Ever overheard a post-yoga conversation that starts out with something like, "I just finished a juice cleanse and I feel ah-mazing!" It seems like everyone from the girl next to you in SoulCycle to the blogger you've followed for years are raving about juicing. So what's the big deal about juicing and is it good for you? It's a little hard to convince yourself that it's a good choice when you see pictures with brightly colored (and slightly questionable) green juice staring back at you. Like any diet that instructs you to consume less, juicing will cause you to lose weight through less consumption. Because cleanses are typically an all liquid diet and lower in calorie, you will typically see the numbers reflected on the scale. Juicing allows key nutrients to be easily ingested by stripping the fruits and vegetables of their skin, pulp, and other things that can detract from our bodies benefiting from them. This diet trend can help an individual to get their daily intake of fruit and vegetables through one glass of juice, something not many people are able to do in general. While juicing can be a great way to get your servings of fruit and the nutrients your body needs in an easy way, there are a few cons to be considered.
Juicing, while it may seem like it's lower calorie, can actually be higher in calories than the fruit you consume. Because one glass of juice is made using multiple pieces of fruit and vegetables, the calories are transferred over to the juice for the most part. This can be a huge trap when you're juicing and using it as a dietary means. This trend is also full of sugars you would otherwise not have access to. The juice is the sweet part of the fruit which means you're also getting the sweet part, and only the sweet part, which means that the grams of sugar you're drinking are higher in number. Fullness is another thing to consider when you're thinking of juicing. If you usually consume a large amount of calories a day, juicing is going to be a hard change to make. That juice cleanse may lead you to feel less full and may lead to poor diet habits after the cleanse is over with.
While the pros and cons may even each other out, it's important to note that before you try any kind of juice cleanse or dietary change, consult your doctor to make sure it is safe to do. There are many benefits to juicing like getting enough vitamins naturally and being able to get the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. However, if you're trying to stay away from high sugars, it may be best to avoid or do in moderation.