THEY are known as juice ‘detoxes,’ and ‘cleanses’ and have taken over the dieting world in recent years.
Juice diets focus on people consuming liquid mixes of fruit and vegetables with the aim of promoting healthy, radiant skin, weight loss and clarity of mind – but do they work?
What is the juice diet?
The cleansing process involves the person taking in only fruit and vegetable juices for nutrition, while abstaining from other food consumption.
The detox diets can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
Some plans can involve the user consuming just liquids, while others can include solid foods as a snack or meal.
How does the juice diet work?
Juicing presents a quick way to easily inject some quality nutrition into your diet.
Many of the detoxes involve restricting calories consumed and limiting the amount of ‘unhealthy’ foods taken into the body.
In many cases, participants will blend fruit and vegetables to drink, or buy ready-made juice drinks for this time.
Is the juice diet safe?
Many nutritionists do not recommend the diet thanks to the high sugar content found in fruit-based juices.
As the sudden rush of sugar hits the blood stream, the body reacts by releasing insulin to encourage cells to take up the sugar.
A dip in energy can occur, as the body quickly reacts to utilise the sugar, leaving you feeling flat or tired and causing some people to reach for more sugary foods.
The Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of California, Liz Applegate, confirmed that the body doesn’t need any help in getting rid of toxins.
She also said that the diet is often low in protein, which is needed to build healthy immune cells.
Juice detoxes are have a reduced fibre content, which is an important as it helps to remove waste products from the body, such as excess hormones.
Hunger pangs, stomach pains, moodiness, headaches and changes in bowel functions are just a few of the side effects of the diet.
Are there are success stories of the juice diet?
The juice diet has become a popular health trend among Hollywood celebrities, who view the detox as a way to rapidly lose weight and to flush toxins out the body.
Blake Lively and Nikki Reed are said to be fans of consuming juices such as Blueprint Cleanse products, which are made from 100 per cent raw fresh fruits and veggies.
Juices are also said to be a favourite among celebrities such as Jessica Alba and Miranda Kerr.
Last year, Peter Andre turned back time as he revealed an incredible six-pack after going on a strict juice diet.
Another fan of the diet is Vicky Pattison, who revealed her incredible new size 8 bodyafter embarking on a juice diet retreat.
[“source=thesun”]
