Not Sure What to Expect During a Juice Cleanse?
Is it normal to get headaches on a juice cleanse? Does a juice cleanse give you diarrhea or smelly gas while detoxing? Can juices cause nausea? Can juice cleanses cause bloating? Is detox bloat normal? And what if you feel sick on a juice cleanse? What should you do?
If you're asking these questions, you're not alone. There are many things to consider when it comes to the detox symptoms of juicing. There's also a lot of information (and bad advice) on cleansing out there.
Here's the Raw Truth: A delicious, all-natural juice cleanse, is a great way to detox and lose weight. The vast majority of people who do a juice cleanse will experience no negative side effects at all.
Remember: When doing a cleanse, our goal is to get those pesky toxins out in order to let our body function at its best. A juice cleanse in and of itself does not detoxify your body, but it takes the strain off of the organs of the body responsible for detoxification, providing them the opportunity to do what they do best.
We want to fill you in on some of the possible juice cleanse side effects and symptoms that are common when juicing, so you can decide if a cleanse is right for you. In addition to showing you what to expect during a juice cleanse, we'll also share best practices for easing these juice cleanse symptoms before and during your cleanse.
Juice Cleanse Side Effects and Symptoms:
Juicing and Headaches – This can be caused by lack of water and/or calories, caffeine withdrawal, refined sugar withdrawal, or blood sugar irregularities. Hydrate with more water, cold-pressed juice, and herbal teas.
Detox bloat & flatulence – For some people, bloating during a juice cleanse can worsen at the very start of a cleanse due to the sudden increase in fruits and vegetables, but this will likely pass quickly. Once it passes, you will feel as light as ever and your detox bloat will be targeted. If symptoms persist, you can consume fermented fluids such as kombucha tea or take a probiotic.
Nausea - This is one of the more common symptoms when beginning a juice cleanse, especially for the first time. It can be due to many things, but normally it results from drinking the juices too quickly. To avoid nausea during cleansing, start your day with warm lemon water or herbal tea before drinking your first juice. When you do drink it, sip it slowly to ease your body into it. One other thing you could try is diluting your first few juices of the day with some water, to make them a little gentler on your system.
Diarrhea – This is a rare symptom, but it can occur due to IBS, the rapid increase in fruits and vegetables, and an all-liquid diet. Eating unripe bananas (should be yellow with a hint of green) and/or fermented drinks can also assist in easing this symptom.
Juice Cleanse Constipation – Drastic changes to our eating behaviors may cause our digestion to slow down due to a reduction in fiber. If you're experiencing constipation along with detox bloat, you should drink more water, get some light exercise, and try including more whole, fresh fruits.
Fatigue or brain fog – This is one of the most common detox symptoms of juicing, and it can be due to a reduction in calories or withdrawal from caffeine and/or refined sugar. We suggest not cutting out caffeine completely if you are a regular caffeine drinker. It is also important to stay hydrated- drink all the water and raw juice you desire. Give your body time to readjust to these big dietary changes and your energy will soon soar.
Strong cravings – Intense cravings can be the result of cutting out all your normal foods, calorie reduction, pre-existing nutritional deficiencies, dehydration, or electrolyte imbalances. Drink more raw juice and water, and if you really feel the need to chew, raw fruits and vegetables are a good thing to eat and will not break your cleanse. Know that a cleanse is a powerful way to eliminate sugar cravings, so you can expect them to subside afterwards.
Skin breakouts and reactions – Our skin is our largest eliminative organ, and sudden dietary changes that impact our body's natural detox processes may cause our skin to initially breakout or become irritated. You can expedite the detox process by sweating it out and drinking more water with a little lemon squeezed in.
Aches and Pains – A reduction in calories, electrolyte changes, dehydration and blood sugar changes can cause this. Drink electrolyte-rich beverages like coconut water and extra raw juice, particularly green juices which are rich in magnesium, and as much water as you feel you need.
4 Ways to Avoid These Common Juice Cleanse Symptoms
Here are 4 ways to prepare for (and avoid) the potential detox symptoms of juicing:
Preparation is key! Before starting a juice cleanse we highly recommend up to a week of preparation to reduce unpleasant symptoms. (Learn how to prepare for a juice cleanse!)
Drink as much fresh juice daily as you want– you can’t have too much! Also, drink plenty of hydrating fluids such as water, coconut water, and herbal teas.
Avoid gluten, dairy, alcohol and start to eat more plant-based foods leading up to your juice cleanse.
Eat raw fruits and vegetables if you feel the need to chew on something. Steamed vegetables and plain baked white or sweet potatoes are also great to eat if you feel you need a little something extra.
Whether it's headaches or detox bloat, be sure to educate yourself on the full range of what to expect during a juice cleanse, how to keep your side effects minimal, and how to maintain your results.
If you have any specific questions regarding what to expect or what you are experiencing during your cleanse please do not hesitate to contact us at support@rawgeneration.com.