So you’re ready to embark on a juice cleanse!
While it may feel daunting going in, we know you can do it! Fasting from solid food and drinking juice for an extended period of time certainly isn’t a simple endeavor. Still, there are plenty of ways to make this restorative process even easier for yourself.
We’re here to empower you with key strategies and information that will keep you chugging along for the duration of your cleanse.
Think of it as a marathon. On this cleanse, you’ll be testing your endurance as you make your way toward that finish line. Like a marathon, effective preparation beforehand and reliable strategies can make all the difference in your ability to continue onward.
Here are some helpful tips and strategies that will allow you to sail through your upcoming cleanse.
Know Your Calories
No matter your interval– a day, three days, five days, or the full week–our cleanses hinge on keeping you covered with an efficient low-calorie daily intake.
Take a look at the daily calorie intake you get with our range of cleanse options. With a range between 1,250 to 1,450 calories guaranteed with juice alone, you can count on the fact that you’re getting the daily amount you need, and with a power-up from loads of nutrients and antioxidants plentiful in cold-pressed juice.
The bare minimum calorie intake for most women is 1,200. Generally, for men, the minimum is closer to 1,500.
Going on a complete juice cleanse will give your body just enough it needs to get you through the day. That way, your cleanse can really do its work, giving your body time to readjust and set you up for a healthier lifestyle going forward.
With such an efficient amount of calories consumed during your cleanse, you must schedule your days on the cleanse accordingly to ensure you’re not over-exerting yourself.
Plan Ahead for the Duration of Your Cleanse
Having a clear idea of what your schedule looks like allows you to make the most out of your cleanse for longer-duration cleanses.
To keep from overstressing yourself while on a low-calorie cleanse, try to schedule out strenuous activities. Keep away from dedicated gym sessions or any demanding physical activity.
Any lifestyle habit requiring an extremely high-calorie diet may sap you of the energy you’re getting from your juice intake. Cut back on extra exertion by scheduling them out for the duration of your cleanse.
Pick a time period where there isn’t too much on your plate, no pun intended. An extended cleanse, while restorative, can be challenging to juggle if you’re overburdened with work, have to do extensive travel, or need to attend to family obligations.
Set yourself up for success with your cleanse. By taking time and consideration to pick a time when you’ll be feeling as stress-free as possible, you’re giving yourself a huge leg up by removing any obstacles that might get in the way of your cleanse.
Adjust Your Diet Before You Start
Part of planning for the proper cleanse is conditioning your body with moderate adjustments to your diet before you jump in.
Being mindful of your diet and structuring your meal plans is already an effective way to achieve your fitness goals. Something as simple as making a grocery list has been shown to make sticking to a diet more manageable.
The same principle applies to your meal planning going into your cleanse.
In the lead-up to your cleanse, put deeper consideration into what you’re eating. Try to wean down on overly filling foods and cut down on high-calorie foods so as not to shock your metabolism when you switch over to the cleanse.
A great way to slim down on high-calorie meals is by including single servings of juice into your daily food intake before your cleanse begins. Fruit and vegetable juices are a great way to pack your daily required nutrients in a low-calorie package.
For all those problem foods that come to mind, try replacing them with juice instead. As you whittle down the excess calories with more calorie-efficient juice, you’ll be in perfect shape for your cleanse.
Practice Intermittent Fasting Beforehand
Seeing as how you’re going for a certain amount of time without solid foods, the practice of intermittent fasting can help you further condition your body to be prepared for extended breaks for eating.
For those unfamiliar with intermittent fasting, it’s becoming an increasingly popular dietary method to help us lose weight and recalibrate our metabolism, not all that different from juice cleanses.
Typically, intermittent fasting involves you taking one or two days a week to keep from eating solid food. That’s often all it takes to reset your body’s metabolism and shed a few pounds while you’re at it.
Getting in the habit of intermittent fasting is a great way to make your body less demanding of your caloric intake. When you’re consuming a high caloric yield frequently, the sharp turn to the low-calorie juice cleanse is only going to be that much more difficult.
Short spurts of intermittent fasting, coupled with those dietary adjustments, will train your body to make the most out of your daily caloric intake. And when your body is conditioned to utilize calories efficiently, your juice cleanses that much easier, no matter how long you’re going for.
Keep Yourself Occupied
You know full well what it's like to face hunger pangs. From the grumbling of the stomach to the sudden urge to just take a peek at what’s in the fridge, one of the more challenging parts of a cleanse, or any diet, is keeping your mind off eating.
Turn this mental obstacle into an opportunity to get even more healthy habits out of your cleanse. Now’s a great time to find and train positive outlets and activities to keep your mind off the refrigerator door and focused on your goals.
You’ve never had a better time to pick up a good book than during a juice cleanse.
Keeping your mind occupied is critical to getting the benefits out of your cleanse. Mindfulness practices like reading, yoga, or meditation are critical outlets to train your mind to outlast hunger pangs, not just during but after the cleanse.
Mindfulness produces real results when it comes to hitting dietary goals. Mindfulness training has been shown to have a bonafide impact on helping people reach their fitness goals and maintaining them.
Equally important to the body refresher you’ll get with your cleanse is the opportunity to focus your mind on accomplishing your goals. To go back to the marathon metaphor cleanses presents a fine opportunity to test your endurance. For that added push to keep you going, think of the struggle to stick to the cleanses as a test of your mental strength.
Drink Plenty of Water
No solid foods are the clear rule number one of your juice cleanse. But water? Drink as much as you like!
Frequent water consumption has actually been associated with low weight. You’ve likely heard it from your mother to your primary care physician. Drinking water is an effective way to curb your appetite.
Staying hydrated during your cleanse isn’t just a way to fill your stomach with some substance–though it’s a great way to trick your body in the meantime, keeping hydrating is more than that.
When you’re hydrated, you’re helping yourself operate at your best. Your hydration levels impact your cognitive abilities and your gastrointestinal function, both areas that your cleanse is already aiming at.
Being sufficiently hydrated over the course of your cleanse is helping the nutrients you’re getting from the juice do their work. By drinking loads of water, you’re ensuring that you’re making the most of your cleansing period.
A Successful Cleanse Starts With Your Mentality
The big takeaway from your cleanse isn’t just the nutritional values you get from the juices, but the habits that guide you through the cleanse as well.
If you consistently adjust your diet, consider your caloric intake, and practice more mindfulness, you’re equipping yourself with habits that naturally bring about a healthy lifestyle.
Juice cleanses are effective, but they're not a nutritional silver bullet. The habits that propel you through your cleanse are the ones that are going to keep you happy and healthy well beyond it.
Choose a Juice Cleanse To Kickstart a Healthier Life
Pur Cold-Pressed has all the juices you need to make sustainable, transformative lifestyle changes.
Our range of cleansings can accommodate your lifestyle needs. Our Powerhouse package is packed with protein that will help you stay active during your cleanse. You can choose three to five day programs with all of our cleanses, including our most popular one, Pur’s Signature Juice Cleanse.
Starting on this exciting part in your fitness experience is only a click away. You can learn more about our process and commitment to juicing wellness here.
Sources:
Counting Calories Made Easy | Harvard Health Publishing
Mindfulness and weight loss: a systematic review
