You were probably expecting a triumphant post today about how amazing my juice cleanse was, but here I am writing about quitting. Because I am a quitting quitter who quits.
I quit the juice cleanse.
Which, honestly, kind of killed me a little bit. That cleanse was a lot of money. And aside from that, quitting felt like admitting defeat. This was especially difficult for me when it seems like everyone else feels crazy amazing on a juice fast. Chris had the whole mental clarity, glowing aura of health thing going on and couldn't stop talking about how much energy he had, how great he felt, how he could wrestle a grizzly bear. And I just had an aura of "I spent the whole morning hunched over the toilet puking." (Because I did spend the whole morning hunched over the toilet puking.) At first, I wanted to soldier on. Then I thought: really? Am I really thinking about sticking with this? When it's making me physically ill?
So then I ate some saltines. And later, a falafel wrap. Because at that point, the thought of eating fruit or vegetables made me want to throw up even more.
I mean, I expected headaches. Hunger, I could deal with. But throwing up? Not so much. I am not a good thrower-upper. And juice that doesn't taste so good going down tastes even worse the second time around.
A lot of people say that when you get sick on a cleanse, it's your body releasing toxins. (I didn't really do the cleanse to release toxins--I'm not sure I believe that's a thing that happens, but I do believe that getting an insane amount of nutrients in juices for a few days can be beneficial.) But I eat pretty clean to begin with, so I really don't understand how my husband, who eats much more junk food than I do, could be feeling invincible, and I'd feel like jumping out of the window to end my misery. Especially after just coming off a 3-day raw cleanse that I felt fabulous on. I figured that, after a day and a half, I had given the 3-day juice cleanse a fair try, and since I felt progressively worse the whole time, it was time to throw in the towel. Something about those juices just did not agree with me--as soon as I'd start to feel a little bit better, I'd have another juice and feel terrible again.
I feel really disappointed. I was hoping for all those wonderful things people say happen to them during their juice cleanses--glowing skin, cleared sinuses, renewed energy. And instead I got crazy, ridiculously sick. Am I weak? Probably. But also, I think these cleanses just don't work for everyone. And they clearly don't work for me. There seems to be a lot of pressure that, once you've started a cleanse, you should stick with it and see it through; if you don't, it's some kind of moral failing. No, it's not! Listen to your body, always. I know that by posting this, I'm going to attract a lot of drive-by commenters telling me my body must be super toxic, that I didn't give this a fair chance, that I suck at life, and really, you can have at it; my experience is my experience and I stand by it.
So I'm sorry this post isn't super motivational. I guess I'm kind of being a bit of a downer today, huh? I'm not saying you shouldn't do a juice cleanse--my husband did well on it and so many other people have too. But know that it's not all sunshine and lollipops before you start, and maybe try a single day before you commit to three. Despite all this, I still got some positive takeaways from the whole raw food and juice cleanse thing:
- I really enjoyed raw food and I felt good eating it. I'm planning on eating more raw desserts, eating sprouted nuts and seeds as snacks, and skipping the frozen convenience lunches (even if they're low cal and/or healthy!) for fresh fruits and veggies. I have spent so long focusing on eating less, when what I really should be focusing on is eating more--eating more nutrient-dense foods, rather than eating less calories.
- I wondered if maybe, after doing this cleanse, I would want to make a dramatic change in my diet. I don't. A moderate approach is definitely the best for me, although, like I said, I will be replacing at least some of my weekend brownies and cupcakes with healthier raw desserts.
- Since I know everyone's wondering, I did lose 5 pounds. Of course, throwing up your food (or juice) will do that to you. I gained back a pound and a half when I started eating again.
Annie says
Thank you so much for giving me the courage to QUIT my juice cleanse! Like you, I spent my days throwing up (and in general being sick) and lost 8 pounds of water weight - dangerous!!!! I thought I was supposed to feel enlightened. AH.
Anyway, I stumbled across this yesterday and I realized I had to stop. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your story!!!!
Kiersten says
Good for you for quitting--being that sick is definitely NOT normal or cleansing or toxins being purged or any of that. I hope you feel better now!
yae says
Omg!!!! Thank you thank you thank you! I juiced four the first time and today is actually my 2nd day tomorrow would've been the last.. but saying I'm weak and nauseated is an UNDERSTATEMENT!!! I told my boy friend I'm never doing this again he told me to stop juicing and eat something..i guess juicing ISN'T for everyone, I'm so glad I saw this, made me feel better about giving in to the juicing!!!! And how loooong before I feel better because I can barely stand.
Kiersten says
I hope you feel better soon! Once I started eating again, I felt better pretty quickly. 🙂
Aarikja says
THANK you so much!! I had high cholesterol and high blood pressure so I watched a popular Australian juice your way to health video and thought...YES! That's the solution, the pathway to revitalize my health...I went out, bought a juicer, bought out the produce department of my local grocer...came home and started juicing, tasted good, went down good......4th day.....I broke out in a cold sweat! I felt like I was going to faint (or die), barely made it to the bathroom where I barfed up everything there was while the rest was coming from the other end. I was so ill and depleted of energy that I curled up in a fetal position on the couch and slept the whole day...finally I ordered Pho with chicken and ate some soda crackers...went back to bed and today my intestines are irritated to the max, but I'm going to just slowly reintroduce my system to healthy, clean foods. I totally appreciate your post. I felt like a total wimp and a loser but now I realize I'm not the only one who can only juice occasionally.
JM says
Thanks for this. I googled juice fasting making people sick because I 'only' lasted eight days. Thing is, I am supposed to be feeling like wonder woman and I feel worse than I did on day one. There is always something to be said for listening to your body before other people.
Kiersten says
Yes, definitely. I think it works so well for some people that they just can't grasp that it doesn't work for others. I've gotten comments from people telling me I should have stuck with it, my body was purging toxins and if I just let it, I'd feel better, etc. Nope! When you are this sick, it's always a good idea to stop. I hope you feel better.
Hope Savage says
I googled feeling sick after a juice fast and found this article. Thanks. I quit 3/4 of the way through my third day of doing the "purge" part of Make Your Juicer Your Drugstore. I was breaking out in a sweat at the merest exertion, dizzy and hollow feeling. I ate what was recommended to break the fast, a large raw salad with lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Felt even worse. Finally had a sprouted, organic whole what sandwich with sunflower-nut butter and honey and felt a bit better. Had a fruit salad with plain no-fat yogurt for breakfast with a glass of juice. Did not feel better and then eggs and sprouted wheat toast. Feeling a bit better now but still sweating profusely and have a mild headache. What the heck happened?
Kiersten says
It's very strange, isn't it? I have low blood pressure, so I kind of wonder if maybe for me, it was related to that. I don't understand how some people can do so fabulously on these (my husband is doing another juice fast this week, in fact!) and others get so terribly ill. I think once a few days pass, you'll feel back to normal again.
Joanna says
Thank you so much for this post!!!! I am glad I came across your article and now your website will be one to follow. I started on a cleanse for 3-days and felt amazing! Started going vegetarian and then found juicing. A couple of friends and I were looking more and more into juicing and decided to do a 1 week juicing diet and juicing plus raw food. My friends of course got all the wonderful benefits and I got suck getting sick. Of course like you I heard the "your body is only getting rid of the toxins" but after 3 weeks of sickness and feeling weaker and weaker everyday, I ended up with a kidney infection and so many complications. I was completely fatigue, sleeping 13 hrs a day was not enough for my body. When I would work out I felt even worse. After the 1 month toll I couldn't handle it anymore and completely went off. Now I am trying to fix the damage it has done. Am not saying that this will happen to everyone, and juicing/raw is the worst. I am jealous of all who can do a all raw and juice diet but my body shuts down, I can't do this lifestyle. Unfortunately I listen to other people and continued 1 month and now I am suffering the consequences. Now I am trying to get back on being healthy in my own way (and what is right for me) and being more careful to listen to my body. I hate it when people don't understand and think that I am doing something wrong or its my fault, I have learned that its not me. Just my body can't process it all.
Kiersten says
That is SCARY. Thank you for sharing. It was frustrating for me too to hear from people telling me that what was happening was normal or that it was somehow my fault, like my punishment for not eating "clean." I'm sorry you had to go through that and I hope you're able to get back to normal soon. There is nothing wrong with moderation!
Angela says
Thank u for sharing your story I felt so terrible quitting thinking I had failed but I listened to my body now I know I did the right thing
Kiersten says
Nope, don't feel terrible! If you were sick, quitting was the right thing to do.
Diana says
I have been on a cleanse for two days and I am so sick! I just vomited and I am definitely stopping. Thank you for posting your story! I don't feel so crazy!
Kiersten says
Nope, you are definitely not crazy at all! Feel better!
Veronica Davis says
I like you, you've a lot of SPUNK 🙂 I'm glad you stopped your cleanse because when you're sick that is scary stuff! Drew Canole on Facebook talks about getting sick while starting a cleanse and goes into detail.
In reply to the person who stayed with it: I am sooooooooo sorry. Friends can be good influences or bad......... My friend ate terribly and always gave a talk/lecture about food having to be her way instead of what was truly right for her body (it was a fifteen minute talk when the subject was brought up in any way shape or form. - but that's the jist of what she frequently told me) She had her gallbladder removed. Hearing her say her speech over and over made me okay with living that way too, even though I knew it was wrong. We want to be accepted by our friends and family, but when it comes to health, that's my job, I don't want to talk about it, please drop it. Thank you for telling your story.
Kiersten says
Yes, I think some people believe in the way they do things (whether it's food, fitness, how they raise their kids--whatever!) so much that they become convinced their way is the only way. And when someone is that convinced, it can be easy to take what they say as gospel because they feel so strongly about it.
Tammy says
Thank you so much for this post. I am at end of day 3 of my juice fast and couldn't take it any longer. Although I wasn't throwing up I did not feel right and thought that eating something would make me feel better...it did. I am a vegetarian, exercise and eat pretty clean. I have successfully completed several cleanses over the years and was so disappointed in myself that I was unable to complete this one. The point I suppose is to learn how to listen to our body...which is exactly what I did.
Kiersten says
Well hey, at least you lasted 3 days! I eat pretty clean too, so I was surprised that I felt so miserable, but I think for whatever reason, some people just don't tolerate cleanses. Hope you feel better!
jasmine says
i am soooooo happy to find your blog today. i must really be a weakling… i'm only at the tail end of day 1. i was debating on whether to listen to my body or keep going… thanks to you, i've decided to listen to my body. i started vomitting early this afternoon (i am not a good thrower-upper either) and have the worst headache of my life now. i've been telling myself, "it's all good, it must be the toxins." but if i have to feel this way for days on end just to get rid of toxins, i think i might look for another way to get healthier AND enjoy good, wholesome food at the same time. thanks so much for giving me the encouragement (and permission) to do so. talk about a word at the right time.
many thanks and hugs...
Kiersten says
I hope you feel better soon! No matter what anyone says, I don't think it's normal or natural to be that sick on a juice cleanse. Eating healthy solid foods definitely works better for me. 🙂
Aaron says
Thank u so much for sharing! Im on my fifth day of supposed to be 30 day juicing cleanse and I feel so sick! Like pregnancy nausea so bad. And I don't want to quit so badly I could cry right now but its just not settling. I should listen to my body. Thank you for being brave so we can all too!! 🙂
Kiersten says
Don't beat yourself up about it! 30 days is a really long time, way too long to be sick like that. Feel better soon!
Susana says
Thank you for posting this article. I was also exited about juicing, but after the third day I feel so sick,
I feel all the vegetables rumbling in my stomach, and just the thought of having another juice make me feel to puke. But the saddest part of it ,is that, I can drink up to 2 liters of diet soda a day, and never, but never feel this sick. Thank God I usually tend to listen to my body, and I realize that Juicing is not for everyone and for me is all over. I will continue trying to cut on the diet soda and eating as healthy as I can, but also I will try not to be so blinded by the experts, just because some one have a degree, and some title I don't have to believe every word he or she said. My body is the only expert here, I can always try, but once my body start to send signals that is not working, definitely is time to cut it out.
Thanks again and just replying makes me feel much better 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
Yup, that's exactly how I felt--like all that juice was just SITTING in my stomach, sloshing around. I drink tons of water throughout the day and I've never had that happen, so it's definitely something with the juice! And I've found that a lot of experts on these things really aren't experts at all. If they don't have a degree in nutrition, I take their advice with a grain of salt. 🙂 Feel better!
Melanie says
Thanks so much for this. Just to let you I've quit too. Feeling very sick, haven't thrown up yet, and have really bad headaches. Today was my 2nd day but at lunchtime I had enough. I haven't had anything to eat yet but will have something small later I think!
Kiersten Frase says
I hope you're feeling better now! My second day is when I decided I couldn't take anymore too.
Katy says
I am so glad that I found your site! My husband and I bought a three day juice cleanse and I have, just like all the other comments the same story. And I googled "vomiting on a juice cleanse" and found your post. I started to get a headache yesterday, day one, and it got so progressively worse I had to go to bed at 8 pm but couldn't sleep. At 3:09 am I jumped up and ran to the bathroom and projectile vomited all over. I don't know if I will be able to get the green exorcism out of the white trim. I am mortified. I spent so much money, still have two days left. My husband is feeling just fine and I have to go to work now. like right now. I still have the headache and I don't even know how to begin eating to recover from this. Advice? I'm starting with yogurt. Does anyone else have a "I quit the juice fast food" they began with?
Kiersten Frase says
Let your husband have the rest of your juice--that's what I did. 🙂 They say you should break a juice fast with fresh fruit or veggies, but I think if your stomach is upset, it's best to start with something bland, like bread or saltines. Let that sit a little bit and once you start feeling better, you can eat something more substantive. I hope you feel better!
Chuck says
Kiersten,
Thanks a lot for your post. My partner, Diane, and I embarked on a five-day juice fast last weekend after being "inspired" by Joe Cross' video "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead."
Equipped with everything except an opposing viewpoint about juice fasting (how could anything so popular be bad for some people?), we headed to Bed, Bath and Beyond and came home with an expensive juicer. Then off the local produce market and we got things rolling.
In a nutshell and to put it mildly, the fast didn't work for us.
While neither of us got the pukes you did, Diane bailed on day four. She was going into ketosis. Lethargic, exhausted, headachy and thirsty, though no amount of water seemed to quench her thirst. Thank goodness her daughter is a physician; she insisted her Mom eat a scrambled egg, a banana and drink more water. That intervention saved us a trip to the emergency room. Diane isn't feeling herself yet, three days later.
I did fairly OK on the fast and went the five days, feeling pretty bad on the first three as people predicted. I'll bet a water fast (read: starvation) would've felt the same way. I may well have eaten too much of the wrong foods on the first day off the fast, but I got an IBS attack that night that dwarfed most I've had (and I've had some doozies). I was so exhausted that I barely got out of bed yesterday. Today, a week after we started the fast, I'm better but I'm still dragging.
There is precious little info coming from the juicing aficionados and manufacturers about the downsides and risks of juice fasting. Our suggestion: anytime you're thinking about starting something new, Google "[that thing] sucks." Amazon trades on opposing product reviews and we should make sure we know both sides of a story, especially when it comes to our health.
One thing we learned: there is no real medical evidence that a juice fast cleanses your digestive track. Humans have developed organs over the millennia that take care of that for us. Surgeons who poke around in people's intestines just don't run into a compost heap or worse.
I agree that juices per se are great and we're glad we bought the machine. We'll certainly add occasional juices into our diet. Juice fasting may well work for some, but not for us … we'll certainly never do that again.
I appreciate your honest post, and hope more people find it.
Thanks,
Chuck
Kiersten Frase says
I hope you're both feeling better by now. I do feel that juicing can be valuable and I've actually started incorporating a lot more juice into my diet after writing this post. But I am really skeptical about juice cleanses and fasts; even more now, after receiving so many comments and emails from people who got terribly sick on them, than I was based on my own experience alone. I kind of suspect that the highs some people feel and the lows that other people (like us!) experience might be more about blood sugar than anything else. For someone who's otherwise healthy, like me, I could do the fast, feel terrible, and then get over it in a few days, but for people with pre-existing conditions, a juice fast could be far more dangerous. You're very right that the downsides of fasting just aren't out there--at least not as much as the glowing reviews. And as I mentioned in another comment, I've learned not to take nutritional advice from anyone who's not a nutritionist and I don't know very many (any?) nutritionists that are encouraging juice cleanses.
steve fury says
honestly, cleansing is very good for the body, and alot of times you will get sick, when your sick it is your bodies way of healing itself, ive been on colon cleanses, raw food, only fruit, only meat, high fat and others, and the raw food and juicing should only be done if your body is too acidic and your usually overweight or have been eating the standard american diet for most of your life, you have foods that build your body and foods that cleanse, if you do too much cleansing when it is not needed, you can mess your system up alot, this happened to me, and its much worse than when i was too overly acidic. it takes a long time to rebuild the blood and your cells back up.
Kiersten Frase says
I don't think it's ever normal or healing to be vomiting like I was--being sick like that can cause dehydration, which definitely isn't a healthy thing.
Jen Gilchrist says
What a relief to find this post! I wasn't even doing a juice cleanse, just a 14 day turbo charge which was a juice in the morning and then soup or salad for lunch and dinner. I came down with 3 bouts of gastroenteritis in less than 10 days, the 2nd of which saw me carted off to the emergency room by my manager for an anti-sickness shot! My husband on the other hand, is sailing through it and feeling amazing. I have gone back to my clean eating which will need to be good enough for me. Health shouldn't be illness!
Kiersten Frase says
I think someone else commented on this post and said she had gastroenteritis too. It's very strange how some people feel so amazing on these cleanses and others get so sick. I hope you feel better now!
Soomi says
I am so relieved to read this and read the comments. I only began my juicing fast yesterday (after much thinking and deciding that I can beat hunger), but a splitting headache and nausea that began last night and vomiting everything this morning and having to leave work and come back to the office after more vomiting and sleeping at home is just not right. I keep reading how people's migraines got better and their faces cleared up and -yes glowed- while mine was cold and clammy and I wanted to shoot myself in the head to end the pain.
I also don't believe in the idea of "toxins", the body does that through the organs, now whether the organs are not getting what they need (vitamins and minerals) then that's a different story and the veg juice may be good for people who don't/can't eat veg for one reason or another.
My whole reason to do the juice fast was to lose weight and lose the acne, I guess I will have to follow a different route 🙂
Thank you again..
Kiersten Frase says
I hope you feel better now! I was also hoping my skin would clear up after the cleanse, but no such luck. I have had a lot of improvement once I started using argan oil as a moisturizer though. It's expensive, but you only use a very small amount, so it lasts a long time. 🙂
Lori says
I am so happy to hear I am not alone. I started on Sunday what was going to be a three day cleanse. By Monday at 4pm I knew I was going to puke. Sure enough from 4-10 it was every hour in the bathroom. Around 10pm is when it picked up to every 15 minutes. I have MS and had gastric bypass surgery and did not check with my dr because I thought this was a great idea. I had to quit into the 2 Nd day I was done. I was so excited to do this and buy a juicer and keep juicing but the thought now kills me. I got severely dehydrated even though I tried sipping water as often as I could which is hard to do when your throwing up. My weight dropped 13lbs in 4 days and I'm sure it's all water. I still can't eat anything without being repulsed. Last night the body shakes stopped and I was able to to sleep. I had my husband stay home with me because I thought I was headed to the ER. I kept thinking it must be the "toxins" maybe from the medication I take. I'm glad to hear many don't buy into that. My husband thinks it was the flu but I'm confident it was the juice! I'm disappointed that I'm out $100 for the juice and I missed 2 days of work, maybe 3 depending how I feel later. If I could just eat something I know I won't be so weak. Thanks for sharing this!
Kiersten Frase says
I'm sure it was the juice too, but I hope you make an appointment to see your doctor soon though, just to make sure you're okay! Being dehydrated like that can really throw your body for a loop. My husband ended up drinking my juices, but I still couldn't get over the fact that I spent SO MUCH just to get sick, so I know how you feel!
Lauren says
Thank you for this post! I recently tried a 3 day juice fast and got 1 day through it. I stopped before I vomited, so I lasted even less time than all the posts on here, but I had a splitting headache and felt incredibly nauseous. Similar to your story, my husband was talking about doing a second juice cleanse and I was thinking about never eating fruits and vegetables ever again. I googled my symptoms and while I'm not medical trained, I did read something about messing with your electrolytes so that's when I decided to start eating food again, that is...once the nausea subsided. I didn't feel like a failure because I trust my body, but I did feel disappointed. Thanks for normalizing the not-so-pretty side of juice cleanses!
Kiersten Frase says
I definitely think it messes with your electrolytes, which is why it's so dangerous to keep pushing yourself to stay on the cleanse once you start getting sick. Obviously not everyone has that reaction (like our husbands!), but I hate that people feel like they need to push through it. I'm glad you didn't!
Angela gillen says
feeling sad today too. I am on second day of a juice cleanse. I was warned it could be rough but can't see how to cope if you can't keep juice down. I have been sick twice today quite significantly. I think I will stop and focus on eating a little more sensibly and incorporate juices into my diet. Thanks for giving me the courage not to be a Martyr!
Kiersten Frase says
If you're sick and can't keep the juices down, it's definitely best to stop! I hope you feel better soon.
Traci Johnson says
I had a friend who did cleanses and juice fasts on and off. Long story, short...he had to have a kidney transplant because he messed up his system so badly. I think juicing in moderation (not fasting) is fine, just like most things in moderation are fine. It's when we go to extremes that we see how damaging it can be. Glad you recovered!
Kiersten Frase says
Wow, that is horrible! I hope your friend is doing better now. Thanks for sharing--people really need to know that when they get sick, they need to quit.
saima says
Yesterday was my first day of juice cleanse and as I had done a candida detox before I thought I would be fine. I felt sick but it peaked around 4 pm and by the last juice I threw up. I felt so ill, I know caffeine withdrawal can give you headaches and make you feel ill but this was not right as I couldn't keep the juices down. The first thing I wanted to know if anyone else experienced this. I am glad that I am not the only one and this can happen. I would like to point out that I also have low blood sugar. I am sure this juice fast is great for some but it certainly doesn't agree with my body. I am disappointed but relieved that there is no point going this way. Instead incorporate a bit of juicing in your every day life.
Kiersten Frase says
Yes, that's what I've done--I drink juice regularly now, but I'll never do a fast again. I hope you feel better!
Monique says
Well, my mission was to go for 10 days. I did a 5 day cleanse over 2 years ago and I enjoyed everyday of it, so I figured why not give it a go again.
I have been wearing a moon boot for my sprained tendon for a month now, which has me stir-crazy from not working out. I thought a cleanse would be a good way to lose the lbs from inactivity and an anti-inflammatory healing boost to my tendon to get me back to normal. I modified the cleanse this time, by having steamed greens or a salad in the evenings, because I wanted an easier transition into eating after the cleanse is over.
First two days were a breeze and then I turned into an angry, starving monster day 3, everyone and everything annoyed the hell out of me. Since day 3, I have been angry, wiped out, and out of it...I'm a woman of few words for the past few days. I was hoping the morning of the 5th day, I would have moved past these awful, awful symptoms. I couldn't stand myself and lack of energy.
My poor boyfriend. I don't know how he has put up with me during this...this morning he asked for me to quit the cleanse.
My head was throbbing this morning, so I went down for a nap...but instead I googled 5th day symptoms and quitting a juice cleanse. Thankfully, I came across your post, Kiersten...which I read last year and was cheering you on from my laptop when you first posted. I felt immediate comfort with your story, being that you have such a clean vegetable-full lifestyle...it wasn't a story coming from someone with poor habits and poor willpower. It was just what I needed this morning. Immediately after I went downstairs and told my boyfriend the cleanse is over.
You read about how so many gain a sense of connection and clarity with the universe during a cleanse, I on the other hand have never felt so disconnected and angry. Clearly, that disposition does nothing for my cells and longevity. I have a non-toxic beauty website and this cleanse has done wonders for my skin fresh and soft like a baby's bum...so I'm basically pretty on the outside and ugly on the inside. No thanks, I'll take pretty and pretty...nothing can make your skin more healthier and younger than happiness and vibrant energy (from whole foods you can chew)!
Thanks again for this. I'll be crediting you in my post next week.
x
(I didn't experience nausea, but speaking to those who've had, ayurvedic diet teaching says that lots of raw vegetables can cause fire in the belly for many people. Totally makes sense. I am the same with a raw diet.)
Kiersten Frase says
Yes, there is definitely a misconception that anyone who gets sick on a cleanse must be eating lots of junk food--not true, as you and I can both attest to! I'm sorry you didn't do well on your cleanse, but I'm betting you're feeling a whole lot better now that you've gotten back to your normal routine. Being angry and disconnected is not good for anyone!
Ruby says
I am so sorry everyone here has had such bad results from their juicing experience! I myself have had times when the juice was too much for my belly. While not negating anyone's beliefs, I would like to speak up for juicing in general. Add one to your day! Try green smoothies! Drink more veggies! But juice cleansing and "detoxing" is something that takes some easing into. I would try it after eating mostly raw for at least 6 months. Then do a 1 to 3 day juice or smoothie cleanse. I would never recommend trying it straight from a classic style diet. Yes, I do believe in the detoxing process many describe. But that has been so hyped for the sales of certain products or services that many do not understand the argument any more.
Also, you don't need to overpower your juices. Give your fresh orange juice a dose of carrot, or a splash of spinach in your apple... Make it a fun, light, life experiment.
Respect, from a juicing enthusiast, who has been there, 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
For me, incorporating juice and smoothies into my regular diet is a much better plan than doing strict juice cleanses. I actually do eat a pretty clean diet and some of the people who have commented on this post have expressed the same, so I don't think it's always a matter of people who eat burgers & fries on a daily basis going into shock when their bodies receive nutrients. I just don't believe cleanses are for everyone and I think it's dangerous to stick to one if you start feeling as sick as I was.
Wendy says
Last night I got violently ill after day 1 of a 3-day juice cleanse. It was worse than the 24 hour stomach flu - not knowing which way to face the toilet. This was not my first juice cleanse and I never got sick during previous cleanses. I did, however, try a new place. When I called them this morning they were empathetic, but I too got the " that was your body releasing all the toxins" line. I cry foul! No one should become that ill while trying to do something good for their body. I generally eat clean and healthy to begin with (green smoothies daily, very little refined sugars, flours, etc.), but do cleanse from time to time to help rejuvenate and refresh. I will definitely rethink this on a go forward. I too am not a good thrower-upper...I will do everything I can not to. If this is what it takes to release toxins, I'm not buying it!
Kiersten Frase says
Yeah, I mean, I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, but from everything I've gathered, there's nothing healthy, natural, or normal about having that kind of reaction. You can throw your body completely out of whack when you're that sick--totally not worth it! I hope you're feeling better now!
Jessica says
Thank you for this post! I've been googling googling googling, Flu while Juicing. Everything I see is, flu like symptoms while "detoxing", etc... I'm on my 4th day and I ate 1/2 an avocado, a handful of strawberries (organic) and I just bought and ate a pint of egg drop soup. Yes it's loaded with sodium, but it also contains protein. I feel like I've been doing my body harm. I've committed myself to a 15 day juice fast with a couple co-workers. They seem to be doing ok beside light headedness, foggy brain and hunger. I felt good and excited the first day, I did it! No solids, lots of water, and 2 mason jars of fresh juice I made myself with fresh organic fruits and veggies. One was just veggies. I conquered my "addiction" to food and on my way to better health! The next day, Day 2, I started developing a sore throat and ear/nose/throat, yuckiness. Not like full on sick, but definitely uncomfortable. Later that night, I had painful goosebumps, a headache, fuzziness, like a really bad cold or light flu, but not full on. It's hard to explain. No energy. My body was very sensitive, I banged my leg on a table and it hurt 10xs worse than it should have. I didn't feel like it was an actual virus, I kept telling myself I'm getting all these lovely nutrients from this juice, so there is no way I'm sick from lack of eating. I'm not starving, I'm filling my body with fresh pure nutrients minus fiber from all the fresh organic produce I juiced. I slept like a rock that night. 3rd day, morning was - eh, ok - still congested... but that afternoon and evening, pure hell. I had the return of the painful goosebumps. I was freezing but my body was warm, feverish. I had taken extra antioxidant supplements, a multivitamin, drank my (disgusting) veggie juice (I really should've made a recipe or something, that was a wicked gross veggie juice consisting of Kale, Chard, Beet, Cabbage, & Lemon) because I knew I needed the nutrients.... but I had thick mucous, coughing it up, draining from my nose, so thick I'd blow my nose and nothing would come out, my throat felt like it was closing, it was so swollen and even just drinking water made it feel sore. The headache I had was out of this world. When I got home from work I had to lay down with a blanket, (mind you it was like 70 degrees outside) and my entire body hurt so bad. When I walked, it felt like my brain was just floating around and it hurt SO bad! I have a tot too, which made me feel even worse because I couldn't do anything with him! I made him food and went back to the couch because I hurt sooo bad. I never had diarrhea or vomiting, (but the 2nd day I did feel like I could vomit....) I searched my cabinets (and I try to stay away from Tylenol or anything unnatural...) I grabbed my Hydrocodone from after giving birth. That one pill was such a blessing, the pain finally subsided and I was no longer a freezing hot fever mess, I was just sweating profusely. I was finally able to sleep. I woke up this morning, Day 4, dedicated to NEVER FEELING LIKE THAT AGAIN. I had not felt that sick in a really long time. I found it ironic that my motivation to do this "Juice Detox/Cleanse" from "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead" and I felt Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead! I'm not obese, but I could lose 20lbs still from after having my little guy. I seriously considered the ER last night! I felt SO HORRIBLE!!! I am drinking a fruity juice, water, green tea, and that egg drop soup. I'm slowly incorporating foods so I don't shock my body. It's crazy. I feel like I was already eating pretty clean, organic fruits, veggies, meat, eggs, and I rarely eat meat to begin with. I only purchase organic. I use organic coconut oil for moisturizers for crying out loud. I may not be the healthiest person but I am conscious and I try. I thought this would benefit me and I feel like my health has declined. I want to talk to my Dr about this all. I also want to focus on holistic health in school once I get closer to finishing my nursing school. Was I starving myself and making myself sick? I mean, does a flu virus just hit at night, go away in the morning, and come back the next night? I'm really questioning all of this due to my own experience, and I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I have yet to come across anything else saying a Juice Cleanse/Fast/Detox caused someone to become sick. It's always, flu like symptoms from releasing toxins. I had death like flu symptoms. Horrible. I'm still going to make my juices but I"m also going to slowly incorporate more foods as well. My brain hurt so bad, as well as my body... I hope I didn't lose brain cells by drinking just juice. I just can't believe how horrible I felt last night. I don't think I'm going to Fast for 15 days. I do feel like a failure, I was really looking forward to the health benefits everyone and every blog raves about, as well as the quick weight loss... I don't think this is healthy though to feel like dying or driving my fevered self to the ER... I will continue to make these juices to drink, along with balanced clean meals. Ayiyiyi! Thank you for sharing this!
Jessica says
Sorry - I also just noticed that this is more of a vegetarian/vegan site, and I just mentioned meat...I was vegetarian for awhile living in CA, but it's harder now living in WI with family and friends who are far from vegetarian. The meat I get comes from a farm where the animals are free to roam and are able to live a healthy lifestyle, all organic, grass-fed, no antibiotics, hormones, etc... the farm is about 45 minutes from where I live. I also occasionally will eat wild salmon or cod. I do still eat mainly vegetarian diet. I don't think I got sick from my body missing animal products, because I rarely consume them. I've seen forks over knives, and my PETA friends would probably think I'm messed up for still eating meat. I do not support factory farms in any way shape or form. 🙂 Thank you for allowing me to share my experience.
Kiersten Frase says
Oh, don't worry about mentioning meat - most of the people who read this blog eat meat (and many write to tell me how they add chicken or beef to my recipes, ha!), so I'm really not that sensitive. 🙂 I hope you're feeling better by now. I don't know why it is that some people do so well on fasts and other people don't. But I do think it's completely silly to think that symptoms like this are natural or a good thing because your body is detoxing. It can be really dangerous not to listen to your body and persist with a cleanse when you get that sick. You are not a failure for quitting!