Juice-cleanses, juicing-fasts, juice-detoxes...It is time I interject some common sense into this over-hyped, fructose-laden,
crash-diet-in-disguise fad! As usual I
have done my best to sift through all the bro-science, and anecdotal,
placebo-effect claims out there in internet land, and also have managed to
sniff out all the false-marketing, testimonial-type, social media posts
attempting to sell us cleansing kits, polluting our newsfeeds (pun intended). ‘Cleanses’ and fasts are certainly not new as
they have been around forever, and I don’t think they will ever go away. Folks are drawn to them and always have been
– beginning a cleanse is almost like a spiritual journey for many – like a
baptism, and many also like the discipline and sense of accomplishment
completing a cleanse can bring. Cleanses
and fasts permit us to immediately and radically start fresh, or break a
downward spiral of poor diet and lifestyle choices. They empower us and cause us to feel as if we
are taking back control of our bodies and health with a tangible, simple plan. However, they are also a means to rapid and
sometimes unhealthy weight-loss, so many folks often use cleanses as way to
kick start their diets, though often this sets in motion a pattern of yo-yo
dieting, or fasting as a way to make-up for binging episodes. It’s a slippery slope into diet abuse. I’m sure you know of some folks who are
cleansing every month whether they need to or not.
We can see that there are many mental and motivational positives to undertaking a cleanse or even a strategic fast. In fact Intermittent-Fasting is even linked to improving longevity and boosting metabolism. And of course there will be immediate accompanying weight-loss, usually temporary water and glycogen weight – but seriously, are our insides any ‘cleaner’ or less toxic as a result? Doubtful. And certainly the only claims of the latter I uncovered were anecdotal at best, or worse, evangelistic testimonials from folks trying to sell us cleansing-kits and products. The bottom line is, are bodies do a fantastic and thorough job of maintaining and detoxing ourselves on a daily basis. We have organs and systems designed just for this purpose and they never stop working for our greater good. Liver, kidneys, sweat glands, mucus membranes, colon, lungs, lymph nodes, skin – they are all working in harmony to eliminate toxins and protect us. All you have to do is not deliberately sabotage yourself, by leading a relatively healthy lifestyle, and you will be good to go!
