With bikini season comes a whole new set of tips and tricks to look your best on the beach. It’s all well and good to eat more veg and get some exercise, but what if you need to jumpstart your weight loss in time for summer? If you’re looking for a way to lose weight without risking your health, cleanse diets will rid your body of toxins and help you shed the kilos faster.
There are plenty of popular and effective cleanse diet plans, but you won’t get the same results from each diet. In this article, we give you all the info on how a cleanse actually works and go over a few of the most popular ones on the net.
RELATED: What Can You Eat On The Paleo Diet?
Cleansing 101: Q & A On Detoxing
Q: What Is A Cleanse?
A: Cleanses are basically diets that aim to flush toxins out of your system. Some cleanses involve liquid-only diets, but others allow you to eat from a list of prescribed foods.
Q: How Long Should A Cleanse Last?
A: The typical cleanse lasts up to a week. A 3 day cleanse is often stricter and requires fasting from all other foods except those prescribed by the cleanse. Some 3 day cleanses are entirely liquid, which means they’re pretty intense but very effective.
7 day cleanses are liquid-heavy too, but the fasting period is often shorter and requires you to eat more substantial small meals to keep your energy up.
Q: How Do I Know If I Need To Go On A Cleanse?
A: There are a lot of things which can indicate that you might need to go on a cleanse. If you’re feeling sluggish or constantly fatigued, or you’ve indulged in too much junk food, you should think about cleansing. People who suffer from persistent skin problems can also try cleansing to see if eliminating certain problem foods will keep their breakouts from being triggered.
Q: What Are Facial Cleanses?
A: Facial cleanses are seven-day diets which aim to make your skin glow and become less prone to acne by banning skin-dulling foods high in fat and sugar. You’ll be drinking a ton of water and cutting out sugar, dairy and fat to make your face pimple-free.
Q: Do Facial Cleanses Help My Body Detox Too?
A: Yes! Because facial cleanses emphasise hydration, the added water and unsweetened fruit shakes help your body slowly wean off fatty and sugary foods. Apart from having rosier cheeks and a fresh face, you may notice that you have more energy!
Looking For The Best Cleanse For Weight Loss? Five Body Cleanses To Boost Metabolism
1. The Master Cleanse
One of the strictest but most effective cleanses, the Master Cleanse allows you to drink only this spiced lemonade for ten days to rid your body of excess salt and fat. It’s important to properly transition into it by replacing meals with smoothies before the cleanse, then slowly reintroducing healthy solid food like fruit and veg back when you’re done. Here’s the recipe for this diet drink!
- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
- 8 to 12 ounces of purified or spring water
Beyoncé did this for a gobsmacking two weeks, and emerged nine kilos lighter, looking at least a decade younger. It may take a ton of discipline, but this is a great way to shed pounds in less than a month!
2. The Bone Broth Cleanse
With hearty, warming soups that are packed with healing herbs and veg, it’s no surprise that the bone broth cleanse has become a popular alternative to juice cleansing. “It’s winter’s miracle detox drink”, says Gwyneth Paltrow. And she’s just one of many celebrities obsessed with bone broth, as everyone from Kobe Bryant to Shailene Woodley is hooked on this inflammation-reducing cleanse.
“It’s full of gelatin and fat and has bone marrow, and I think it is very good to keep yourself young,” Salma Hayek gushes. Bones are rich in collagen, which keeps your bones strong and your skin glowing, even as you reduce your daily calories. Go to your local butcher and ask for soup bones to make a batch that will last you all week!
3. The Juice Cleanse
Alicia Silverstone, Fergie, and Nicole Richie have all sworn by juice cleansing. This is considered a ‘starter cleanse’ for people who aren’t into drastic fasting. Juice cleanses require you to substitute your meals with a combination of fruit and veggie juices for at least three days. While you can add organic sweeteners like stevia or honey into your juices, we recommend that you use naturally sweet fruit to cut down on the sugar instead.
If you’re put off by the idea of veggie juice, blend a banana or berries in to make it easier to drink! Women’s Health writer Lottie Dalziel tried the juice cleanse, and she lost three kg in only three days! She said, “My colleagues have started stopping me to comment on my complexion. My skin is noticeably glowing and the whites of my eyes are bright.”
4. The Liver Cleanse Diet
Your liver is responsible for cleaning things like extra fat and alcohol out of your body, so if you’ve had one too many nights out, this cleanse can bring your liver back to peak performance. It’s also good for feeling lighter and less exhausted when you’ve been eating fat-rich or sugar-laden food. YouTuber Lauren Henry tried it for nine days, and said, “By the end of the cleanse, I noticed my energy and my moods started to lighten up and lift.”
You can cleanse for three to seven days by following these easy rules: drink raw veggie juices, take milk thistle or dandelion supplements, and eat food rich in potassium. Milk thistle and dandelion are herbs that restore liver health, while potassium does that and lowers your cholesterol levels. The raw veg juices make the veggies easier to digest and provides your body with vitamins and nutrients while you gradually get rid of the fat.
5. The Colon Cleanse Diet
Whenever people hear of colon cleanses, they shy away because they think that automatically means laxatives. But, contrary to popular belief, you can do an effective colon cleanse without popping any pills or flushing anything into your body! For a colon cleanse, start drinking one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar every day – if you’re not a fan of the taste, dilute it with water or juice.
You’re still allowed to eat on a colon cleanse, as long as your food is high in fibre. Drinking herbal teas like ginger and chamomile will help your colon flush out toxins while curbing your craving for sweets. Youtuber Velvet Lox lost nearly 14 kilos by doing a colon cleanse!
How Do I Know Which Cleanse Diet Is Right For Me?
Think about how much time you have to lose the weight, and what food you like to eat. Some of these plans are easy to customise, while a few are much stricter! What’s important is that you pace yourself properly, and motivate yourself to keep going.
With a little willpower and a lot of water, you’re going to turn heads with your banging new beach bod. Cleansing is good for your health and slimming down will be a major self-esteem boost, so try it out for a few days and see the amazing results for yourself!
RELATED: The Emily Ratajkowski Diet: Get Emily Ratajkowski’s Bikini Body
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
