Juice cleanses might be hugely popular, but are they good for you?
Over the last few years, juicing has exploded in popularity and everyone from Beyoncé to health gurus have jumped on the bandwagon, attributing everything from losing weight to boosting their energy (and general health) to juicing. MOJEH.com investigates the pros and cons of a liquid diet.
Pro: You’ll eat more fruit and vegetables
Juicing is a great way to ensure you’re getting the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Practically any fruit or vegetable can be juiced, allowing you to enjoy a range of nutrients and vitamins you probably would otherwise miss out on.
Pro: Your body can easily absorb the nutrients
Drinking a juice enables your body to better absorb the vitamins, minerals and enzymes that the juice has to offer. This is because all the insoluble fiber — that’s the fiber your body has to work a little harder to process — has been removed through the juicing process, making digestion a lot easier on the body.
Con: You’re missing out on valuable fiber
As previously mentioned, juicing removes the fiber from fruit and vegetables, meaning you are left with carbohydrates and sugar. While this may improve nutrient take-up, it is not healthy in the long run as fiber is crucial in lowering the risk of chronic disease, controlling weight, and slowing the release of glucose to prevent sudden spikes and drops in blood sugar levels.
Con: The weight loss won’t last
If you’re cleansing or fasting with juice, it’s likely you’ll lose weight. However, you’ll be losing mostly water, which means you will most probably put the weight back on after you finish the cleanse.
Con: It’s time consuming
While drinking a glass of juice might be fast and easy, the effort and time it takes to juice is not. Between rinsing your produce, cutting everything up, juicing, and cleaning up, it can take quite some time, even with a top-notch juicer.
Juicing the right way
Here are a few tips and tricks to help ensure you get the most out of your juicing.
1. Stick to mostly vegetables
Sticking to vegetables will help ensure you don’t add too much extra sugar to your diet and it will keep your juice lower in calories.
2. Prepare your juices in batches
The best way to avoid spending a lot of time in the kitchen rinsing, prepping, and juicing all your fruits and veggies is to make a few big batches at a time. You can then store whatever leftovers you have in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week. Alternatively, you could try a juice delivery service such as Essentially or Go Organic ME.
3. Don’t overdo it
A juice fast typically only lasts for one to five days as fasting for a prolonged periods of time can lead to deficiencies of important nutrients. It’s always best to start out slow and work your way up.
