Is juicing just a craze or can drinking raw cold-pressed juice actually help you to lose weight? Sure you can see celebrities that have tried it and praised the juice for its weight loss affects all over social media. However, just because it’s worked for your favorite actress doesn’t mean that it’ll work for you.
Whether you want to lose weight for the summer or are turning over a new leaf, you’ve probably considered juicing to help you achieve the body of your dreams. Here’s everything that you need to know about using juice cleanses to lose weight.
Juice Cleanses and Weight Loss
In short, yes, juice cleanses can cause weight loss. Anecdotal evidence supports that juice cleanses can cause weight loss, however, there is also scientifically backed evidence that suggests drinking raw cold-pressed juice can aid in weight loss.
Weight loss occurs when the body stays at a caloric deficit, meaning that you are intaking fewer calories than you are burning. When this happens, the body makes up for the excess calories that it is losing by burning stored fat for energy. A juice cleanse works to help you lose weight by significantly reducing the number of calories that you would usually consume on a daily basis for a set amount of time.
Juice cleanses vary greatly. Some allow you to eat solid foods while you’re on the cleanse. Some suggest that you should only consume raw cold-pressed juices for the duration of the cleanse. The duration of your cleanse will depend on the cleanse that you choose. Popular cleanses go on for 3, 7, and sometimes even 10 days.
However, one should exercise caution when choosing to go on a juice cleanse for a long period of time. There can be negative health consequences for longer juice cleanses. Your results will vary from case-to-case and juice cleanses should never be used as a long-term solution to weight loss.
What You Should Know About Using Juice Cleanses for Weight Loss
Raw cold-pressed juice is an excellent way to ensure that you consume enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals that help to promote proper body function. However, they do lack certain substances found in solid foods.
Cold-pressed juice is created by using intense pressure on fruits and vegetables to extract a concentrated juice mixture. This leaves behind the pulp of the fruits and vegetables, this is where fiber is found. Fiber is necessary for many functions in the body and aids in weight loss.
One way to combat the lack of fiber during a juice cleanse is simply to take a fiber supplement or eat foods that are rich in fiber during your cleanse. This can help to facilitate weight loss.
Another area of concern when it comes to juice cleanses is the high sugar content of some juices. Fruits contain natural sugars and pass on those sugars to their concentrated juices. Unfortunately, consuming too much sugar can increase weight gain, no matter the source of the sugar.
To eliminate this issue, juicers should make sure they look at nutrition labels when buying cold-pressed juice. If making the juice at home, be sure to use more vegetables than fruits in your juice.
One of the best ways to ensure that you get the most out of your juicing journey is to pair it with physical activity. However, it can be difficult to work out while on a juice cleanse because they keep you at a caloric deficit which can cause fatigue.
If you choose to do a juice cleanse and only consume raw juice, it may not be a good idea to exercise while on the cleanse. If your cleanse allows solid foods, ensure that your workouts aren’t too vigorous and that you are consuming enough calories to expend during a workout.
If you fail to do so, you might find yourself feeling extremely fatigued, facing headaches, and other ailments due to an extreme caloric deficit. It is always important to prioritize your health when it comes to weight loss.
Final Thoughts
The only way to keep off weight is by maintaining a well-balanced diet and making healthy lifestyle choices. Drinking raw cold-pressed juice can be a part of a healthy lifestyle and aid you in your weight loss journey. However, you’ll need to be careful to add juice to your diet in a way that enhances your health and doesn’t rely on juice cleanses as a long-term weight loss solution.