Juice cleanses have been quite popular in the last couple of years. Where I live in Santa Monica, it feels like there’s a juice store on every block!

I had a family member who did a juice cleanse for an extended period of time, and I couldn’t believe what happened when he came into see me as a patient: he wasn’t feeling well, he’d lost a ton of weight, and he looked like he’d aged 10 years.

You probably know that fruit has naturally occurring sugar in it. Well, so do vegetables! When we juice, we’re removing the fiber and other micronutrients, so we end up drinking mostly just the sugar of the fruit or vegetable. This means the body isn’t replenishing other essential nutrients like protein and essential fatty acids, which can be a problem.

If you’re considering doing a juice cleanse, please watch today’s video: 

In the video, I share how you can make juicing work (hint: add some protein and fat.) I also share why I prefer smoothies over juice, and why you only want to do this diet for a couple of days at a time.

Be sure to watch the video – it’s just 5 minutes!

Remember, if you’re going to juice, keep the fruit to a minimum, add in things like hemp seeds and avocado, and don’t do this diet for more than a couple of days, unless you’re on a retreat, in a calm place, and sourcing your energy from places other than food (how to do that is for another time!)

I’m all about cleansing. The work I do focuses on what I call “targeted detoxification,” cleansing one area of the body at a time. This is because decreasing the number of toxins in the body decreases the stress on the body, which is essential for building sustained health. However, when we do drastic cleanses, like juice cleansing, we increase the stress on our system, especially if we do it while continuing our stress-filled lives.

Of course as always, no matter what diet you end up choosing, you want to choose high-quality, clean foods that help you build a solid foundation of health.

My book, “The Food Solution,” is a great place to start. It includes a 21-day diet detox designed to clean up your diet, plus it’s a great way to lose those extra pounds. If you don’t have the book, you can go HERE to purchase your copy.

If reading isn’t your preferred way to learn, I also have a new “Food Solution Course,” designed as a compendium to the book, where I walk you through each chapter. It also includes an audio series that talks you through my 21-Day Diet Detox, to help you gently cleanse while you clean-up your diet.

Because the course is brand-new, it’s super discounted! It’s normally $195.99, but for you, it’s just $47.95. (Almost $150 off!) You can check it out here.

Stay tuned for my next email, where I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the Mediterranean diet. You can also subscribe to my Youtube channel, where I post all my latest videos.

Sending you so much love!

Yours in health,
Dr. Cari