We’ll leave this one to Dr. Nat TCM.

“Juice cleansing sounds like a fabulous idea, but how do you know if it’s really for you?

Juice cleansing is a practice that some people swear by. But, if you’re anything like me, throwing yourself into a liquid-only cleanse and not being fully prepared or understanding your body well can actually be a disaster. I remember when juicing first became totally hip. I jumped onboard the liquid diet as quick as the next only to find that it had the opposite effect on me – I began to gain weight. Now I’m not here today to bag out juice cleansing. There is a reason why some people love it and there are a few secrets to be shared on why.

Let’s look into that shall we?

If your gut isn’t happy, more sugar won’t help.

The fact is, many juice cleanses include juices packed full of sugar. If you’re a regular around here you’ll know we’re not the biggest fans of sugar.

Sugar is inflammatory, it upsets healthy gut flora, it can have your gut wall in a tizz and leave your digestive system down and out. Potentially leading to a host of symptoms including weight gain, imbalanced hormones (including possibly polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) & endometriosis), autoimmune conditions and a whole host more.

The trick is, if you’re going to juice cleanse, you might like to opt for green juices and those low in sugar.

If your gut isn’t happy, cold raw foods can make it even more so.

Since digestion occurs at around 37 degrees, overconsumption of cold and raw foods can really upset its regular practice. Chinese Medicine applies the philosophy that food is easily digested when it is warm and well cooked. This means that the digestive system doesn’t need to work as hard to assimilate nutrients. Yet another reason why tea is such a wonderful tool. It’s warm and full of goodness your body is easily able to use.

If your digestive system is compromised, you might notice after raw and cold food that you easily bloat? With the simple addition of Tiny Tea and avoiding cold and raw foods, you’ll find it’s a great recipe for a flatter stomach and a sure way to help keep your weight in check.

If your gut isn’t happy, you’ll want to chew, not sip.

One of the biggest challenges with juice cleansing is that after several liquid meals, your body wants to chew. Deprivation isn’t something we advocate for, and in many cases it isn’t ideal because it can slow down your metabolism. The last thing most of us want.

The trick is understanding your body and remembering that just because your bestie looks amazing after her 3-day juice cleanse, there’s a chance it may not work the same for you. If you are experiencing hormone imbalance, compromised digestion, thyroid troubles or even period pain, missing out on key nutrients that are found in fats and protein can be a problem. Rather than juice, consider a more gentle cleanse like our 14-day liver cleanse. Think of it like the slow burn. The cleanse has everything you need to set yourself up to really help sweep out your insides in a gentle and supportive way. No harsh cathartic ingredients, no starvation – just really easily digestible food and specific teas that will have your insides feeling fabulous. Trust me.

These are a few key things you can take into consideration when making the choice about what cleanse is right for you. A juice here and there won’t be your undoing, and they can pack a nutrient punch, but adopting it for the long term may have your body feeling worse than where you started. It’s all about understanding your gut and making sure it’s working to the best of its ability.”

With Love,

Nat