrities body! Bit silly I know, but the first three days of a juice fast I tend to just chill out, maybe do a bit of yoga but not anything too strenuous. JuicingFastingSupport.com

Ew.

Anyone who's unsure about juice cleansing should read up on the subject and know your motives.  Quick fix? or foundation for permanent lifestyle change? Without strong commitment to a healthier lifestyle, you're experience will likely go like this (see #6 & 9):

Although I didn’t have any more or less energy than normal, here’s what DID happen:

1. I went to the bathroom A. LOT.
2. I was never, ever, not one time hungry. I had to drink 4, 20-ounce drinks a day plus 2, 14-ounce coconut waters and then other water in between.
3. I gagged every time I had to drink coconut water (aka rotten water).
4. Beet juice turned my pee pee pink and tasted like dirty dirt nastiness.
5. My stomach was super flat.
6. I lost 6 pounds and gained back half of those (see #9).
7. My skin looked great.
8. I learned that I use food as a solution for boredom and social opportunities and I need to be much more mindful of the things I eat.
9. I broke my fast with a Diet Dr. Pepper and some fajitas and I didn’t die. -Mom&Dem