6 Reasons You Should Skip Your Juice Cleanse

Different varieties of fruit and veggie-based juice cleanses have generated a lot of controversial buzz over the years. Some people claim that committing to a juice fast is one of the best ways to detoxify your body and refresh, but the truth is, most of the health claims about juice are misleading at best, and harmfully inaccurate at worst.

Here are some compelling reasons you should skip the juice cleanse and commit to a lifestyle refresh instead.

1. YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON FIBER.

Fruits contain two different types of fiber—soluble and insoluble. While soluble fiber breaks down easily in water into a gel-like substance, insoluble fiber does the opposite. It remains intact as our food travels through our digestive systems. Both types of fiber have health benefits.

When you juice, you tend to extract all the insoluble fiber content from the fruits and veggies you’re using, which means that all the sugars are going to hit your bloodstream and liver full-blast, with no bulwark of insoluble fiber to stop them. 

2. YOU’RE TAKING IN A LOT OF SUGAR.

Speaking of sugar, a significant number of juice cleanses rely heavily on fruit juices, which means that you’re going to be taking in a lot of sugar during your cleanse.

To add insult to injury, the aforementioned lack of insoluble fiber is likely going to cause blood sugar spikes, too, because fiber won’t be there to help slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream.

3. YOU COULD LOSE MUSCLE MASS.

Juicing fruits and veggies sounds like a surefire way to pack in as many vitamins and essential fatty acids as possible, but the truth is, juicing can actually strip those veggies and fruits of their beneficials minerals and vitamins—particularly if you’re not consuming the pulp.

If you’re purely juicing, you’re at risk of putting yourself in a nutritional deficit, which could lead to difficulties maintaining muscle mass.

4. THEY CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT YOUR METABOLISM.

Many people decide to try out juice cleanses in order to shed a few pounds. However, the body is a sophisticated machine, and when it doesn’t take in enough calories, it tries to hold on to as many calories as possible, in order to survive.

This ultimately means your metabolism could slow down as your body tries to preserve energy. Here are five nutrients that help boost metabolism instead.

5. YOUR SKIN MIGHT LOOK LESS YOUTHFUL AND HEALTHY.

One of the downsides of trying to subsist on a low-calorie diet is that the water contained within your muscles with glycogen could deplete more rapidly, which results in dryer and older-looking skin. You need fatty acids to help keep your skin looking vibrant and fresh.

6. THEY’RE UNSUSTAINABLE.

The truth is, most “detox” plans aren’t sustainable, and no “quick fix” will help you reach your health goals as well as a lifestyle change will. Detoxification regimens are often too extreme to sustain for a period of longer than a few days at most. Once the juice cleanse is over, you’re just back to square one.