What You Can Eat During A Juice Cleanse
Whether you are looking into juicing because you want to lose weight or because your doctor told you to take better care of your health, there’s no denying that juice cleanses are complicated. This fact, when combined with a lack of knowledge about how to go about finishing a cleanse, can make things terrifying. For example, you and many others may assume that because you call it a juice cleanse, you can only drink liquids for the length of it. However, solid food is permitted and encouraged to help your body get rid of toxins during and afterward.
As a general rule of thumb, you should only eat fruits, vegetables, or nuts. However, you are limited to which of these foods you can eat based on how far you are into your cleanse. A juice cleanse consists of three phases; pre-cleanse, mid-cleanse, and post-cleanse.
Pre-Cleanse
Pre-Cleanse usually takes 2-7 days. The exact time is dependent on your current lifestyle and diet. Your body needs time to adapt to its new diet, so if you’re used to eating foods like pizza, you may need to take 3-10 days to get your body used to a cleanse diet before committing to it completely. Start with a lighter and healthier diet at least three days before you start your cleanse and expect to stick to fruit and vegetables for the first few days to get your body used to its new diet. For first-time cleansers, you may need a higher caloric intake than those who are more experienced. Many fruits and vegetables offer a good amount of calories per meal, such as avocados and figs, both of which are full of nutrients and fiber.
Since your number one source of calories will be blended-up fruits and vegetables for the entirety of your cleanse, it’s also ideal to eat lighter and healthier proteins such as whole grains like rice and quinoa, eggs, and tofu. Doing so will help ensure that your body can fight cravings better, and you’ll be more likely to stick to the cleansing diet plan.
Mid-Cleanse
Mid-cleanse should last anywhere from three days to a week. Many nutritionists say 100% of your daily caloric intake should come directly from juicing during this phase because eating solid foods increases the risk of slowing down the detox process. However, that doesn’t mean that solid foods are prohibited. If you choose to have solid food, be sure to eat as little of it as possible, though it’s permissible to include some.
During this time, your body starts detoxifying itself, which means it is flushing harmful toxins out that can cause bloat and weight gain. Cravings and sudden hunger pangs are common because of detoxifying. Many nutritionists and experienced juicers advise that you add things like green superfood powder to your juices and eat small healthy snacks like soaked or roasted nuts to help curb them.
Post-Cleanse
Post-Cleanse lasts anywhere from five days to two weeks. During this phase, you start slowly reintegrating solid foods into your diet. You might feel tempted to immediately go back to eating the foods you weren’t allowed to eat during the cleanse. However, this is discouraged as it can and is almost guaranteed to lead to post-cleanse diarrhea. Instead, your post-cleanse diet should be almost identical to your pre-cleanse diet. Doing so will ensure that your body has fully finished the detoxing process before you can start eating foods like pizza again.
Start by adding starches like brown rice, couscous, and quinoa back into your diet but be sure to keep the amount of starch under 30% of your overall calories for the first five to six days of the post-cleanse phase. After adding starches, you can start to slowly phase in your proteins like chicken, fish, and vegan yogurt.
In conclusion, eating food isn’t prohibited during a juice cleanse, and it is recommended for those newer to juicing themselves. Each phase is different in length and what foods you are allowed to eat so that you do not disturb the detoxification process your body goes through. No matter the phase you are in, there are always options for when you get hungry.
