To Juice or not to Juice

abeare

Anyone tried a juicing cleanse? What was your experience like (good & bad)? I’ve been considering a 10 day cleanse to jump start things, hoping that it helps me lessen my sugar cravings once it’s done. I was looking into continuing with more of a raw vegetarian approach (maybe 50% raw, still to be determined, I want to see what feels right for me) afterwards. But I’d love to hear of peoples experience, and any suggestions of what to look into or do before I start.

pastryari

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/821828-detoxes-and-cleanses

abeare

Thanks for that, it was really informative. I had no intension of doing the mastercleanse but do know someone who is doing it now and so I forwarded your link to them.
Given that my biggest motivator for trying a juicing detox (was looking into Kris Car’s Crazy Sexy Diet) was to help with some of these sugar cravings. I’ve had success in the past with eating a good balanced vegetarian diet but then got pregnant and gave into a few too many sugar cravings and now… well the cravings are just bad because of it, so much so that I too often sabotage my own healthy habits. Any suggestions if a quick detoxification is not something you agree with? It just seems to be something I’m really struggling with right now.

KANGOOJUMPS

I have done the booze cleanse a few times.

hmg90

I attempted a detox with juices of the type where you order a set to your door, called Purifyne. Not only was it hideously expensive, but it tasted disgusting. It was unbearable to drink even holding my nose and I am someone who's used to eating varied healthy food, lots of vegetables and have quite good tastebuds.
It was a waste of time and money, and I threw it all away.

In general, unless you're drinking juices ONLY, juice is a less beneficial alternative than eating the actual fruits or vegetables. For example, if you drink grapefruit juice, you get all the sugars and calories, but none of the fiber, which in turns makes you less full.

bronnyd

My thought is that fresh fruit and veggie juice can be a great addition to a healthy, whole foods diet, but I am not in favour of juice "cleanses". And 10 days is a long time to ingest nothing but juice!

My suggestion is to just up your fruit and vegetable intake...focus on eating whole foods. Satisfy your sugar cravings with fruit (or a freshly juiced juice!) I don't think a juice fast is any kind of quick fix for sugar cravings.

BTW I am a big fan of Kris Carr - she's pretty awesome!

kgoodman0108

Edited. Sorry.

LaurenAOK

Thanks for that, it was really informative. I had no intension of doing the mastercleanse but do know someone who is doing it now and so I forwarded your link to them.

The thread she linked wasn't just about the master cleanse though, it applies to all "cleanses" including a juice cleanse.

Personally I've never tried juicing but I do know it gets extremely expensive very quickly. You're more than welcome to try it, but I don't see what's wrong with just eating a balanced, healthy diet and learning to control your portions. If you do a juice "cleanse" and find success with weight loss/health, what happens when you start eating normally again? You haven't learned anything from juicing, you know?

dbmata

Anyone tried a juicing cleanse? What was your experience like (good & bad)? I’ve been considering a 10 day cleanse to jump start things, hoping that it helps me lessen my sugar cravings once it’s done. I was looking into continuing with more of a raw vegetarian approach (maybe 50% raw, still to be determined, I want to see what feels right for me) afterwards. But I’d love to hear of peoples experience, and any suggestions of what to look into or do before I start.

Careful, but people are going to **** all over your chest because of your post. Enjoy!

That said, I juice at home, it's delicious, and wakes me up. As for it being a "detox", eh, no support in research that I've seen for or against, so you never know regardless of what the nellies are going to squawk in your thread.

Give it a swing. If you like it, cool, if not, no bigs.

For me I did a 4 day juice only stint. I felt great the whole time, very awake, but I was careful to add in fats and protein. I kept regular juicing because of how I felt.

Also, after 4 days it helped me radically readjust my eating from utter crap to something marginally better than utter crap.

jeansgirl

I really wanted to do serious juicing too. But I opted for a part time thing...when I can! I had a real problem with the amount of waste in the discard of my juicing and couldn't come up with an equitable way to re use it. Composting is ok if you garden and making bread out of it ..or something like that...kind of defeats the purpose....you know ...lots of oil or sugar. So if I can get fruit cheaply enough and /or make smoothies occasionally..I do that. I add veggies too..kale, broccoli, spinach. I am not a sweet craver too much..anyway. But we make fresh ice cream about every week and have that for our dessert. I love my cuesinart ice cream maker!
Good luck on your journey!

SRH7

Anyone tried a juicing cleanse? What was your experience like (good & bad)? I’ve been considering a 10 day cleanse to jump start things, hoping that it helps me lessen my sugar cravings once it’s done. I was looking into continuing with more of a raw vegetarian approach (maybe 50% raw, still to be determined, I want to see what feels right for me) afterwards. But I’d love to hear of peoples experience, and any suggestions of what to look into or do before I start.

Oh noes...

Have a quick search of the forums and there are plenty of threads on this. But, in a nutshell:

* There is no such thing as a "jump-start" and your body doesn't need it (which is why someone posted the cleanse thread link - the same principle/idea of "detoxing"). You may get rapid weight loss in 10 days but this is due to low calorie intake, not due to juicing. It will also be mainly water weight.

* It won't reduce your sugar cravings as you will still be getting lots of sugar in the juice. Want to reduce cravings? Increase your protein and fibre intake.

* I've done a juice "kick-start" (Jason Vale's seven-day plan). I got diarrhea, massive cravings, headaches, it cost a fortune, I spent half my day juicing and cleaning up the mess. And I lost no weight.

By all means, if you enjoy juices then work them into your daily diet. But please put aside any notion of a "kickstart" as there is no scientific basis for it.

jeansgirl

:laugh:

Love that! The nellies...haha. I agree juice if you like it ..great, if not move on. even 1 meal a day is a good start!

Anyone tried a juicing cleanse? What was your experience like (good & bad)? I’ve been considering a 10 day cleanse to jump start things, hoping that it helps me lessen my sugar cravings once it’s done. I was looking into continuing with more of a raw vegetarian approach (maybe 50% raw, still to be determined, I want to see what feels right for me) afterwards. But I’d love to hear of peoples experience, and any suggestions of what to look into or do before I start.

Careful, but people are going to **** all over your chest because of your post. Enjoy!

That said, I juice at home, it's delicious, and wakes me up. As for it being a "detox", eh, no support in research that I've seen for or against, so you never know regardless of what the nellies are going to squawk in your thread.

Give it a swing. If you like it, cool, if not, no bigs.

For me I did a 4 day juice only stint. I felt great the whole time, very awake, but I was careful to add in fats and protein. I kept regular juicing because of how I felt.

Also, after 4 days it helped me radically readjust my eating from utter crap to something marginally better than utter crap.

abeare

Thanks for that, it was really informative. I had no intension of doing the mastercleanse but do know someone who is doing it now and so I forwarded your link to them.

The thread she linked wasn't just about the master cleanse though, it applies to all "cleanses" including a juice cleanse.

Personally I've never tried juicing but I do know it gets extremely expensive very quickly. You're more than welcome to try it, but I don't see what's wrong with just eating a balanced, healthy diet and learning to control your portions. If you do a juice "cleanse" and find success with weight loss/health, what happens when you start eating normally again? You haven't learned anything from juicing, you know?

I am aware her link was about all cleanses, I actually took the time to read the WHOLE thing, not just some snip from it.
As the rest of my response indicated, I understand the detox/cleanse wasn’t something she suggested & so I asked for other alternatives to coping with sugar cravings while I continue to strive for a balanced diet.
So please next time you feel like leaving some snarky post on someones thread, please be sure to read the actual thread first.

To everyone one else here offering suggestions and insight, thank you so much, it all is very appreciated!

conniemaxwell5

I started my weight loss with a 5 day juice fast. I juiced 4-5 times a day and took in 1200 calories a day through juicing. I did it for the same reason you want to, in the effort to reduce sugar cravings but I also did it to change the way I think about sugar. It helped. Now I take power over my eating instead of my eating having power over me. I am now eating "normal" food, including sugar but I make sure I'm staying within my calorie allowances and I work out 5-6 days a week as well.

gomisskellygo

I like to juice as a supplement to my already mostly healthy diet. I am not a believer in "juice" only. However, having 7-8 servings of veggies and fruits in a sitting is great! I have felt better since adding juice to my diet. However, eating 7-8 servings probably would have the same affect. Try it, if it's not for you than no biggie)

abeare

Anyone tried a juicing cleanse? What was your experience like (good & bad)? I’ve been considering a 10 day cleanse to jump start things, hoping that it helps me lessen my sugar cravings once it’s done. I was looking into continuing with more of a raw vegetarian approach (maybe 50% raw, still to be determined, I want to see what feels right for me) afterwards. But I’d love to hear of peoples experience, and any suggestions of what to look into or do before I start.

Careful, but people are going to **** all over your chest because of your post. Enjoy!

That said, I juice at home, it's delicious, and wakes me up. As for it being a "detox", eh, no support in research that I've seen for or against, so you never know regardless of what the nellies are going to squawk in your thread.

Give it a swing. If you like it, cool, if not, no bigs.

For me I did a 4 day juice only stint. I felt great the whole time, very awake, but I was careful to add in fats and protein. I kept regular juicing because of how I felt.

Also, after 4 days it helped me radically readjust my eating from utter crap to something marginally better than utter crap.

Out of curiosity, what fats and proteins do you use in your Juice?

dbmata

Anyone tried a juicing cleanse? What was your experience like (good & bad)? I’ve been considering a 10 day cleanse to jump start things, hoping that it helps me lessen my sugar cravings once it’s done. I was looking into continuing with more of a raw vegetarian approach (maybe 50% raw, still to be determined, I want to see what feels right for me) afterwards. But I’d love to hear of peoples experience, and any suggestions of what to look into or do before I start.

Oh noes...

Have a quick search of the forums and there are plenty of threads on this. But, in a nutshell:

* There is no such thing as a "jump-start" and your body doesn't need it (which is why someone posted the cleanse thread link - the same principle/idea of "detoxing"). You may get rapid weight loss in 10 days but this is due to low calorie intake, not due to juicing. It will also be mainly water weight.

* It won't reduce your sugar cravings as you will still be getting lots of sugar in the juice. Want to reduce cravings? Increase your protein and fibre intake.

* I've done a juice "kick-start" (Jason Vale's seven-day plan). I got diarrhea, massive cravings, headaches, it cost a fortune, I spent half my day juicing and cleaning up the mess. And I lost no weight.

By all means, if you enjoy juices then work them into your daily diet. But please put aside any notion of a "kickstart" as there is no scientific basis for it.

Wow, you're a mess! Diarrhea and cravings. Condolences. I'd probably hate it too. Luckily, none of that here, in fact, ther ewas even a drastic reduction in my amount of migraines, which I *REALLY* appreciated.

Cost is expensive if you're a whole foods crawler, much more manageable with proper purchasing. As for cleaning... I can prep and juice a couple liters of juice as well as clean it in a matter of 15 minutes with my breville juicer. That's from start to finish.

So, YMMV. I could do it quicker too, but I'm pretty anal about cleanliness, so I make sure its super clean.

lilbuddha007

Now that everyone has pounded down on the juicing idea....I am a big fan of juicing in general and have done two juice fasts, and just wanted to give my perspective on some of the bad points.

1. It is expensive.
yea, it is expensive. it is only marginally more expensive, in my opinion, than the diets like slimfast that require you to purchase their meals/bars/shakes. you might consider 'supplementing' your juice fast with something like a can of tuna for lunch, or an avocado.

2. It isn't as effective as exercising.
Juicing is great for if you are too overweight to exercise very well or are completely humiliated in the gym. People will tell you to get over these things, and that's fine. But you could also lose your first ten-twenty pounds from your living room. And as you get thinner, you will feel more comfortable and it will be easier to move more.

3. It would be better to learn to eat healthily and exercise portion control.
This is true. Most of us got into the position we're in (being overweight) by failing to do both these things , and having someone tell us we should do them is kinda not enough. Quite frankly i *still* am not an expert if knowing when something is 10 oz vs 2 cups vs 1.3 cups and that can affect your calorie count significantly. I get around this problem by buying meals in a box where the calorie count is very clear to me - you eat the whole box, your calories = x.

4. It would be healthier to eat the raw vegetables.
Well....I don't know many people who want to just sit at a table and eat 10 raw carrots followed by 6 oranges followed by a pint of strawberries with some springs of kale thrown in. The juice on the other hand tastes delicious.

5. At the end of the diet you've lost weight but you'll gain it back.
Maybe. It's possible. Hell it is even likely. But that's not the juice's fault - that's my fault for not being able to control my eating. I think doing anything (working out, eating healthy, etc) has to be done frequently enough to become a pattern and it has to feel rewarding, or else people won't stick with it. For me, running is a chore and I hate it. I *make myself do it* because I don't want to be fat. As soon as I feel thin, I don't go running. Juicing, on the other hand, feels nice. I like juice. I can easily drink juice instead of having a pile of waffles in the morning and although waffles are great, it's not a huge hardship. Thus, I am more likely to "stick with" the juicing. As I juice, I usually munch on the raw stuff. I would say juicing is the reason I have healthier food choices in the house, and the reason I get both more fruits and more vegetables in my diet (juiced and nonjuiced).

6. And finally, results.
In 2007 I did a 10 day juice "cleanse" and during the 10 days I lost 8.5 lbs. I was pretty friggin happy with this result. I am starting another one this week. If you go on youtube you can see other people's results. Or watch "fat sick and nearly dead" the movie on netflix. I don't think every person on earth gets these kind of results. but it worked well for me. after that point i did juice swapping (juice instead of dinner) and ate fewer processed foods, and lost about 70lbs in 8 months. I gained back about 35lbs of that weight five years later (in 2012). i think it was a very positive experience.

I did read the whole thread about the master cleanse and was mildly horrified. I think 30 days is a really long time to do nothing but juice. Also I think if I was going to attempt something like that I would also seek a doctor's oversight... she is very lucky her bowel did not tear and she didn't die of sepsis. I've read research before that humans fasting is healthy and even natural, but going for that long of a period seems very extreme to me.


Elle

LaurenAOK

Thanks for that, it was really informative. I had no intension of doing the mastercleanse but do know someone who is doing it now and so I forwarded your link to them.

The thread she linked wasn't just about the master cleanse though, it applies to all "cleanses" including a juice cleanse.

Personally I've never tried juicing but I do know it gets extremely expensive very quickly. You're more than welcome to try it, but I don't see what's wrong with just eating a balanced, healthy diet and learning to control your portions. If you do a juice "cleanse" and find success with weight loss/health, what happens when you start eating normally again? You haven't learned anything from juicing, you know?

I am aware her link was about all cleanses, I actually took the time to read the WHOLE thing, not just some snip from it.
As the rest of my response indicated, I understand the detox/cleanse wasn’t something she suggested & so I asked for other alternatives to coping with sugar cravings while I continue to strive for a balanced diet.
So please next time you feel like leaving some snarky post on someones thread, please be sure to read the actual thread first.

I honestly fail to see how my response was snarky in any way? Just offering my perspective, since you asked for opinions on whether to juice or not. And yes, I did read the entire thread.

As far as alternatives to coping with sugar cravings, I personally feel that time and dedication is the best way to developing a healthy diet. As I said before, you could use a cleanse or something to get rid of cravings, but once you start eating normally those cravings will come back. Maybe try reducing your sugar intake little by little every day, until eventually sugary things become a rare treat for you. I'm a big believer in moderation - no need to totally cut sugar out of your diet, just slowly learn to control your portions of it. Others on this thread may have better ideas than me, but that's how I did it.

jofjltncb6

Beyond what has already been said, juicing is a wonderful idea.*




*in addition to a well-balanced diet, but never in place of it.

SiobhanG

I think no to juicing! I'm all for drinking water and eating fruit. Fruit sugar is released slowly because of the fiber in the fruit if the fruit is eaten whole but when it is juiced the fiber is taken away and blood sugar spikes.. and for me blood sugar spikes lead to crashes and sugar cravings,

SiobhanG

For me, the best way to deal with sugar cravings is to maintain stable blood sugar levels and get out of the spiking and crashing pattern. So I don't think the answer is fruit juice, it's probably more about being aware of hunger levels and eating enough protein, vegetables and healthy fats.

EDesq

Juicing is WONDERFUL! I am all up in it...it was one of the Triggers of Me becoming a Mucusless Vegetarian Practitioner. Juicing is great, you get all of the vitamins and minerals from whatever you're juicing BUT do not need to expend energy on heavy digestion. Don't be afraid to eat fresh fruit while on your juicing experience. Many people fail on a juicing cleanse because they simply see it as a way to lose weight. I juice all day about 3-4 times a week. REMEMBER: Detoxing the Body takes YEARS!!! Cleansing the colon and intestines may take years; Detoxing is a PROCESS that takes changing your diet over time and cellular and inter-cellular cleansing. Actually, what you are doing is a Fad, BUT it is a good start. May I also suggest 10-12 oz of Prune Juice each day AFTER you come home from work and don't plan to go out anymore that day; some use enemas during a cleanse, but I prefer Prune Juice, it feels more Natural to Me. Also Remember: If you go back to eating the same way Pre-Cleanse, ALL was for Nothing!

ETA: People who do NOT understand how the Body works will always say "Don't Fruit Juice"...They Do NOT KNOW!