Suzanne Hollander, MS, RD.

Suzanne Hollander, MS, RD

As a dietitian, home cook, and enthusiast of all-things-delicious, I'm often asked, "so what do YOU eat?" Here's a blog to answer that very question! My hope is that you'll find (even just a little) inspiration from some of my favorite recipes, restaurants, party-ideas and food musings for your own happy, healthy, food-loving lifestyle.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Cleanse yourself of the juice cleanse trend

Juice cleanses are a trendy way to "lose weight" and "rid your body of toxins." In general, I am not a fan of going on a plan that you are going to go off. Healthy lifestyle is the key to success. And if you want to drop a few pounds or just feel energized, juice cleanses are not the magic bullet--do it with real food.

3 reasons why NOT to go on a juice cleanse:

  1. COST--You are paying a high premium for nothing more than a bottle of juice that tells you to stop eating. 
  2. ENERGY--at ~1000-1200 calories per day, these cleanses are too low in energy to keep your body running properly and won't allow for enough vitamins and minerals to keep you functioning your best. In fact, you may not have enough energy for your metabolism to go its strongest, which can be detrimental to the weight loss process. 
  3. SANITY--Whole fruits and vegetables contain fiber that will make you feel fuller, and give you any health benefits (and more!) than the juices themselves. There is NO benefit of limiting yourself to liquids alone.
The solution:
  • Calorie-limited diet of fresh, whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables. 
  • Plenty of (but not exclusively!) water. 
  • Sweat it out! Get some exercise to help burn calories and sweat out toxins.