What is detoxing?

Detoxing is the act of removing unhealthy or addictive substances from your body.

Juicing (or any other dietary approach for that matter) can’t in itself actually eliminate toxins or neutralize harmful chemicals – your liver and kidneys are designed to do that.

However, certain plant-based nutrients are known to support the body’s natural detoxification processes. By increasing your intake of phytonutrient rich fruit and cruciferous vegetables, you can optimize your body’s ability to eliminate toxins.

Furthermore, detoxing is not just about choosing juice (or soup). It’s about what the juice (or soup) is replacing. Replacing caffeine, alcohol, highly refined carbohydrates and processed foods (containing an array of artificial chemical ingredients) for a few days can only be good for you.

We like to see it as giving your body a break, whilst simultaneously giving yourself a time-out to adjust your mindset and reassess your habits.

A detox can be whatever you need it to be- a break from bad habits, a ticket out of a toxic rut, a kickstart to positive dietary change or an acute nutrient boost.

Will I lose weight?

You are likely to lose weight when doing a 3- or 6-day juice detox, but weight loss is always dependent on numerous factors and your results will be determined by parallel influences, such as your energy expenditure or any simultaneous food intake during those few days.

Our focus is not acutely on what you will lose, but rather on what you stand to gain from doing a juice detox- which is increased micronutrient variety, improved energy levels and an opportunity to re-calibrate your diet.

Why should I detox?

Let’s answer this question with another question- How many servings of vegetables do you consistently consume every day?

Regular juicing will offer you the peace of mind that you are getting those vegetables in- the benefits of which are undisputed.

In our view, all plants should be eaten in great variety and abundance and juicing is the easiest and most convenient way to do this!

We recommend a detox box as a good starting point for embarking on positive change.

 

What do I do afterwards – how do I continue to achieve health?

You should definitely continue to include juicing as a regular habit. Stocking your freezer with a few frozen juices, will allow you to always have a natural energy boost on hand or a convenient meal replacement when you are eating on-the-go!

Our food philosophy embraces eating whole foods, mostly plants.

We don’t over-analyse things and we won’t give you a long list of foods to avoid, but we would  suggest that you do what makes you FEEL good. Regular juicing makes us feel GREAT!

 

Can I exercise if I am detoxing?

Yes, exercise should be a standard part of any healthy lifestyle. You will still be consuming energy in juice form, so you should have enough energy to burn as normal.

However, if we are talking extremes, you may need more than juice to equip you for the gym! Don’t start a juice detox the same week as a high-performance sports event, but definitely continue with your daily exercise routine.

Can I eat while I am detoxing?

The idea of the detox box, is that you are replacing your meals with the juice, so you shouldn’t need anything else for the short duration of our detox.

 However, it is not compulsory to avoid other food. If you find that you need an extra boost, you CAN eat, but WHAT you choose to eat is important. (It would obviously be counteractive to consume any type of “junk” food at the same time.)

Seeing that we promote plants, we would recommend whole plant foods as the most suitable extras:

• flaxseed crackers with mashed avocado
• a handful of raw nuts
• a fresh mixed salad topped with dry-roasted pumpkin seeds
• a punnet of baby tomatoes
• carrot/ cucumber batons dipped in hummus/ pesto
• a bowl of seasoned, steamed vegetables
• a baked potato
• any whole fruit

 

What if I am really hungry?

If you are really hungry or feeling lightheaded, you should eat something. We would always advise you to listen to your body.

A juice detox can take some getting used to and some people are more sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations than others.  By consuming a juice, juice shot or soup 5 times per day, your blood sugar will be boosted regularly, but you may not experience prolonged satiety or sustained blood glucose.

Individual experience will vary depending on how regularly you currently eat, your usual portion sizes and of course, your level of physical activity during the detox.

Juice provides fast-releasing energy, which can be used up equally quickly on a very busy day. Choosing a whole food snack in between, will help you to achieve greater satiety if you need it. (See: Can I eat while I am detoxing?)

Can I drink while detoxing?

Drinking alcohol while doing a juice detox would be counteractive. Alcohol is regarded as a toxin to the body and its effect cannot be offset with any number of juices.

Drinking water is always appropriate. Your daily fluid requirement for hydration will be greater than the fluid provided in the detox box.  The juices and soups are there to replace your regular meals and snacks, but your standard water requirement should be consumed simultaneously.

In fact, it is recommend to always quench your thirst with water first, which will allow you to savour the juice and drink it more slowly and mindfully.

Caffeine consumption would be dependent on your reason for choosing the detox:

• If you are trying to free yourself from caffeine dependency, choose herbal teas/rooibos instead.
• If your caffeine consumption is extremely high, scaling down to 1 cup per day may be more realistic than going cold turkey.
• If one cup of black coffee is all you need, it is unlikely to create any significant detriment.
• Be aware of the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. ( See: Will I feel ok while detoxing?)

 

Will I feel ok while detoxing?

The ingredients in our products are all completely natural and are unlikely to elicit any side effects.

However the symptoms of “withdrawal” (which are often experienced in conjunction with detoxing), are a physical reaction to the removal of an addictive food item, such as sugar or caffeine.

The severity of withdrawal symptoms (e.g. headaches, irritability and fatigue) are not always dependant on the usual amount of consumption prior to the detox, but can have a genetic component. i.e. someone who only has one cup of coffee per day may experience heightened caffeine withdrawal, whilst someone else, who typically consumes 3 cups of coffee per day, may not get withdrawal symptoms at all. Everybody will have a unique experience.

 

I have a particular condition/illness, can I detox? 

If you have a medical condition, it is always preferable to check with your doctor or a registered health care provider before embarking on something new.

 I am pregnant, can I detox?

Pregnancy is no time for restrictive eating, so it would be unwise to follow a prolonged detox program whilst pregnant, but it is the perfect time to put healthy eating into focus.

Including a juice detox box within a balanced pregnancy meal plan, could be the perfect way to boost your body with natural goodness and to ensure that you always have something sweet and healthy on hand when cravings kick-in!

Can I detox for longer than 3 or 6 days? Can I do it for 30 days?!

We would recommend doing short detoxes regularly, rather than replacing solid food for extended periods. Whole, unprocessed  food is just as healthy as fresh juice and will provide more fibre and satiety. 

A juice-only detox lacks protein, fat and adequate energy to be a sustainable lifestyle approach or a solution to long-lasting weight loss. However, adopting a regular juicing routine would be a brilliant habit for general health.

A short detox is often all that we need to get into the right headspace for healthy eating.

 

Can I prepare to detox – should I prepare?

There is no need to prepare anything, other than your mind and your social calendar.

You can start a detox at any time, but if your intention is to do it properly, you should avoid starting in the same week as a scheduled function, during which it would be hard to avoid social eating/ drinking.

 

People say there is a lot of sugar in the juices is that ok?

Juice contains natural sugar from fruit, so it will result in elevated blood glucose. However, glucose is the body’s primary source of fuel and your body will use up that fruit sugar as energy output dictates.

Excess sugar, (that is not used up by daily physical  activity), will be converted to fat and stored as an energy reserve. For this reason, our detox boxes are designed to replace meals for a few days, and not simply for addition to your normal diet.

n terms of total sugar consumption, most of the reputable dietary and health associations out there, recommend a daily limit on ADDED sugar intake of 6 tsp per day, but this does not include the NATURAL sugar found in fruit and vegetables.

There is no ADDED sugar in our juice.