You start a cleanse. All is well—until your stomach growls at you and reality sets in. You begin craving all of what you cannot have. You cave in and feel guilt, ditching the cleanse altogether.
If this is you, have no fear. This is a common story for many. Whether you’re doing a 3-day juice cleanse or a 7-day juice cleanse, cleansing can be both physically and mentally challenging, but what if I told you it doesn’t have to be? *
Juice cleanses are intended for quick, easy weight loss and detoxification. But for some, the thought of just drinking juices, not eating for long periods of time, or scheduling a cleanse can be overwhelming.
I get it. As a holistic nutritionist with twenty years of experience, I am here to tell you the raw truth: You CAN eat on a liquid diet and still get great results.
Common Juice Fast Hurdles
Despite what “cleanse gurus” say, it is totally normal to feel hungry when not eating solid foods. Many detox diet cleanses on the market are low-calorie and lack proper nutrition, which can trigger cravings and feelings of deprivation. Feeling deprived often leads to binge eating and weight gain.
There is never a right time to cleanse. You’re ready to say goodbye to bad eating habits or swing back into a healthy lifestyle, but something always seems to come up. Whether it’s dinner with co-workers or your best friend’s birthday, life doesn’t stop. And it won’t stop because you’re cleansing. Cleansing should work with your life, not against it.
To combat these dilemmas, I developed a system that is tested and proven to be easy to sustain and super effective. And best of all, you can do it no matter where you’re at in life.
The Skinny Cleanse® + Stay Skinny Method™ Bundle helps you achieve weight loss, keeps it off, and teaches you how to incorporate healthy eating habits while enjoying your lifestyle.
How To Eat While Cleansing
Your cleansing journey should make you feel good, not stressed or deprived. Whether you're worried about feeling satisfied or trying to squeeze a juice fast into your hectic schedule, finding balance in your cleansing experience IS possible with my "cleanse-safe" food guidelines. No hunger pangs here.
Feel free to eat generous servings of antioxidant-rich whole fruits and vegetables. These cleanse-approved whole foods have many health benefits, like promoting detox and balancing blood sugar so you can snack without restriction.
Omit unhealthy carbohydrates like cookies, bread, or cake to give your digestive system the break it needs to promote gut health. Eat healthy whole carbs instead, like potatoes. Despite what many registered dietitians say, our bodies need healthy carbs for energy.
These guidelines can help you develop healthy eating habits, which will improve your overall well-being for the long haul, unlike short-term diet fads.
My Methodology
Telling you to eat on a cleanse may sound counter-intuitive, but honestly, it’s not.
Allowing yourself to enjoy a variety of “cleanse-safe” foods like raw fruits and vegetables is not just about satisfying your tastebuds. It is a strategic approach to help you cleanse successfully.
The mental hurdle of feeling deprived can often lead to intense cravings that can cause you to abandon your cleanse altogether. By incorporating nutrient-rich foods in conjunction with my pre-cleanse tips, you are not only nourishing your body but also giving yourself the mental satisfaction of enjoying healthy food.
This small trick transforms the challenging cleansing experience into an empowering experience.
Allowing your body to indulge in wholesome, cleanse-safe foods can allow you to truly succeed and complete your cleanse, putting you on the road toward a healthier you.
Cleanse-Safe Foods and Tips
- Eat Fresh fruit of any kind
- Eat Raw or steamed veggies
- Eat Plain baked white or sweet potatoes
- Drink lots of water, cold-pressed fruit and vegetable juices, and caffeine-free herbal teas
- Meal plan for social events or your lunch break to help you stay on track.
-
Order salads with a lemon wedge or a side of steamed veggies at restaurants
Nutritionist Tip: Eliminate alcohol, refined grains, inflammatory oils, dairy products, and other animal products before and during your cleanse
Cleanse-Safe Recipe
Whether it’s your first-day cleansing or you are a juice cleansing pro, hunger can be a common side effect of cleansing. Nourish your body guilt-free with this cleanse-safe recipe designed to satisfy those hunger cravings, help you lose weight, and taste delicious.
Tomato Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large vine or heirloom tomatoes
- 1 small ripe avocado (optional if you want to do fat-free)
- 2 raw cobs of corn
- Handful of scallions (green onion)
- Juice of 1 lime
- Sea Salt to taste
- Cracked black pepper
- Dash of onion powder
- Dash of garlic powder
Steps:
- Cut up tomatoes and avocado and add to mixing bowl.
- Cut kernels off cobs of corn and add to mixing bowl.
- Thin slice scallions and add.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
- Serve as a side dish, on top of salad, in lettuce or cabbage cups, or on top of a baked potato.
Post Cleanse Tips
Finishing a cleanse doesn't mean your health journey is over. Instead, it is an opportunity to drop old eating habits and adopt new, healthier ones. People often struggle to maintain progress post-cleanse, causing them to gain weight or fall back into bad habits. What you do after a cleanse can make or break your weight loss goals.
After a cleanse, it is essential to avoid things like high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, refined seed oils, refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, conventional dairy, processed grains, and additives like artificial colors and preservatives. Avoid anything that is hard to pronounce and sounds like it was made in a lab (because it most likely was).
Don’t focus on what you can’t have; instead, focus on what you can have, which is an abundance of raw fruits, vegetables, healthy carbs like potatoes and whole grains, spices, herbs, raw seeds, raw nuts, raw nut butter, dried fruits, beans, lentils, fermented vegetables, and extra virgin olive oil. You can also incorporate lean and clean proteins like organic eggs, chicken, turkey, grass-fed beef, and wild-caught fish in moderation. These foods should become the focal point of your diet because they are full of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that will keep you satisfied, energized, and feeling good.
Feel free to incorporate salads, smoothies, and healthy snacks every day. Eat when you’re hungry. Do not deprive yourself of these healing foods. Make this a lifestyle that’s easy to maintain by eating by these guidelines 80-90% of the time and then leaving yourself wiggle room for social gatherings and family get-togethers.
Discover the perfect cleanse for your wellness goals, customize your own cleanse in the Build-a-Box with cold-pressed juices and smoothies to your liking, or try my proven method for sustainable weekly weight loss.
All of these options are designed to help you enjoy the effortless convenience of having fresh juices delivered to your doorstep today – no juicer or mess required.