Everyone is talking about detoxing – but are juice cures really that good for you?
Whether it’s a juice cure, detox tea or detoxifying food – the ways to detox list is long. The goal of a detox is to rid our bodies of harmful substances. But do detoxes or cleanses really work? Can they really give us more energy or increase well-being? Can they even help us to lose a few pounds? Read on to find out all about the promising detox trend.
Rejuvenating your body with a detox cure: definition and classification
The Cambridge English dictionary defines the word “detox” in two ways. On the one hand, detox is defined as the “medical treatment in a special hospital to stop someone drinking too much alcohol or taking harmful drugs”.
However, it is also defined as when “you stop taking unhealthy or harmful foods, drinks, or substances into your body for a period of time, in order to improve your health”. The aim of such a detox could be to rid oneself of headaches, fatigue, sleep problems or to help tackle weight issues. Scientists have not yet scientifically proven whether detox cures actually help. However, it is important to take into account that our body already has its own detoxification system, which transports harmful toxins out of the body through organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin.
Nevertheless, some cures can be useful to cleanse the intestines and lay the foundation for a healthier diet. However, do keep in mind that detoxification cures are not suitable for everyone: For example, pregnant women, people who are underweight or those who have issues with their immune system should not completely give up solid food. If you are planning on detoxing, it is always best to discuss this with your doctor beforehand.
How do detox cures work?
Most detox cures are based on an almost exclusively liquid diet and recommend that you avoid foods with a lot of sugar and salt, as well as sweets, wheat flour products, meat, fast foods, and generally any foods that contain gluten. Of course, a wide variety of stimulants such as alcohol, nicotine and coffee are also prohibited. In this way, a detox cure can help you cut out unhealthy vices in the future.
Juice cure
Juice cures are particularly popular ways to detoxify the body. Read on to find out whether this is worthwhile and how you can even make your very own juice cure.
Can a juice cure be beneficial?
As we mentioned previously, our bodies do not need a juice cure to expel harmful toxins. However, taking juice cures and then following them up with a healthy diet and exercise can help with weight loss and can increase your general sense of well-being while simultaneously supplying plenty of vitamins to the body. However, do take into account that due to the low-calorie intake during the detoxification cure, you may lose weight surprisingly quickly, which you may also put back on after the cure, which could lead to yo-yo dieting. It is also good for your digestive system and immune system.
What to consider when buying juices for a juice cure?
If you want to invest money in ready-made juices, you should make sure that they are cold-pressed and do not contain added sugar or additives. This is the only way to guarantee the best possible ingredients in the juice.
In a juice cure, up to six different juices are usually consumed throughout the day for three, five or seven days. The number of companies offering juice cures is increasing every year.
The home-made juice cure
To save yourself some money and to make sure you know exactly what goes into your juice cure, you can make it yourself at home. All you need is a juicer – as you do not purée the fruit and vegetables as you would with smoothies but rather press them. Resealable glass bottles are also useful so that you can press a batch of juice and store it in the fridge. The prepared juices will keep in your Liebherr refrigerator for about three days.
You can let your imagination run wild when choosing fruit and vegetables for your juice cure. However, it makes sense to choose varieties that are particularly juicy. It is also advisable to use vegetables to make up a third of the juice, as vegetables contains less fructose and don’t raise your blood sugar levels so quickly. This also means you can stave off hunger pangs. Fruit and vegetables perfect for a juice cure include carrots, cucumbers, beetroot, spinach, apples, pears or any citrus fruit. To preserve as many vitamins and minerals as possible from the ingredients for your juice cure, it is best to store them in your Liebherr BioFresh refrigerator.
As a little inspiration, we recommend a green juice that contains vegetables but is still sweet. Simply throw a green apple, half a cucumber, a little spinach, and a piece of ginger into the juicer and then add the juice of half a lemon and half a lime. And voilá – you have created your first healthy and home-made detox juice.
Juice cure – quick info:
- A juice cure consists of up to 6 different juices that are consumed throughout the day
- If you would like to purchase your juice cure ready-made from one of the many suppliers available, make sure that the juices are cold-pressed and contain no sugar or additives
- You can save money by making the juices for your juice cure yourself – for this you need a juicer and, ideally, glass bottles for storing the juices. DIY juice an be a good alternative.
- Choose fruits and vegetables with a high juice content. Vegetables should make up around 30% of the juice so that the fructose content is not too high
Is the hype surrounding detox tea justified?
Detox teas are another popular trend in nutrition world. According to the manufacturers, these teas are supposed to detoxify the body and help with weight loss. They usually consist of herbal tea blends that often contain plants such as nettles, dandelions, ginger, lemongrass, mint, and green tea. Some of these ingredients are dehydrating, which help to stimulate the body’s natural excretory system. The scientific community has not yet proven the effects of ready-made detox teas. While people may experience short-term weight loss – due to the often laxative and irritant ingredients such as those of the senna plant – excessive consumption may damage vital organs such as the liver, kidney or even the heart.
So, perhaps you would prefer to make your own healthy detox tea. To do this, simply purchase herbs of your choice in and mix them together as desired. This won’t just save you money, but you can also be sure that all the ingredients really make the most sense for your body. And an additional benefit: these individual tea blends can also double as a thoughtful gift.
Detox tea – quick info:
- The scientific community has not yet proven the effects of ready-made detox teas.
- Senna is a common ingredient in detox teas. This substance has a laxative and irritant effect and may lead to weight loss for a short time but can also be harmful to health if excessively consumed.
- Why not try to mix your own detox blends instead from different herbs such as dandelion, mint, lemon balm or nettle
Detoxifying foods
You can also consume solid foods and still promote the detoxification of your organs. For example, rather than concentrating only on the juice of citrus fruit, you can provide your body with all the important vitamins, minerals and secondary plant substances it needs by eating the whole thing. Dandelion provides numerous healthy ingredients and can help rejuvenate the body, making it an ingredient found in many teas. Why not try a dandelion salad packed full of dandelion greens. Likewise, various herbs and spices from the kitchen such as parsley, coriander, garlic, ginger, chilli or turmeric are extremely healthy and really help to detoxify the body.
A balanced and varied diet is all we really need to support our natural detoxification system and improve wellness. Nevertheless, when taken appropriately, home-made detox teas or juice cures can help you to kick-off a more balanced diet. Just make sure to discuss this with your doctor beforehand.
Detoxifying foods – quick info:
- The healthy ingredients contained in citrus fruit, dandelion, herbs and spices like chilli and ginger all help support the body’s natural detoxification system
- When you eat healthily, your body transports harmful toxins through it.
- Juice cures and detox teas can support this or can kick-start a healthier lifestyle