9 Things You Need To Know Before Starting A Juice Cleanse Slideshow

Anyone can benefit from detoxifying his or her body every now and again, and over the past few years the trendiest way to do so has been via a juice cleanse. While some people purchase expensive, pre-bottled juices intended for a cleanse, others opt to make their own cleanse juices and smoothies at home.

Regardless of whether you make your own juices or purchase them, there are a few things that will happen to you while cleansing. What really happens to your body while on a juice cleanse (if you're able to stick to consuming six or so juices daily for a while without cheating, that is) is a combination of craving reduction, toxin removal, and digestive system relief. Your body and mind will undergo significant changes while cleansing.

Just as there are guidelines for how you should eat after a cleanse, there are a few things you should know before starting. We've provided some tips and tricks that anyone should know and use in order get the most out of a juice cleanse.

While it may be hard to strong-arm someone into doing a full cleanse with you, having an accountability partner makes cleansing easier. By inspiring someone else to do a cleanse with you, you'll have someone to hold you accountable, bolstering your chances of success.

We're not telling you to become a hermit while on your cleanse, but if you choose to go to your friend's ultimate Cinco de Mayo fiesta you'll probably have a difficult time sticking to your cleanse. Social engagements thrive on food and beverages, and we're willing to bet that there won't be a blender and ingredients provided to make a cleanse-friendly kale smoothie at the next happy hour you attend. Sharing your detoxification goals with friends and family will provide you with some leeway when it comes to accepting or denying invitations to social engagements. 

It will be of the utmost important to keep your system flowing while you cleanse. While the liquefied vegetables you'll be consuming should have a decent fiber content, many of the best high-fiber recipes are based on solid grains. If you've purchased cold-pressed juices, you'll certainly be missing out on the nutrients and fiber found in fruit and vegetable skin. If you want to maintain the highest fiber intake possible during your cleanse, you need to blend your own fruits and vegetables rather than buying them juiced. Scheduling a colonic (or two, depending on the length of your cleanse) ahead of time will help ensure that your digestive system is as clean as a whistle.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Putting a lemon in your water will change your life. While detoxing, you may think that highly acidic citrus fruits would be detrimental to your wellness goals. On the contrary, citrus fruits are only acidic when outside of the body; lemon becomes highly alkaline-forming when consumed. Hot water with lemon will help hydrate, satiate, and detoxify you during your cleanse. (Safety tip: Wash your lemons well before you squeeze them or drop slices into your water; they tend to be coated with particularly nasty pesticides.)

You'll want to plan out the juices you'll be making each day if your cleanse actively involves juicing. With common juice ingredients including foods like kale, parsley, ginger, lemons, carrots, beets, spirulina, chia seeds, watermelon, berries, and more, you have no limit in terms of flavor options. It will behoove you to plan out what you'll need for each and every juice during your cleanse ahead of time. If you've purchased a popular juice cleanse, knowing which juice is to be consumed and when is vital. We have some tips to save you a little cash featured in Expensive Juice Cleanses You Can DIY Cheaply at Home.

Due to their nutrient composition, many common juice and smoothie ingredients can actually help protect your skin from the sun. A great example of this is iron-rich spinach. By pairing juices and smoothies made from raw foods with skin products made without artificial ingredients, your skin will glow more brightly than it ever has before.

In The Daily Meal's feature by Dr. Arleen Lamba, 5 Tips to Eat and Drink Your Way to a Healthy Spring Glow, Dr. Lamba speaks of the skin benefits one can experience by going on a raw food skin cleanse:

"Products with organic ingredients are best for people who have sensitive skin, congested skin, or adult-onset acne."

Herbal teas are allowed on most juice cleanses as they are quite low in calories and can aid you along on your path to detoxification. Herbal teas can improve overall wellness, so stock up on teas such as chamomile, hibiscus, oolong, and lavender.

Buy a notebook or journal before you start your cleanse. Note how you feel a few days before your cleanse so that you can look back afterward and see if the process was worth it. Has your skin cleared up? Were you starving the whole time, or did certain juices and smoothies help you feel full? Which smoothies tasted the best? The worst?

In order to stay focused, we suggest meditating daily while on your juice cleanse. These 19 Best Yoga Poses for Digestion will help your head stay clear while also promoting a healthy digestive system.