Juice & Cleansing. These two words have taken the health and fitness world by storm. Many people swear by it, yet some have also questioned how effective it really is. But whether you’re the desperate weightwatcher with less than a week to fit into a wedding dress, or you simply want to go on a detox, it’s highly likely that juicing has crossed your mind.
The people who swear by juice cleanses, talk about receiving a much-needed nutritional boost, getting a flatter stomach, and of course, finally being able to look at their scales without wanting to break it into pieces.
5 Side Effects of Juice Cleansing You Need To Know
The following are the potential side effects that you need to watch out for:
1. Feeling lightheaded.
At the start of a juice cleanse, your body will have to adjust. Because you’re depriving your body of its normal food intake, you will definitely feel lightheaded and you might find that you can’t do too many physical activities.
This is why it’s really not advisable for you to mix juice cleansing with strenuous physical exercise.
2. Frequent visits to the bathroom.
Prepare to visit the bathroom. A lot. Because your body is not used to the diet you will make it go through, there’s a high chance your bowels won’t be too happy about the juice cleanse. Cayenne pepper, a common ingredient for juicing, can irritate the colon for example.
Also, you have to remember that you’re basically doing the juice cleanse to rid your body of unwanted toxins. Whatever goes in will also go out.
3. Becoming very, very moody.
Prepare to have mood swings like never before because if your body’s not happy about it, you won’t be too happy about it either. Juice cleanses are known to produce headaches and difficulty in thinking. This is partly because of the intense hunger pangs and also because of what it’s doing to your body.
Whatever the reason, you will definitely become quite moody so it’s best to warn the people around you in advance.
4. Fatigue.
When you go on a juice cleanse, you’re depriving your body of essential things like protein and carbohydrates. What you’ll basically be doing for the duration of the cleanse is feed it with a liquefied version of fruits and vegetables, and that’s very different from your usual diet.
While this produces some weight loss, you will also feel more tired than usual because your muscles can’t function the way they usually do. You will likely feel lethargic.
5. Bad breath.
Don’t be surprised if you suddenly can’t take how your own breath smells like, because bad breath is a common side effect of juicing as well.
How to do a Juice Cleanse Properly
While these may be unavoidable, you can still lessen the way your body reacts to the juice cleanse by ensuring that you’re doing it properly. Here are some tips to follow:
- Set a goal and put your mind to it.
Juice cleansing is a physical thing, but a lot of it is also mental. Before you do the cleanse, you have to make sure you’re prepared. Know what your goal is. Commit to it. Then prepare your body not by going to an eat-all-you-can buffet but by starting to eat in smaller portions leading to the cleanse.
- Make sure you have the right ingredients and the right juicer.
You don’t want to be worrying about ingredients while you’re doing the juice cleanse, because chances are you can’t think straight. You should already know what kind of juices you’re making beforehand. It’s also critical that you have the right kind of juicer.
- Drink, a lot.
Remember that those juices will be the only nutrition your body is getting, so you should space out your juices throughout the day. Drink as much as you can even before you feel any hunger pangs. It’s also very important to stay hydrated with water throughout the day as it will help flush out toxins and keep you energized.
If you’re thinking of doing a juice cleanse any time soon, just remember that there’s a proper way to do it. As effective as juice cleansing is, it’s also quite a drastic measure. If you don’t do it properly, it could give you more problems than benefits!
