Overall, Courtney Pool has fasted and “feasted” on juice for more than 205 days, including 60 consecutive days of just juice and the algae spirulina.
The Boulder woman says juicing — combined with other healthy lifestyle choices and plant-centric nutrition — helped her recover from chronic fatigue, a recurring virus, depression and compulsive eating.
Her skin is clear. Her hair is healthy. She sleeps well.
Pool’s results echo other claims by juicing advocates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is a crucial part of overall health and can reduce the risk of cancer and other health problems.
The juice trend from the ’90s is back in full force, as we attempt to get those three to five servings of veggies and two to four servings of fruit in our daily diets, and are lulled by promises of “detoxifying” our bodies and losing weight.
But getting the most out of juicing isn’t as easy as just drinking more apple juice and smoothies. In fact, experts say too much of the wrong kind of juice can harm your health.
Pool is a nutritionist who specializes in juicing. For five years, she worked in a retreat center based on plant-based nutrition and juicing.
That’s where she learned about some of the biggest mistakes people make with juicing.
First, Pool says, people tend to load up on too much sweet fruit juice, like apple. This makes the juice more palatable, especially for newbies.
But the sugar in fruits can spike your insulin levels, and research has shown sugary juice can contribute to a fatty liver.
“It’s fine to do that in moderation, but really, the main healing effects and nutritional benefits from juicing come from juicing vegetables and low-sugar fruits, like cucumbers and bell peppers,” Pool says.
Alexis Schulze, who co-founded Boulder’s Nekter Juice Bar, says her favorite drink there is the Greenie, which contains celery, cucumber, kale, parsley, spinach, half an apple and one lemon.
Schulze says Nekter, which opened about four years ago, is an attempt to make juicing easier and more accessible to the public.
“It’s salad in a cup,” she says. “All of those incredible nutrients from the greens, without the fatty dressing and processed sugary stuff. You get great energy from it, and it’s more nutritious than drinking a latte, with no crash after.”
The bottom line, says Pool, is: Drink more greens.
In addition, Pool says, juice is not supposed to replace the regular consumption of produce in its whole form. The difference is, juice can pack more nutrients into a smaller volume without leaving you feeling too full.
She says it’s OK to drink only juice for a limited period of time — and there are reasons beyond weight loss to do a juice cleanse, such as emotional or spiritual rituals — but a healthy diet over the long term needs both solids and liquids.
If you do a juice cleanse, Pool says, make sure you consume enough.
Many popular cleanses recommend 1 to 2 liters of juice per day, whereas Pool says to feel good, you really need to double that.
This also might help curb the slowing of your metabolism, which can lead to weight gain once you start eating regular food again, experts say.
However, our bodies don’t register liquid calories the same as solid foods, says Rachel Begun, a registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist in Boulder. This means we can consume the same number of liquid calories as solid calories, but may not feel as satisfied. Juice can be high in calories, she adds.
“Think of it this way. One glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice is made from four to five oranges,” she says. “You’re better off eating one orange with a glass of water. It has fewer calories, plus fiber to slow down digestion and prevent a blood-sugar spike.”
However, the very concept of a juice cleanse or detox is misleading, according to Megan Thomas, a personal trainer and dietitian in Longmont.
Unless you have serious health issues, such as end-stage kidney failure, your body doesn’t need help with detoxification, Thomas says.
“Our bodies are amazingly adept at eliminating toxins form our various organ systems,” she says.
That increase in going to the restroom that many people mistake for their body cleaning itself out? That’s just too much sugar being consumed without enough protein, fat or fiber to slow it down, Thomas says. And when your food doesn’t camp out in your large intestine long enough, you miss out on absorbing some important vitamins, she says — turning your produce into waste, quite literally.
In addition, the lack of protein with an extended juice cleanse can cause lean-muscle loss, Begun says, “the exact opposite of what we want to achieve,” she says.
Then there is the fiber, one of the biggest criticisms of juicing. The fiber is stored in the pulp, which you discard when you juice.
If you are drinking juice as a supplement to an already healthy diet, this might not be a problem, experts say. But if you want to make sure you’re getting the max benefits of your produce, scoop a little of that pulp back into your drink, experts say, or make a smoothie instead.
You also can add fat (such as coconut oil) and protein (such as protein powder or peanut butter) into a smoothie, which personal trainer Christi Sullivan says will prevent blood-sugar spikes. Coconut oil also can increase your metabolism, she says.
As Schulze sees it, there are benefits to both smoothies and juices, which is why Nekter serves both — as well as solid food.
“If you drink a juice on an empty stomach, it’s immediately assimilated into your body. You can’t beat that. That’s why you get a big jump from juice,” she says. “With fiber, your body must go in and work to pull the nutrients out of the fiber, so it takes longer and has a slower absorption. They’re both great. One doesn’t win over the other. It’s what fits best in your day.”
The key is drinking fresh juice and smoothies, not pasteurized products, which are heated and thereby stripped of much nutrition, Pool says.
All of these do’s and don’ts of juicing are why Pool’s job as a juicing coach exists ().
Ultimately, she says she discourages people from looking at juicing as a quick fix or crash diet: It’s a way to supplement your health.
“It’s so much better to use it as something to help you get into better habits,” Pool says. “For a lot of people, they feel like their cravings change to healthier foods.”
So even if the juicing itself is only a phase, she says she hopes the craving shifts and healthier appreciation for produce will be lifelong.
Aimee Heckel: 303-473-1359, heckela@dailycamera.com or
