“Sip the juice cuz I got enough to go around.”–Rakim, “Know the Ledge”
Sometime in the mid-2000’s, my life changed. I was in West Hollywood at the time, and my co-worker Joy, who was hell-bent on trying different diets, introduced me to a juice cleanse. I had grown up poor, so I had only been familiar with cheap juices (think Tropicana). This new form of juice she offered was a concoction of every possible health component, but I was slow to adapt to her taste. As a visually oriented person, I rarely consume anything that doesn’t look appealing. Green liquids just don’t do it for me—they still don’t.
Three years ago, however, things took a turn when the founder of this publication, Vasha, attempted to train me. I say “attempt” because I stopped answering her calls after a week—working out just ain’t my thing, especially when it happens at 7 A.M. After we completed our first run together, she took me to a health spot and forced me at gunpoint (not really) to try one of its juices. The staff at the store was very friendly and suggested that I try a banana-meets-mango-meets-ginger mix.
The minute I took my first sip, all of the walls I had built over the years to block the juice craze from influencing me came crashing down. The juice I had gotten wasn’t just good—it felt good. Scientific studies show that juicing, or extracting liquid from fruits and vegetables gives us the essential vitamins we need to function. It strips away excess sugars and fats that we’ve grown addicted to and gives us just enough to satisfy that crave. But there has been controversy surrounding its long-term effects. Juicing for an extended period doesn’t necessarily make one healthier, some experts claim. A small German study found an eight percent decrease in cholesterol in five men who took part in an eight-day juice fast, but the participants’ cholesterol levels returned to normal a week later. “There is no good science that a juice fast can prevent, treat, or cure a medical condition, and it can be a complicating factor,” said Jennifer Nelson, director of clinical nutrition at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, in a 2012 interview with Boston.com. “Your body’s natural function cleanses itself of what you have ingested.”
As such, cleanses should be done in moderation. A juice a day is great, but do your research first. Talk to your doctor, get checked out, and consult a nutritionist. Too many times, we get wrapped up in the hype and trends and just jump in without knowing what we’re doing. Learn what juice blends work for your health and lifestyle, and integrate them into your regular diet. Like the legendary rapper Rakim once said, “Know the ledge.” Information is your strongest weapon in the fight for a healthy lifestyle.
