People today are spoilt for choices when it comes to food, and picking the right and nutritious ones may not be such an easy task. When your taste buds fall prey to comfort food rather than healthy ones, the result manifests in many ways – weight gain, obesity, digestive disorders, and so on. Diet control programs are a good way to fall back in to track, keep your weight under control, and your body fit and functioning. One such means to do this is the juice cleanse program. Also known as detox or reboot regime, juice cleanse Houston and other places are widely offered by juice bars, smoothie joint, and other beverage shops.

Juice cleanse – what it actually is

A juice cleanse program involves detoxification through liquid only diet. This may sometimes be interspersed with servings of semi-solid or solid food depending on the person’s ability to stick to a fluid-only diet. The most important component of this detox program is cold pressed juices. A variety of these beverages, made from fresh fruits, vegetables, or even greens are employed to get the body rid of toxins and other junk build up that happens through consumption of quick eats and unhealthy foodstuff. These drinks are masticated and are pulpier and richer in nutrients than their centrifugally extracted counterparts.

The duration

The duration of a juice cleanse program varies, and can be anywhere between a day and three, five, seven, or even more depending on the needs and suitability of the person undergoing this regime.

Different stages of a juice cleanse program

Every detox or reboot program involves three stages – pre cleanse, during cleanse, and after cleanse. Each stage has certain dietary patterns and restrictions, which are essential to successful detoxification.

• Pre cleanse – this phase is the time during which you ready your body for the cleanse program. A good pre-cleanse period lasts anywhere between 2 to 7 days, depending on the duration of the program, the lifestyle you lead, and the kind of food that you consume. During this phase, you need to consume at least six to eight glasses of water every day to help the cells remain hydrated and eliminate false hunger pangs. Another requirement is to cut out caffeinated, aerated, and acidic beverages, as cleansing works best when the body is in an alkaline state. Including more raw fruits and vegetables in your diet is also highly beneficial. It increases the consumption of enzymes and results in improved digestion and energy levels. It is also advisable to lean away from processed food, and dairy and meat products for the effectiveness of the cleansing process.

• During cleanse – this is the phase where you actually undergo the cleanse program through a liquid only diet, often interspersed with light and healthy solid foods. Organic vegetables and fruits, and gluten free varieties of soaked nuts and seeds are suggested solid foods. People who undergo juice cleanse programs are advised to drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning. Another ritual to be followed is drinking six to eight glasses of juice, within intervals of two to two and half hours between each drink. This keeps hunger away, and also helps prevent a drop in blood sugar levels. Cold pressed juices with beetroot, cayenne, cacao, and mint are some great options for juice cleansing regimes. You can also opt for a mixture of two or more ingredients as well when consuming cold pressed beverages.

• Post- cleanse – this phase puts you back into your normal eating habits and allows the body to slowly resume the intake of solid food. Post cleanse diet resembles that of pre-cleanse closely. It helps the body get accustomed back to solid foods, and digest them better. Beginning with organic fruits and vegetables, and slowly upgrading to eggs, brown rice and yogurt, is a good way to follow the post-cleanse regime. This phase is also important as it lets you discover if your body is allergic to certain foodstuff or ingredients like nuts, gluten etc.

Benefits of juice cleanse

Juice cleanse programs are recommended the world over by dieticians and naturopaths, owing to their detox benefits. They give your tummy a break from processing junk and heavy food and also add a lot more nutrients to your diet. Detox regimes not only eliminate vices like smoking, drinking alcohol, chewing tobacco etc. from your lifestyle, but also help foster healthier food habits and keep you away from comfort food.

Many of the juice bars in Houston offer juice cleanse programs. So in case you want to try it out, you can head to one of these joints in your locality, and experience the rejuvenating effect of juice cleanse yourself.