Juice Cleanses: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
Renee Trilivas, Allure magazine
If you're anything like me, now that all that tasty leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie are gone, all you crave is a digestive reboot. Enter the juice cleanse. "Cleansing gives our bodies an opportunity to rest from overeating and digesting all the junk we've eaten," says Marcus Antebi, founder ofJuice Press. Here's his advice for first-time cleansers.
Do a pre-cleanse. Spend at least one day eating fresh fruits, salads, nuts, and seeds, and eliminating all processed foods. Antebi says this is a great way to prepare your body for the cleanse.
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Start slow. Instead of diving into a 30-day juice cleanse (yes, there is such a thing), start off with a three-day cleanse that includes six to eight juices a day. That may not sound like very long, but you will feel challenged. "Your body will be going through a detox," says Antebi.
Drink water. Even though it's called a juice cleanse, you still need to drink plenty of water. It helps to hydrate the body, flush out toxins, and give you more energy.
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Don't sacrifice taste. Look for juices that contain a low concentration of raw carrot or apple juice to enhance the flavor, "so you don't drown in green juice or murky, swamplike formulas," says Antebi.
Avoid the gym. Although you may be tempted to hop on the elliptical after turkey day, this is actually a good moment to take it easy. According to Antebi, your body needs to rest while cleansing-especially in the beginning. "You should expect to feel lethargic the first day, then feel more awake and energized around day three," he says.
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Break the fast gently. Don't gorge on junk food the second your cleanse is over. Antebi recommends you stick to raw foods like green leafy salads, and avoid processed foods and dairy products that will make you feel heavy and lethargic all over again.
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