That Fancy Juice Cleanse Won't Detox You

Green juice, beet juice–you name it. Detox diets and cleanses are not magic, and certainly never the path to your wellness goals.

https://pressed.com/products/first-time-juice-cleanse

Nowadays, it seems like we're all looking to social media, fitness influencers, and health and wellness/food and beverage brands to provide us the next big solution to weight loss and looking thin. The infamous FAD diet–like Keto, Intermittent Fasting, and Paleo–is included in this, promoting impossible-to-sustain eating and (in the case of a juice cleanse) drinking habits that leave the health of participants worse off. We like to play by numbers, meaning we look to the number staring back at us on the scale, or the amount of calories we eat in a day and obsess over the meaning of them. We even go as far as fixating on these numbers to derive our sense of self-worth. What so many people don't realize though, is that weight loss does not necessarily equate to health and wellness.

Of course, I'm guilty of playing with different FAD diets and supplements throughout my own high school years, naively assuming that taking a shot of apple cider vinegar every morning without also putting in the work to exercise and eat well would magically make me shed the 20 pounds I wanted to see come off. Not to mention the awful taste I once tried to justify. I have the feeling I'm not alone in falling victim to the deception of the heavily promoted world of dieting, which is why today we're focusing on just one of the many pieces of the FAD puzzle–the juice cleanse–and dissecting its empty promises to hopeful consumers all around the world.

I'm not saying that incorporating a greens juice blend won't provide health benefits like improved gut health and reduced inflammation; I'm saying substituting each meal of the day with juice for an entire week isn't quite as healthy as it sounds. Oftentimes after an intense period of eating like Thanksgiving or a long-awaited vacation, consumers are quick to jump on the "I need a detox" train. Before they even think about what their body may really need, one of the commonly deferred to solutions is a juice cleanse. Let's take a look at a juice cleanse (one of the better ones I have come across, to be honest) offered and advertised by a well-known brand.

I must say, Pressed's juice cleanse offerings are a bit more sophisticated compared to other brands. The company allows customers to pick between a variety of juice cleanse types and lengths, giving the option of one-day cleanses or half-day cleanses. While Pressed is most well-known for its grab-and-go in-store style of pre-bottled juice, smoothies, wellness shots, and smoothie bowls, included in its offerings are pre-planned juice cleanses sold in their physical stores as well as online. With that being said, the assumption that comes with the price of a juice cleanse is that customers drink one bottled juice per meal. Pressed's "Cleanse 1 Beginner Juice Cleanse" includes the following: two greens juices, one chocolate almond milk, one vanilla almond milk, a citrus juice, and a roots juice.

Pressed includes a FAQ section below pictures of each bottle of juice, which provides useful information regarding benefits of the juice cleanse, how each drink should be spaced out, and more.

Considering the way Pressed lays things out for their consumer, I must say I'm fairly impressed by their transparency and obvious willingness to provide participants answers to their burning questions. While the ingredients of these juices provide a diverse menu of clean ingredients and consist of satiating foods, such is not nearly sustainable for meal replacements. In other words, there's no magic happening after you consume all six juices in the exact way that is suggested. The point is, pop culture has built up such a stigma around the idea of "detoxing" and the ways in which it can be achieved. The proper path to losing weight is to do so by focusing on health and how to be intentional and intuitive with the foods you consume. This way, you are better aligned with your body and motivated to maintain healthy habits due to how you feel, rather than by how you hope "eating healthy" will make you look or be received by others. With this mindset, there becomes less of a focus on the number you see on the scale, and more emphasis on how you feel and healing oneself from the inside out. Such is referred to by health experts and dietitians as a holistic approach, and it is slowly becoming more and more prominently shown on social media by fitness and health and wellness influencers.

In terms of my own health and wellness journey, I have gone from the days of placing blind hope in FAD diets, to focusing incredible efforts towards eating foods that make me feel good and properly fuel my body. Coupled with consistent exercise (in my case, you can always find me running, on the peloton or at Orange Theory at the crack of dawn). This is what I have found works for me, yet I don't expect this to work for everyone. If you're reading this, I encourage you to take all of this into consideration and experiment with what works best with your body and will help you attain your health and wellness goals! Below are a few of my favorite health/wellness/fitness influencers who promote holistic approaches and always give me great recipe, workout and lifestyle inspo!

Katelyn Nolan / @foodieegirll / katelynnnolann

Paige Lindgren / @tumeric.and.tequila

Sami Clarke / @samiclarke