Juice Cleanses

Juice cleanses are a popular way to detox and get in shape, but for some people, a liquid diet sounds intimidating.

Experts suggest consulting your doctor if you have high blood sugar, blood sugar imbalances or plan to go on an extreme juice cleanse. For the average person, adding in a juice drink to your diet can help detox the body.

With all the choices of juice, it’s hard to know where to start. Nutritional coach at Natural Grocers, Trevor Bennion suggested looking for certain ingredients in juices that promote detox.

“Lemon, cayenne, that sort of combination. Specifically when it comes to the greens, the cruciferous veggies, the broccoli, kale, cabbage, those kind of veggies,” said Bennion.

Those cruciferous veggies power up the enzymes in your stomach and liver which help detox your body.

“If we’re eating a lot of foods that have a lot of pesticides in them or if they’re processed and not natural we’re going to be introducing a certain level of toxins,” said Bennion.

If you have headaches, bad breath, chronic insomnia, poor digestion or brittle hair and nails, it could mean your body needs to be detoxed, but starting a juice cleanse or detox doesn’t have to be intimidating.

Bennion says make it fun by experimenting at home with your favorite veggies and fruits. He added, smoothies, kits or juices all work well.

“If you don’t eat a lot of fruits and veggies, it may not be a bad idea to drink multiple juices a day,” said Bennion.

The important thing to remember is to look for organic ingredients. It defeats the purpose of detoxing your body if you’re cleansing with fruits and veggies that have pesticides on them.

Natural Grocers will be teaching free class on juicing and smoothie making. They also offer free nutrition coaching by appointment. Click this link to be directed to their events page.