Getting into shape can seem like an uphill battle. Everything seems to tie into each other, and complex juicing recommendations can only make things worse. It can be hard to determine what can be eaten during a juice cleanse.
Can you eat anything during a juice cleanse? Consuming solid food is not only permitted but also encouraged to help your body get rid of toxins. During and after your cleanse, it is important to only eat vegetables, either raw or steamed. Fruits and nuts are also acceptable to snack on during a cleanse.
Juicing doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. Below, we’ll go over what foods are the best to eat during a cleanse, as well as foods to avoid and cover the topic of juice cleansing more in-depth.
Foods You Can Eat and When?
The foods you will be allowed to eat are determined by how far into your cleanse you are. Expect to stick to fruit and vegetables for the first few days to get your body used to its new diet.
For the first time cleansers, you may need a higher caloric intake than dieters who have cleansed longer than you have.
There are many fruits and vegetables that offer a good amount of calories per meal, such as Avocados and Figs and according to Healthline – they are both packed with nutrients and fiber
With juicing comes three separate phases that have different food options to keep your diet on track. Each phase has a varying timeline of how long it should last. The three phases are known as
- Pre-Cleanse (2-7 days depending on your lifestyle and diet)
- During (3-10 days)
- Post-Cleanse(Min. 5 days & up to 2 weeks)
Your body is going to need time to adapt to its new diet, so if you’re used to eating pizza, you may need to get your body used to juicing before committing to it completely for 3-10 days.
#1. Pre-Cleanse: It’s fine to add some proteins
Start off with a lighter but still healthy diet at least three days before you start your cleanse. This will help make sure that your body is able to fight off future cravings better, and you’ll be more likely to stick to the plan.
These are other acceptable things to eat other than fruits and vegetables or high-calorie foods during your first few days before the cleanse. The list below even features healthy proteins:
- Whole Grains: Foods such as Rice and Quinoa are perfectly acceptable, but veer away from starch.
- Eggs: Stick with organic eggs to play it safe and try to keep away from frying them because of the oils
Your main intake is going to be from blended up vegetables and fruits, so packing in some healthy protein can ensure that you stay full longer, and gives you a broader palette of options to choose from in the beginning.
By that we mean you have more foods to choose from and aren’t stuck with picking the same options repeatedly.
#2. During the Cleanse: Eat as little solid food as possible, but it’s fine to include some
During this time, your body is going to be going through the process of detoxifying. Which means the harmful toxins in your body are being flushed out.
Hunger pangs are common at this phase for those that are not experienced, and it is advised to eat small healthy snacks in between juicing. This phase can last anywhere from 3-7 days.
Many nutritionists stress having 100% of your daily nutritional intake comes directly from juicing. Why? Because eating solid foods run the risk of slowing down the juicing progress altogether.
That doesn’t mean that solid foods are prohibited at this pointed. If you do choose other alternatives, then follow the list below to help give you an idea of what would be best to eat without hurting the cleansing process.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( it contains heart-healthy fat and polyphenols, which act as antioxidants. Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to your salad is perfectly fine.)
- Soaked Nuts and Seeds (These are great for getting nutrients such as the B vitamins. Chia seeds have great nutritional value at 4.6 grams )
The two foods above make sure you don’t branch out too far from your diet plan.
#3. Post-Cleanse: time to slowly re-introduce solid foods
This phase can take up to two weeks, and its recommended to slowly escalate to more solid foods over time. This is a very key stage! Your stomach is very detoxed at this point. So, to correctly re-introduce solid food, it will prevent you from having post-cleanse diarrhea.
Here is the point where you will be able to slowly start reintroducing the foods you were practically banned from eating.
You may feel excited to start eating meals that you originally had before the plan, but that is not recommended.
Follow a diet that was similar to the juice cleanse at first. This will make sure that your body has completely gone through with the cleansing process before you put in any more potentially harming food back into your system.
Your first day after finishing the juice cleanse should still see foods that you ate during it as your main nutritional source. On the second day, these options begin to become more viable:
- Brown Rice (You can also eat other rice such as couscous)
- Eggs
- Vegan Yogurt (foods like coconut or almond yogurt can be added)
Notice how protein and dairy are coming back in its healthiest forms? The list grows to cover protein sources like chicken and fish only five to six days after you finished your cleanse.
Don’t be afraid to add in a small amount of starch like the Brown Rice above, but make sure to limit the number of carbs you gain from them.
You can eat carbs to keep you full for a longer amount of time, but make sure not every food you eat is packed with them.
Remember that throughout this entire process, it is very important to stick with purely organic food.
With all these being said, below is a summary of things you are suggested to eat during a juice cleanse.
Please note that it’s better to choose less than 5 munchable food and stick to them during your juice cleanse day.
Studies show that limited food options can help you reducing craving needs, also it leaves your body enough energy for the cleansing process.
SUMMARY
STAGES | TYPES OF FOOD | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|
Pre-Cleanse | Min. 60% fruit & vegetables | Avocados, water-boiled Eggs, Brown Rice, Quinoa |
During Cleanse | Min. 80% fruit & vegetables | Olive oil (as salad dressing) |
Post Cleanse | Min. 60% fruit & vegetables | Brown rice |
Foods to Avoid During A Juice Cleanse
If you are interested in juicing, then you will have to follow a rigorous diet.
There are some food out there that would be great for juicing if they didn’t have low water content. Foods like Bananas and Avocados are terrible for juicing but make for decent smoothies or just eat directly.
Besides, you are better off not only using foods that have very high water-content during juicing as it will be hard to properly blend them up. But it needs up to you to do the mix regarding the taste and texture.
List Of Water-Based Foods:
- Berries
- Apricots and peaches
- Overripe tropical fruits (Pineapple, Kiwis.etc)
- Coconuts
- Cucumber
However, below are the things that you should avoid these at all cost:
- Alcohol: Drinks like a beer can be very high in calories and carbs
- Caffeine: Slows or stops the process of the diet
- Processed Foods: Often high in carbs and saturated fat
- Meat: Has great protein, but the saturated fat can pose a problem for your body
- Dairy: During a cleanse, dairy products can prevent unwanted weight gain and promote diseases.
The food mentioned in the list above can certainly bring their fair share of benefits, but consuming any of these during your cleanse can seriously set the progress back.
Many people flock to these foods because they are unable to properly control their cravings during the cleanse.
How to Deal With Cravings That Come With Cleansing
Hunger pangs and cravings are common for those just starting off the diet. It is also why so many people stop because they aren’t very well prepared.
This can mean the person didn’t pre-diet properly or didn’t know the options available to fight off these problems.
If these problems are becoming persistent throughout your diet, then you will be relieved to know that there are outside remedies that can tide you over. These are the best foods to keep cravings and stomach aches at bay
- Vegetable Broth: Even Bone-broth is fine for you to eat. Salt should be added in moderation, and spices like fresh turmeric can add flavor
- Carrots
- Salads: Avoid Caesar salads as sometimes the chicken is processed. Chia seeds are great to add in along with olive oil and vinegar. Keep your condiments completely natural
- Celery
Carrots and Celery aren’t the only vegetables you can eat. Any other vegetables are fine, but seeing how some are high in water-content, it may be best to not juice them.
image: courtesy of KamranAydinov / Freepik
It is also important to remember that scheduling your juicing sessions closer together can help you with this as well.
Don’t push them too far apart, or else you may see yourself growing more and more tempted to quit the cleanse altogether. Don’t drink too much whenever you juice, but make sure they are scheduled closely together
What Does A Juice Cleanse do to Your Body?
The main goal of a juice cleanse to detoxify the body and help it lose weight. It can provide the body with extra vitamins and nutrients since all of your body’s energy is going to come mainly from fruits and vegetables.
Juices also contain a fair amount of anti-inflammatory compounds that can help with your immune system. Broccoli is an ingredient that is advised to put in for its Vitamin K that helps with the compounds.
The anti-inflammatory compounds work hand in hand by supporting enzymes that help with a healthier digestive system.
Your body may see serious withdrawals since it will no longer be gaining energy from meat and poultry.
This is why we added the list above to help you fight off future cravings. Symptoms of withdrawal include
- Low Blood Sugar
- Dehydration
- Dizziness
- Constipation
Negative Side-Effects from Juicing
Juicing has its advantages, but it isn’t for everyone. There are a few risks that come with juicing. Drinking large amounts of the juice too often can result in diarrhea, kidney damage, as well as getting your body used to a drastically lower calorie intake than what it was used to.
The symptoms of this can encompass things such as shortness of breath and nausea, and many sufferers report bouts of fatigue
The nutrients you take in have a risk of not staying in your system since the juice also acts as a laxative, another issue that would not pair well with kidney damage. This means you may not retain everything you put in your body throughout the day.
Add in the fact that lower blood sugars are a common risk, and you’ll see that cheating on your diet doesn’t sound as dangerous as before.
By that we mean it’s not as harmful to have prohibited foods to keep your body’s nutrients balanced.
These factors are some of the reasons why you need to be hesitant about starting a juice cleanse. Yes, the diet does have its benefits, but you still need to steer clear of juicing companies that claim their products can cure diseases or act as a permanent solution to weight loss. Many of those claims don’t have the proper medical backing.
Can You Drink Coffee While Juicing?
Coffee can be very appealing for those that have had to ditch it and focus on their diet. Some dieters may also believe that a single cup couldn’t hurt.
Although you can, you run the risk of hindering the process of getting the toxins out of your body.
If you are having problems with caffeine withdrawals than organic coffee with no creamer or sugars can work for you. However, it is considered better for you to wean yourself off of caffeine a few days before your fast begins.
Coffee isn’t completely off the table for the diet; you just need to make sure that everything you put into your body throughout the cleanse is organic.
Water is your best friend for helping the juice gets rid of the toxins, so try and drink the recommended eight glasses of water every day along with your juice.
Caffeine isn’t just found in coffee, and it’s advised that you also stay away from other possible temptations such as
- Green Tea
- Black Tea
- Chocolate
Because de-cafe doesn’t have any caffeine in it, you will still be able to enjoy it as you would outside of the juice cleanse.
The Verdict
Eating foods isn’t prohibited during a juice cleanse, and it is oftentimes recommended for those that aren’t used to juicing themselves.
Each phase is different in both time and what foods you are allowed to eat to not disturb the process your body is undergoing.
No matter what phase you are going through, there is always an option for you when you get hungry.
We can go on and on about the benefits of drinking green tea, but here are just a few: research shows that green tea can create a stimulating effect to help keep us energized and focused, without the jittery side effects of coffee or espresso.