A 3 Day Juice Cleanse Is Just What You Need This Holiday Season
If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s that the holidays are a hectic time for pretty much everyone. Even the most organized of us can get frazzled over the holidays, with parties to plan and attend, presents to purchase and wrap, and our health to keep in check. Particularly during the month of December, it’s easy to let healthy eating and exercise fall to the back-burner as we prioritize travel, parties, presents, and holiday cheer. Of course, all that fun has its downfalls, and come January, a lot of us will be regretting our overindulgence throughout the season. While you may be coming to terms with the fact that post-holidays means extra weight and an overall sluggishness, we’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be so. At Pure Green (the fastest-growing juice bar franchise), we firmly believe that a 3 day juice cleanse during the holiday season is the ultimate fix for post-holiday blues. By taking a long weekend to reboot your system and undo damage, not only will you make the holidays more enjoyable, but you’ll start the new year off on a healthy note. Want to find out how we do it? Below, we’re uncovering the magic of our 3 day juice cleanse and why we love a cleanse during the holidays.
The Origins of the 3 Day Juice Cleanse
Consuming only water or juice, or even fasting completely, is definitely not a new concept, though many would be surprised to hear it. Cleansing has been included in ancient cultural traditions and religious rituals for centuries, though until recently, the practice has been viewed as more of a therapeutic experience than a full-body healing one. The act of cleansing for health or weight loss purposes gained more traction in pop culture around the 1990s, when The Master Cleanse was rebranded and reborn, and celebrities began flocking to this ten day regimen of water, cayenne pepper and lemon juice for its amazing weight loss claims. Celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Beyonce were touting the benefits of the Master Cleanse far and wide, and many people looking for a quick weight loss option jumped on the bandwagon.
Thankfully, cleansing has become much more gentle, effective, and enjoyable since those days. Unlike cleanses of years past, juice cleansing provides up to 1,200 calories per day, far more than the Master Cleanse’s tablespoon of lemon juice and maple syrup. With Pure Green’s cleanse programs and other popular options today, cleansers can enjoy all the health benefits of a cleanse while flooding their bodies with vitamins, minerals and live enzymes, adding to the health benefits tenfold.
Nowadays, there are a wide variety of juice cleansing options, including do-it-yourself juicing, juice delivery services, and walk-in juice bars serving up cold pressed juice (our personal favorite). While the cleansing experience we follow today may not necessarily include religious or cultural purposes, they’re definitely worthwhile in terms of the health benefits cleansers experience from even a short 3 day cleanse. Particularly during the holidays, brief cleansing can be the difference between feeling frazzled and binging at your company’s holiday party or breezing through the season with high energy, a positive attitude, and zero urge to binge.
How Will You Feel During Your 3 Day Juice Cleanse?
While there are general symptoms of cleansing that many experience, it’s important to note that everyone’s body reacts differently to a cleanse, and one’s personal experience will vary based on a number of biological and lifestyle factors, including the toxicity level of your body before you cleanse, your body mass index, and even your circulation. The bottom line is that cleansing is different for everybody, but in general, we’ve found that most people agree that the first few hours of their juice cleanse are a breeze. Some people are used to skipping breakfast (not a habit we recommend), so they’re less inclined to feel the effects of missed meal. Plus, rather than consuming a carb-heavy bagel or bowl of cereal first thing in the morning, a cold pressed juice provides essential vitamins and nutrients, along with plenty of hydration. On an empty stomach, these vitamins and minerals can get to work scrubbing your insides clean of toxins. Love your morning coffee? Lay off the caffeine a few days prior to cleansing, or else your first day will feel much harder than it needs to as your body fights caffeine withdrawals and detox symptoms — a combination that could be less than fun, especially with the craziness the holidays bring.
Come lunchtime, though, some cleansers report feeling sluggish, and a bit irritable. If this happens to you, we suggest drinking an eight ounce glass of water with lemon, and making sure that you’re consuming juice every two to three hours. It is imperative during a 3 day juice cleanse that you do not skip any of your juice. Otherwise, you run the risk of feeling lightheaded, sluggish and ravenous, a combination that can lower inhibitions and lead to a binge.
Old habits die hard, and some cleansers, especially first-timers, may miss the act of chewing and feel like something is missing from their usual meal times. While your cold pressed juice is providing all of the nutrients and calories your body needs to function, the physical act of chewing is a habit that we’ve grown accustomed to for obvious reasons. If this happens to you, remind yourself that this is normal and common during the first day of a cleanse, especially to those who are accustomed to three meals a day. Again, a large glass of water could do wonders here, as could a simple stick of gum.
Days two and three of a typical 3 day cleanse may be slightly more difficult physically, especially during the holidays when most of us are running around like crazy. Our best recommendation is to take it easy during this cleanse. You may be tempted to shop for holiday gifts, meet old friends for lunch, head to your in-laws place for a holiday meal, but give the festivities a break for these three days. Trust us, you’ll come back feeling more energized than ever.
While physical hunger may be difficult to deal with during days two and three, proper water consumption can curb this feeling. One important thing to note, though, is that while your body may be a bit more tired than usual, since you’re not consuming as many calories, the second and third days of a cleanse may be mentally easier, as your mind has accepted the fact that you won’t be eating for a period of time. Rest during the day whenever you need to during your cleanse, and if your mind starts playing tricks on you, try meditating for a few minutes to reset and remind yourself why cleansing is an important part of reaching your health goals.
A 3 Day Juice Cleanse Over the Holidays — Expert Tips
Juice cleansing can be intimidating, especially for a newbie, and especially during the holidays. However, we’re huge fans of holiday cleansing because it’s the most efficient way to reset your system so you no longer crave unhealthy foods, and increase energy levels so you can power through your best friends holiday party, your company’s holiday party, and your own holiday party, without feeling like you need but if you need to sleep for ten years or eat ten pies. Below, our expert tips for holiday cleansing will ensure you see success this holiday season:
Clear Your Schedule First
While we typically recommend that cleansers complete a juice cleanse over a long weekend so as to avoid the added stress of work, it is imperative that during the holidays, cleansers clear their schedules of work and play. That might mean working from home for a few days from the comfort of your couch, or clearing your schedule of meetings for those days. We definitely don’t recommend heading to any holiday parties during your cleanse. Just take it easy, relax, and remember that the holiday season will go on without you for a few days. Sometimes putting your health first is more important than partying.
Write Down Your Goals
Writing your goals on paper is a powerful thing, and you may need the added motivation during the holidays if you want to be successful. Write down a few lines about why you want to cleanse, how good you’ll feel after your cleanse, or even start your new year’s resolutions list early. As an added bonus, tell a few important people in your life that you’re taking control of your health and kicking off healthy habits with a juice cleanse. If you have a few important people in your life to hold you accountable, you’ll be much more likely to hold yourself accountable, too.
Plan Ahead
We’ve already mentioned how important it is to rest during your holiday cleanse, but it’s equally important to plan meals ahead of time once you come off of your cleanse. Post-cleanse, you likely won’t have a taste for unhealthy foods loaded with sugar, but especially during the holidays, these kinds of foods may be all that are available at your office or holiday party. Plan ahead by prepping meals beforehand. Even keeping some sliced fruit or crudite on hand can be a game changer when hunger strikes. Most importantly, always keep a big bottle of water with you. Thirst is often confused with hunger, and proper hydration is key to keeping your body running efficiently before, during and after a cleanse.