Health fads come and go throughout the years, and both Generation X and Baby Boomers alike are of no surprise to this phenomenon. Many remember fads such as The Cabbage Soup Diet, South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet (several reincarnations of this), and even the diet pill diet.
There are even the more interesting fads on specific products that have cycled through as well. For example, coconut oil was considered potentially damaging to the heart in the 1980s, now, however, it is all the rage among chefs du jour as a healthy product.
The same argument was made against drinking coffee. In the past nutrition experts warned us against consuming the caffeinated beverage because it increases insulin levels and released harmful compounds into your bloodstream that raise triglycerides and can lead to cardiovascular disease. But now, coffee is touted for the beneficial antioxidants it contains as well as lowering your risk of developing cirrhosis and cancer.
One health trend that seems to have also cycled back to the forefront of news media and has stayed there is that of juicing cleanses.
Juicing itself can be a great supplement for ingesting more fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Currently, though, juicing cleanses are all the rage in promising healthy weight loss and the cure to preventing dangerous health conditions.
Celebrities tout their new brands of juicing machines or pre-packaged juicing lines promising customers a rejuvenation of youthful skin and energy they once had.
A juicing diet is not a stable way to maintain or lose weight. As we age and become more at risk for heart disease, osteoporosis and other health issues, juicing cleanses can increase the risks for this.
One such issue juicing can cause in men and women over 40 is digestion issues. Many fruit juices have high levels of potassium, which can help relieve gas and bloating, however, that doesn’t mean your body can tolerate sudden extremes of juice-only cleanses.
Not only do you risk your body entering into dangerously high levels of sugar intake, but you could risk ketoacidosis. While you may be aware that ketosis is a state in which your body fuels fat for energy. It’s always something you want to speak with your doctor about even if you are healthy.
Juicing also increases your risk of developing diabetes. When going on a juice cleanse even for a day, your blood sugar levels will spike due to the high concentration of natural sugars found in fruit. If you are already at risk for developing type 2 diabetes or you have this condition, going on a juice cleanse can cause catastrophic irregularities within your bodies blood glucose levels.
Juicing has very high levels of carbohydrates, and when you suffer from or are at risk for type 2 diabetes you will know that an overconsumption of carbohydrates can lead to complications of your blood glucose.
Juicing can also lead to dangerous medication interactions. It is especially important to note that some fruits and vegetables can interact poorly with medications prescribed by your doctor. If you’re going on an all-juice cleanse you could be risking more than just a potential reboot of your body, but you could be risking your life.
For example, grapefruit and grapefruit juice, which is often prescribed in many juicing cleanse recipes can actually blocks absorption of cholesterol lowering medications. Consuming this type of juice can cause adverse affects on your heart.
Additionally, oxalic acid, which can be found in things like bananas and spinach or chard (common ingredients in juicing) can also aggravate existing medical conditions like osteoporosis or arthritis. It’s very important that even if you don’t go on a juice cleanse and simply supplement a meal with juice that you take note of what ingredients can poorly interact with your medications.
When going on a juice cleanse, especially over 40 years of age, you are essentially depriving yourself of proteins and some nutrients, but most importantly of calories.
Our bodies were not made to go from a healthy 2,000 to 2,400-calorie diet to a 900-calorie diet. Juicing does contain more calories than most think, but the sudden loss of calories can cause your body to enter ‘starvation mode.’ Once you begin eating your regular diet again, your body will retain the weight and absorb calories more so than before the cleanse.
Most healthy diets recommend eating several smaller portions of meals several times a day and with exercise in order to prevent your body from losing muscle rather than body fat.
Equally as dangerous is working out heavily while on a juicing cleanse. Your body isn’t receiving enough protein to maintain exercise and you could lose consciousness or risk hospitalization by doing so.
~ Health Scams Exposed
