Detox Diets: All You Need to Know About Juice Cleansing

Is your new year resolution to be more healthy? Before embarking on any kind of diet, it’s good to be aware of all the facts and information pertaining to the diet. Founder of EGA Juice Clinics, Sumit Nanda, tells us more about juice cleansing and how it can help get rid of toxins in your body.

Vanilla Luxury: Where do toxins in our body come from?

Sumit Nanda: Toxins are formed as a byproduct of the body’s daily functions such as during digestion and from the food we eat which may contain chemicals from pesticides used in fertilisers. Toxins are also absorbed from the external environment such as pollutants and beauty and personal care products we apply to our skin.

Vanilla Luxury: How can I detox?

Sumit Nanda: While it’s tougher to control the external environment, we can be more conscious of what we put into our own body! Most of us consume too many calories and not enough nutrients and enzymes which can be gotten from raw foods. Have more freshly cooked food and avoid packaged, readymade or processed foods which contain preservatives, artificial food colouring or added sugar.

Vanilla Luxury: What’s the difference between cold-pressed juices and regular juices?

Sumit Nanda: Regular juice is made from a fast-spinning metal blade which generates heat and destroys some important enzymes found in fruit and vegetables as well as oxidises these nutrients.

Cold press juice is made by compressing fruits and vegetables, which produces no heat, thus maintaining most of the nutrients. This process puts pressure against the cell walls of the produce to release all the phytochemicals and nutrients inside.

Vanilla Luxury: What are the benefits of juicing?

Sumit Nanda: Cold press juicing removes fibre from the produce leaving pure nutrients. While fibre aids in the digestive process, it can slow down the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. By consuming cold press juices, vitamins, minerals and enzymes from the juice are almost immediately absorbed into the bloodstream and carried around the body. Consuming juice allows the body to focus on other bodily functions such as cleansing, detoxifying, repairing instead of spending all its energy on digesting.

Vanilla Luxury: What to expect when starting a juice fast?

Sumit Nanda: Feeling a little tired and hungry is normal in the beginning. Do not participate in strenuous activities or exercise rigorously during the first 3 days. Eventually, your body will begin to feel stronger, more energetic and your mood livelier. The body will have an enhanced sense of health and well-being and your skin will begin to glow as the last of the toxins are being expelled from the body.

Vanilla Luxury: What happens when I get hungry during a juice cleanse?

Sumit Nanda: If you do feel very hungry, take a teaspoon full of turmeric powder mixed in a glass of hot water. Drink in sips.

Vanilla Luxury: Are there any side effects?

Sumit Nanda: Many people experience few if any symptoms during a cleanse. Symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, weakness and flu-like symptoms are indicative of the cleanse working and toxins being expelled from the body. These will typically pass within the first three days of the detox process as the vegetables and fruits are working to cleanse the liver. Adding a pinch of Himalayan pink salt to your juices or herbal tea may help with feelings of fatigue.

Vanilla Luxury: What do I do after the one week cleanse?

Sumit Nanda: In the first 24 hours after the cleanse, avoid all processed food, starches, dairy products, eggs, and sugar. Avoid all caffeinated drinks, alcoholic beverages and condiments with artificial flavouring. Ease into your normal diet. We do not recommend consuming solid food immediately.

EGA Juice Clinics combines their knowledge of nutrition and the philosophy of Ayurveda to create a line of fresh, natural, raw and vegan cold-pressed juices and superfoods. The clinic aims to help people reduce reliance on prescription medication and practice disease-free lifestyles through the natural antioxidants inherently found in fresh natural produce.