Is detox juicing for you? Here’s my three-day experience trying it

Juicing diets are probably one of the most debated topics in health and fitness. Advocates of juicing swear by its power to cleanse the body of toxins and to assist in weight loss for your overall wellness. But there are also professionals who claim that it is a short-term weight management approach that can lead to health complications in the long run.

If you’re thinking of trying a juice detox, then you’ve stumbled in the right place. Here, we will talk about all the basic things you need to know about juicing plus what you can expect from it coming from someone who has personally tried it.

First thing’s first—ask your health professional if you can try it and heed their advice. So, how exactly do you do a juice cleanse? Juice detox programs involve a diet of only liquids for a certain period of time. This can range from as short as three days up to seven days, with programs using a mix of juiced vegetables and fruits that provide you with the nourishment you need for the day.

Juicing can aid in weight loss and the improvement of gut health because it flushes toxins out from the body. Other juicing brands, however, also say that it can help improve skin health and sleep.

In a 2017 study referenced by Medical News Today, it was reported that doing a juice cleanse can increase the amounts of bacteria called bacteroidetes in the gut, which is associated with weight loss. It also decreases the amount of firmicutes, which are bacteria connected to weight gain.

My own experience

I would not entirely call myself a wellness buff. While I do exercise regularly and try to eat as healthy as possible, I am also no stranger to trying different diets to see what might work well for my physical health. I had been hearing of detox juicing diets for a long time before I finally decided to give it a try after a rather intense round of holiday binging. Before diving into it, however, I made sure to set specific rules for my little experiment to make sure that I don’t go overboard.

The first is to only try it for a short period of three days. The second is to eat if I start to feel ill regardless of the program. I also have a personal nutritionist that I can easily reach out to for a quick consultation. After doing my research, I decided to go for a detox brand that combines both juices and soups, and also allows the inclusion of snacks like berries for times when you’re feeling extra famished.

My overall experience was challenging to say the least. As someone who always practices mindful eating and watches her portions, I was still a little shocked when I experienced hunger pangs on my first day. I have read various reviews swearing by the “ease of the experience,” but it was overall difficult for me by dinnertime on my first day. (I had my period at the time, so my appetite was also bigger than usual.) I decided to eat an apple and a little yogurt on my first day.

Things were a little better on the second and third days. By then, I had already adjusted a little to the new approach, though I also decided to eat something solid (usually an apple or some wheat crackers) throughout the rest of the program to keep myself from feeling sluggish. I even managed to work out like normal on the second day, though I stuck to low-impact exercise to stay on the safe side.

By the end of the program, I checked my weight and found out that I had lost four pounds in a span of three days. My bloating went down but other than that, I couldn’t really say if I felt detoxified and cleansed. I was also able to keep the weight off even a month after with a combination of my usual regular diet and exercise routines.

Based on my experience, juicing can be a good idea to try only if you do it for short periods of time—and under the guidance of a health professional. Since it is a liquid-only diet, weight loss comes as a natural aftereffect because you are taking in fewer calories. However, this can easily turn harmful if you start missing out on essential nutrients that you need to properly function.

As a tip, set rules for yourself when you start exhibiting symptoms like headaches, fainting, and overall weakness. Do not hesitate to eat nourishing foods (or even entirely break your detox program) should you start to feel sick.

Second, try to look for detox juice brands that are all-natural and do not have extra sweeteners added to them. Those with pulp work best and manage the consumption of juices made of fruits and greens that are high in oxalates—which can lead to the development of crystals and stones in the body when they bind with minerals in the digestive tract. Some examples of food that are high in oxalates are beets and spinach.

5 juicing shops to check out

Do you really want to give juicing a try? Here’s a list of some shops that I think you should check out. Remember though, consult with a nutritionist or your doctor first before trying the diet.

1. Raw Juice Bar PH

They offer different juicing plans for detoxing, weight loss, fiber cleanse, and even skin clearing. All of their juices are cold-pressed and do not use any artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

2. Pure Nectar

Pure Nectar prides itself on developing cleanse programs that are customized to fit an average Filipino’s diet. Each day’s set of juices has about 1,200 calories, with the drinks patterned from Naturopathic and traditional Chinese medicine’s detoxification principles.
3. Pillow Bread Ph

Pillow Bread offers a three-day fat burn and digestive reset program that claims to guide the body into its self-healing process by removing accumulated toxins from the system. Their program is supposed to have the essential micro and macronutrients that the body needs throughout the day. All their products are also vegan.

4. Juju Eats

Other than their well-loved salads and wraps, Juju eats also offers cold-pressed juice cleanse programs. Level 1 is ideal for beginners who are just trying the lifestyle while Levels 2 and 3 include more green juices that are meant to flush out more toxins from the body.

5. Sexy Beast

Created by nutritionist and food coach Nadine Tengco, Sexy Beast offers juices to complement your regular diet and full short-cleanse programs. Sexy Beast only recommends a maximum of three days for their cleansing, though they also offer options for shorter one or two-day cleanses.

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