What is a juice cleanse?

A juice cleanse is a type of diet wherein you actively consume raw, pure, unprocessed fruits and vegetable juices only. You can call it fasting on a liquid diet, albeit you are required to drink only natural juices, i.e. sans chemicals and preservatives.
Please do note, juicing is different from blending. Juicing delivers you a concentrated form of goodness, extracted as the liquid from fruits and vegetables, highly rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. By drinking raw juices, these minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants are very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.

A juice-cleanse fast gives your body rest from digesting complex and processed foods. The smart mechanism of our body is capable of cleansing on its own when we eat healthily. Thus, a juice cleanse helps in flushing built-up toxins from our body, while providing it adequate rest.
As you begin a juice cleanse, you start getting rid of sick cells, weight, inflammation, and sickness- resulting in a new-found burst of energy.

Potential benefits of a juice cleanse include:

It helps your body in getting rid of all the toxins accumulated over the years due to the stressful lives we live in a polluted world. From the air we breathe to the food we eat, everything contains toxins such as chemicals, pesticides, and hormones.
Besides flushing toxins out of the body, a juice cleanse puts all the enzymes, minerals and vitamins back into the system.
It helps you break bad food patterns and develop a healthy relationship with food.
It helps to get rid of cravings.
It clears your mind and gives more energy, thereby helps in fighting chronic fatigue.
Since your body is not digesting foods, your digestive system is able to get some rest resulting in a new rejuvenated you, later
It helps boost metabolism and improve immunity.

Pre-cleanse:
To prevent your body from going into shock, begin eliminating meat, dairy, starchy foods, caffeine, refined sugar, and alcohol 2 – 3 days before your cleanse. This way the detoxification process will be easier on your body. Consume as many leafy greens, fruit, nuts, and seeds as possible. If you can, consume everything in the raw form for better results.

During your Cleanse:
Start your day with fresh lemon squeezed in a glass of warm water. Add cayenne, Curcuma or raw honey for an extra boost. Make sure you drink juice every two hours or when you feel hungry and keep drinking water and herbal tea in between your raw juices. Remember to give your body adequate rest and do only light exercises such a yoga or meditation.

Post cleanse:
Though the biggest part of a juice cleanse is over, the post-cleanse period is still crucial. During post-cleanse, whatever you put into your body will determine the longevity and effectiveness of the results. You have worked hard to reset your digestive system and to get rid of toxins. It is time to maintain the results by slowly re-introducing solid food into your body. Be gentle on your system. Slowly add solid foods back into your daily diet.