WHAT IS JUICE CLEANSE?

A juice cleanse is a type of detox diet that involves consuming only vegetable and fruit juice for a short period of time, such as one to five days.

It aims to eliminate your body's burden of breaking down the additives, chemicals, stimulants, hormones and pesticides consumed in our daily diet. In addition to flushing toxins, the antioxidant and enzyme-rich juices fuel your body with nature's best fruits and vegetables, acting as catalysts for better health.

HOW IT WORKS? - 3 IMPORTANT PHASES OF A JUICE CLEANSE

• For three to five days before the cleanse, you will gradually eliminate certain foods, such as coffee, refined sugar, meat, dairy products, wheat, alcohol, and nicotine to reduce headaches, cravings, and other withdrawal symptoms.
• It’s also recommended to increase your intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, and fluids during the pre-cleanse.

• For the 1 to 5 days of the actual cleanse, it is recommended to consume one bottle of 500ml freshly pressed Fruits and Vegetable Juice, every 1 to 2 hours, with a total of 6 bottles. Check up the Cleansing Juice Pack here!
• Cut consumption of solid food entirely. However, if you really get hungry or your daily work requires high energy output, you may eat moderate amount of fruits, vegetables or nuts; raw, steamed or boiled.
  Note: Listen to your body, make sure you ARE hungry and not the urge to chew something
• Pace yourself so that you don’t finish the entire bottle in one go. Final drink of the day should ideally be 3 hours before bedtime.
• Intake of water should remain as per normal.
  Drink with a straw to avoid acidic fruit juice from coming into contact with your teeth.

Post Cleanse:

• The day after completing the cleanse, eat mainly vegetables, either raw or lightly steamed, and fruit or nuts. Portion sizes should be small and the diet should be very similar to the pre-cleanse.
• Next day, include more plant foods/carbs, such as beans, brown rice, or quinoa. Then, slowly resume to your normal diet.
• Carefully monitor your body reactions (e.g changes in energy, digestion, cravings, or other symptoms) when you systematically reintroduce solid food back into your system. Many people are unaware of food intolerances they might have, this is thus a good opportunity to eliminate trigger foods from your diet. Trigger foods are foods that could cause you to crave excessively or result in negative body reactions like gastrointestinal distress, headaches, rashes, fatigue, bloating. Common trigger foods that cause sensitivities or intolerance include gluten, dairy, eggs, caffeine, soy and peanuts. If you notice negative reactions, eliminate it immediately and try reintroducing it after a few days. This is also a good chance to totally abstain from unhealthy or addictive foods such as coffee, alcohol or tidbits if you are able to refrain from eating them after the cleanse.

What to expect?

Your cleanse journey is unique and personal. The more processed food, caffeine and alcohol you have consumed in the past, the more you may experience detox symptoms. This is all part of the journey and a big step towards a healthier body. The symptoms you may experience include giddiness, constipation, diarrhea and migraines. However, they should be mild and should not interrupt your normal daily routine.

During a juice cleanse you should also:

• Stick to Light Physical Activity: While it’s a good idea to tone down your exercise routine during a juice cleanse, normal activity such as walking can help to boost blood and lymphatic circulation.
• Book a Massage: Try massage therapy (such as Swedish massage, lymphatic drainage, deep tissue massage, and Thai massage), contrast showers, and skin brushing, which can be done as part of a regular shower.
• Practice Mind and Body Wellness: Stress can have negative effects on health and may impair detoxification. Allow the mind to rest by incorporating mind/body practices such as diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or mindfulness meditation. Try to get plenty of rest. Go to bed as early as you can and take naps if possible.
• Stay Hydrate: Ensure you are well hydrated all time with lukewarm water or Fresh coconut water.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU CLEANSE?

Overall, this answer depends on what your body needs and your personal health goals.  Every body has its own history of diet, chemical exposure and stress levels, so consider yours when picking which length of a cleanse to complete.

1 - 2 Days

This is a great introduction to the idea of cleansing as well as a great way to maintain the benefits of a longer juice cleanse. Do this once a month, before a big date, or after a little too much indulging and you’ll feel the difference.

3 Days
A three day juice cleanse eliminates toxins, bolsters your immune system, boosts energy, clears your skin and helps you get glowing, stimulates weight loss, and addresses many basic gastrointestinal imbalances.

4 - 5 Days
This is recommended to address many common health concerns such as having a high-stress lifestyle, eating fast/processed foods, smoking or drinking.