Why I Won't Do a Juice Cleanse (3 Reasons)

The following is a guest post by Jen Hansard, co-founder of Simple Green Smoothies. She's passionate about drinking one green smoothie a day and is the creator of the wildly popular Thrive: A 7-Day Reset.

With so many different health food trends out there, it becomes overwhelming to figure out which one is the best. Have you ever looked into doing a cleanse or detox? Recently, it seems a lot of people have been hopping on the juice cleanse bandwagon–I've said this before and I'll say it again: There is certainly nothing wrong with drinking vegetable juices.

But, there are quite a few reasons why a juice cleanse isn't necessary though. Your body naturally cleanses itself, so by eating whole foods and a well balanced plant-based diet, you're doing yourself a favor. Plus, there is also little to no scientific evidence that a juice cleanse actually flushes out any toxins in the first place (as confirmed here and here).

The better alternative (if you really feels like your body needs a "cleanse") is a plant-based, whole foods one. And I've created a  7-day plant-based plan that helps you incorporate green smoothies, plant-based meals, whole foods, healing tonics, and snacks into your busy days.

Three reasons I don't do a Juice cleanse

• Reason #1: Juice cleanses only offer short-lived results
  Most juice cleanses are between 4-10 days long, and they can really help your body. But the results are short-lived. Once you're done with the cleanse, your life goes back to normal. You're right back where you were before you started.
• Reason #2: Juice cleanses don't teach you how to eat
  When doing a juice cleanse, you normally don't eat anything else. This is part of what makes them seem to work so well. But your habits haven't changed. You haven't learned how to make plant-based meals that heal your body in the long run.
• Reason #3: Juice cleanses are expensive
  The most recent juice cleanse I looked into cost $241 for seven days! I don't know about you, but that's too much for me. Especially when it isn't even food that you actually chew.

It may sound like I'm totally against doing a juice cleanse...but I'm really not! They can help some people detoxify and heal. I just think there's a better way!

A plant-based, whole food cleanse...

• Promotes long-lasting results
• Teaches you how to eat (even after the cleanse)
• Is cost-effective

I don't know about you, but, in my opinion, not eating (i.e. chewing) any food for a few days sounds pretty extreme and like the opposite of “fun” to me. If you feel like your body could use a cleanse that detoxifies, heals, and restores, then you should check out my 7-day plant-based cleanse.

You'll boost your energy levels, heal your skin, and lose weight effortlessly (if needed). Your body will transform before your eyes just by eating more plants. It only costs $35 (over $200 cheaper than most juice cleanses) and will help you establish healthy habits of eating that promote long-lasting results.

Join us in eating a variety of wholesome foods that you can actually enjoy!