Kate Schwed was hoping to lose her college weight gain in three days. The 72-hour diet consisted of 15 freshly squeezed juices for $195.
After her third year at UF, the 21-year-old food science and human nutrition senior returned to her Palm Beach Gardens home in May feeling unhealthy from an overindulgence of drinks and junk food. She turned to Christopher’s Cleanse as a weight loss remedy. This three-day juice detox joins the $5 billion industry of “trendy cleanses.”
According to a report on “Today,” celebrities and the latest fad consumers swear by these all-liquid cleanses as a means to gain immediate energy, lose weight quickly and flush away the body’s toxins.
There is a wide variety of cleanses on the market — from the fresh fruit and vegetable juice cleanse to the lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup concoction called the Master Cleanse.
There are mixed feelings about the results and long-term effects on the body. Adesh Prashad, a 20-year-old UF biology junior, believes there is some merit to a juice cleanse.
“Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants,” he said. “Antioxidants are good for detox, yes, but those types of things should only be used as a supplement to real food.”
Prashad, a former food science and human nutrition student, said there’s a huge “herd mentality” to the fitness lifestyle and health industry.
It’s the marketers creating “proprietary health products” which, in turn, drive sales, he said. In reality, it’s only juice or a fancy blend of water and spices attached to a hefty price tag.
“We can live a long time without food; we just need the fluids. You can’t live without fluids,” said Janis Mena, a registered dietician and coordinator of nutrition services at UF’s Student Health Care Center. However, it will affect your energy levels, the intensity of your workouts and the sharpness of your brain, she said.
Cleanses are beneficial in terms of acting as a catalyst to a healthy eating regime, Mena said. Long-term cleanses tend to create binge behavior once the cleanse is over, which is counterproductive, Mena said.
David Kampfe, Jacksonville-based personal trainer certified in Functional and Kinetic Treatment with Rehab, believes cleanses can benefit in purifying the body.
“As long as you’re combining juicing with some type of fasting for proper digestion and cleansing effects, it can be a good way to get nutrients while resting the digestive tract,” Kampfe said.
He cautioned, however, to limit the time period of cleansing and to check whether you have certain illnesses associated with blood type before beginning any liquid cleanse.
