What Are Juicing Diet Plans (and Are They the Right Choice for You?)

If you’ve been hunting for a way to lose weight quickly, chances are you’ve come across the juicing diet. A lot of people have had success losing weight or jump starting the weight loss process with the help of a juicing diet or cleanse. And while you can see weight loss with this diet, it’s important to point out that this is not something that’s designed for the long term. But what exactly is the juicing diet, and how do you start one? 

In this article, we’re digging deeper into:

• What the juicing diet plan is (and some examples of easy juices)
• How you lose weight while on the juicing diet
• Pros and cons of this regimen
• Other healthy ways to supplement your diet

What is a juicing diet plan?

What are the rules to juicing, and what are your options?

Sometimes called a juice cleanse or a juice detox, a juicing diet plan is a diet that aims to eliminate all solid foods from consumption, and instead rely on the juice of fruits and vegetables. These cleanses can last as little as 24 hours, or as long as a few weeks. The point is to lose weight, detox your liver, and even improve your mood by upping your fruit and vegetable intake, by limiting your calories to those contained in the liquid.

You can either make the juices yourself at home with a juicer, or purchase your juices premade. It’s crucial to know that if you’re considering a restrictive diet like this, you should first consult your doctor to make sure this is something you can do. These diets are not meant to last long, because your body is not getting the full range of nutrients it needs from only fruits and vegetables. You’re effectively cutting out dairy, meats, protein, carbs, and importantly dietary fiber. When you juice fruits and veggies, you’re removing the fiber from them.

An unbalanced diet like this can lead to feelings of fatigue and vitamin deficiencies, not to mention you may gain back the weight you lose once you stop the juice diet. Because you are consuming less calories, you may also notice a drop in your blood sugar levels. Some juicing diets may allow a limited amount of solid foods, it just depends on the specific plan. 

How do you start juicing?

It’s easy to start juicing, which is why lots of folks try this diet out when they want to drop some pounds or improve their gut health. The best way is to get yourself a juicer, and purchase the fruits and vegetables yourself. The machine will do all the hard work for you, you just need to make sure you’re buying high quality produce. It’s essential that you include a mix of vegetables and fruits, and not just one or the other.

Depending on what the goal is of your cleanse, you’ll want to consume around six juices a day. Some easy recommended juicing recipes any beginner can use include:

• Green juice. Use kale or spinach and add celery, apple, the juice of a lemon, and dried ginger.
• Carrot juice. Include fresh carrots, oranges, frozen pineapple, and a pinch of turmeric or ginger.
• Tomato vegetable juice. Include a green vegetable like romaine lettuce or spinach, tomatoes, red bell pepper, celery, carrots.
• Ginger beet juice. Orange, kale, apple, carrots, beets, and fresh ginger.

Just put the ingredients into your juicer and it will take care of the rest!

Can you lose weight on a juicing diet?

One of the major reasons people turn to the juicing diet is to lose weight. And while you may see some initial weight loss, keep in mind that you can’t stay on a diet of just juice for the long term. This diet is meant to give your body a quick start to weight loss, so you can then get back to eating complete, balanced meals (and supplements) to nourish your body. You’ll also need to make sure when you’re done with the diet that you really amp up your workout routine.

You lose weight on the juicing cleanse diet because you’re limiting what you consume to just liquid, which contains a lot less calories than food. In addition to weight loss, a short juicing diet may have benefits to your gut. Using this diet to bring more balance to the bacteria in your gut could help you with additional weight loss in the longer term. 

Pros and cons of a juicing diet

Should you start a juicing diet plan?

It may be tempting to start a juicing diet because most people do experience weight loss. Keep in mind that everyone’s response to this diet will be different, and you may not lose as much weight as you envisioned. However, this could be a great motivator to get you into the right mindset to reach your long term weight goals. Losing a few pounds after going on a juice diet could give you the push you need to change your eating habits, and engage in physical activity that helps you lose weight. 

There are pros and cons to any diet plan, and here are a few benefits and drawbacks to juicing.

Juicing pros:

• Lose weight. When you restrict the calories you consume, you increase the chances you’ll lose weight. This is one of the reasons why juicing is a popular way for people to jump start their weight loss journey. Keeping your calories to a minimum and avoiding solid foods (for the most part) is a great way to drop a few pounds. Plus you’re still getting a full intake of your daily recommended fruits and vegetables. 

• Improve digestion. When you don’t eat right, you can really feel it in your digestive tract. Foods that are high in fat, calories, and cholesterol can leave us with unwanted side effects like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Doing a juice cleanse diet can help reset your digestive tract so it’s operating at efficiency. A juice cleanse can also help bring balance to your gut, so you have the optimal amount of bacteria to aid in digestion.

• Boost immunity. There are lots of nutrients in fruits and vegetables, which can easily give your immune system the boost it needs to protect you. When your gut is healthy, your immune system is operating at peak performance. Juicing is known to help the good bacteria in your gut to thrive, bringing it balance.

• Get rid of toxins. Juice diet plans are also a great way to cleanse your body of unwanted toxins. Sometimes pollutants and synthetic ingredients make it into our food and can be harmful to the body. A juice cleanse helps the kidneys and the liver flush out these toxins faster because you’re only consuming fluids. 

Juicing diet cons:

• Unbalanced diet. A juicing diet is a short term routine because it is unbalanced. You’re missing out on protein, fats, carbs, and fiber, which are essential to our bodies. While you do get the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables, you’ll eventually need to come off of this routine because your body is deficient in certain vitamins.

• Restricted calories. When you’re consuming restricted calories, you may notice that you don’t have the energy you had before. This can lead to feelings of fatigue and a drop in blood sugar levels. You may also find that you don’t feel full, which can lead to cravings and feelings of being hungry.

• Eating issues. The juicing diet is effective for weight loss, but it is unsustainable in the long term. Because you may experience weight loss, unfortunately this can sometimes develop into an eating disorder. This is why it’s crucial you speak with your physician before starting a juicing diet. 

Additional ways to help you lose weight

Try out these supplements while on your juicing cleanse or after for effective weight loss!

If you’re looking for an easy (and liquid) way to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need while you’re on a juicing diet plan, look no further than WonderSlim Meal Replacement Shake. Not only do all 8 flavors (plus a variety pack) taste incredibly good, but they’re packed with 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 grams of protein, and only 100 calories. 

Another beverage that you can include while you’re on the juicing diet to get much-needed nutrients is the WonderSlim Meal Smoothie. This berry yogurt smoothie has a light fruity flavor, 15 grams of protein, 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 24 vitamins and minerals. It’s easy to include this smoothie while you’re on a juicing diet any time of day to nourish your body and help you feel full. 

Once you’re off the juicing diet, you could also check out the WonderSlim Protein and Fiber Bar. This yummy bar is perfect for snacking sensibly when you’re on the go. Each bar contains 15 grams of protein, 7-8 grams of fiber, 2-5 grams of sugar, and are just 160 calories or less! 

Is a juicing diet plan for you?

Now that you know a little more about juicing diet plans, you can discuss if they’re for you with your health care professional!