You’ve heard all about”juicing,” whatever that might be. Colleagues talk about it at work, friends mention it over brunch, and now your favorite Instagrammers are adding their most recent juicing photos to their post queue. You’re thinking that this might be for you, but you’re still not totally sure.
If you’re trying to figure out if juicing is right for you, here are some questions you should ask yourself before getting started:
Why am I doing this?
Trying to get in shape for the holidays? Eyeing a smaller size? Want to be in a healthier state? All of these reasons are fine if you understand that juicing isn’t a quick fix to any of them. If you are juicing to drop 15 pounds in three days, you signed up for the wrong thing. Juicing is done to help detox your body. Don’t abuse the process by trying to reach unhealthy goals.
What will be most efficient/affordable?
One of the biggest turnoffs to juicing is the cost. Whether you’re buying the ingredients yourself or using a juicing company for pre-made juices, a day of juicing can round out anywhere from $15 to $50 or more, believe it or not. Make a budget for what you need and decide whether it’s best to make juices on your own or try a company like New York’s Juice Press.
How extreme should I be in the beginning?
Juicing is not for the faint of heart. Probably because it’s known to make one extremely tired — especially on the first day. Your body goes through a lot of changes and is releasing a lot of toxins with juicing, and it will react accordingly. You can even have increased body odor.
In most cases, it’s probably not a good idea to jump into a 14-day cleanse. Try it out on a day where you don’t have too many responsibilities, and, if the process works for you, escalate to three days.
