Why Your Juice Cleanse May Not Be as Great as You Think It Is

While juice cleanses were all the rage in 2016, new studies are finding that 2017 may be a good year to drop the habit.

According to Refinery 29, cleanses aren't necessary!

Trish Lieberman, MS, RD, LDN, Director of Nutrition at the Renfrew Center of Philadelphia says any benefits the cleanse gives off, doesn't have lasting benefits. Detoxes can also leave you with low blood sugar, fatigue, malnutrition, dehydration, slow metabolism, and irritability.

While you may feel ready to tackle the world after a cleanse, Lieberman warns there comes more harm than good from any juice cleanse on the market. "Eating a balance of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and nutritional fats without depriving yourself will improve how you feel on a regular basis without needing to detox," she says.

The advice is simple: eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up for the day and make sure you get in all the good stuff like fiber, vegetables, protein, and fruits. Lieberman also gives insight into why those with food allergies often feel great after a detox temporarily. It is because the detox has gotten rid of any food that you may have ingested, but it won't help long-term. Instead of reaching for the juice, try planning out meals that don't include food that can potentially cause an upset stomach.

Lastly, detoxes can leave you extremely dehydrated. She advises you can still drink your standard amount of fluids, just make sure you're adding in some tea or milk if you aren't huge on drinking water.

So skip out on the cleanse, and head to the gym for a new and fun exercise routine. Your bad habits and bad feelings will slowly start to drift away as you find your groove.

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