A juice cleanse involves consuming only fruit and vegetable juice for a certain period of time. The length of time that a juice cleanse takes depends on your personal goals for it. It can last anywhere from 1-10 days. Common reasons for doing a juice cleanse involve weight loss, detoxing, and replenishing the body with nourishing vitamins and minerals.
People who start a juice cleanse usually do it to improve their physical health. Many people don’t focus on healthy eating all the time, so on occasion they take the time to feed their body the nutrients they really need. Sometimes it’s used as a quick fix after an unhealthy weekend, or even as an introduction into an overall healthier lifestyle. Once you decide what your goals are for doing a cleanse, we can help you figure out how long it should take!
Why Is the Purpose of a Juice Cleanse?
There are several beneficial reasons to do a cleanse.
Different people have their own reasons for choosing to do a juice cleanse. A juice cleanse can help jump start someone’s weight loss, cleanse their digestive system, and even add nutrients they don’t normally get in abundance. Each of these goals usually requires a different length of time to reach.
Weight Loss
Weight loss is one of the top goals for people in the country. People all around us are on weight loss journeys at any given time of the year. And since it is a new year, more people than ever will be trying to reach their weight loss goals. A juice cleanse is one way to get started on that journey. Most people lose weight on a juice cleanse, often more than they would on the average diet.
But you can’t simply rely on a cleanse for weight loss. A cleanse will provide weight loss gains early on, but isn’t a sustainable weight loss plan long term. It is a great way to jump start your weight loss, which will give you motivation to keep making the changes you need, but you still have to change your habits long term. The weight loss effects of a juice cleanse are best used to get someone started on a healthier diet, and even to drop weight on occasion. For long term weight loss, you need to keep your momentum going with healthy changes to your diet.
Detox
A detox is another common reason for a juice cleanse. After spending months or even a weekend eating a bad diet, you will probably feel worse physically than you would have if you had eaten a healthier one. Some people especially find it necessary to do a juice cleanse after the holiday season. After you’ve had your fill of large dinners with your friends and family, you might be looking to get rid of the damage you feel it has done to your health and energy levels.
Your bowel function can also be improved with a detox. If you have any stomach issues or simply overstuffed yourself with food in the recent past and don’t feel as if your digestive system has yet recovered, a detox can make your bowels feel as if they’ve been cleared out. Taking a break from solid foods will clear your system right out with a proper juicing routine!
Provide Your Body with Nutrients
Many people go on juice cleanses to get the nutrients they usually lack on a regular basis. While most of us would like to eat healthy, we often don’t get the chance to focus on health for a number of different reasons. Which is why we end up using juice cleanses to replenish our bodies with the types of nutrients we don’t often get.
Your body needs the right nutrients to thrive. You can most likely feel a physical difference from the days you eat lots of junk food and the days you eat much healthier. A detox can give you a quick dose of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will make your body feel great. You might even get tempted to keep the good feeling going with a healthier diet.
How Long Should a Juice Cleanse Last?
1 Day
A one day juice cleanse works best for a quick detox. If you feel groggy, unfocused, and tired throughout your days, a one day juice cleanse can turn that feeling around. Drinking liquids and avoiding solids allows your body to skip the breaking down food portion of the digestive process. The enzymes that would have been broken down then become available to pass directly through the bloodstream. These enzymes help rid the body of bad bacteria which will make you feel a lot better.
2-3 Days
A 2-3 day cleanse works best for those who want to provide their body with adequate nutrients. Many of us don’t focus on our vitamin intake as much as we should, and this is how some people choose to make up for it. A couple of days of nutritious juices will make a difference in your body’s function and on how you feel day to day. The difference in how you feel when you get the right nutrients will remind you to nourish your body on a regular basis. But whenever you slack off, a few days of focusing solely on nutrition can help improve your health.
4-7 Days
If you’re looking to achieve some serious weight loss, a longer cleanse is best for you. You won’t see any significant results if you cleanse for too short a time. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrients, which is why drinking juice for several days has a weight reducing effect. Doing a juice cleanse for days will get you accustomed to a healthy juicing routine that you will be motivated to stick with even when your cleanse is over. The weight loss you experience in this period of time should serve as a motivator for you to change your overall diet for lasting results.
A juice cleanse can improve your health in a number of ways, and how long you should stick with one depends mostly on your personal goals for cleansing. Whatever length of time you choose, you’ll end up gaining some great nutritional benefits along the way!
