The Best Juice Cleanse for Summer

Summer is here, and that means we get to look forward to trips to the beach, cookouts with friends, and every kind of cold beverage imaginable—slushies, shakes, smoothies, iced coffee. These drinks might be refreshing, but most of them are packed with sugar, making them more of a dessert than drink. Between travel, beach days, and outdoor exercise, you don’t have time to deal with a sugar crash from that supposedly “healthy” smoothie you drank earlier. If you find yourself craving a sweet and sugary drink every time you’re out and about, your body may benefit from a juice cleanse this summer.

What Is a Juice Cleanse?

You may have seen your fitness enthusiast friends partake in juice cleanses, but is it true that juice can actually cleanse your body? How does a juice cleanse work, and how is it different from eating regular fruits and vegetables?

Cold-pressed juices are made directly from fresh fruits and vegetables, often including greens like celery, cucumber, and kale. Fruits like lemons, oranges, apples, pineapples and other nutritious ingredients like ginger, turmeric, and chia seeds are also commonly found in cold-pressed juices. A slow rotating blade carefully extracts healthy juices from fresh fruits and vegetables, resulting in a smooth taste. Many cold-pressed juices also come in the form of tiny “shots”—a smaller bottle full of nutrients that’s akin to taking your daily multivitamin.

What Are the Benefits?

Cold-pressed juices offer a myriad of benefits, too. They can support weight loss, increase your energy, boost your immune system, improve your digestion and general well-being, help you conquer those sugar cravings, and provide a detox for your mind.

Wellness shots can be used to target specific systems in your body that need extra support and detoxification. If you’re recovering from a cold, consider taking a wellness shot that will boost your immunity. If you’re recovering from a hangover or need an extra boost to your morning, you might choose a shot that contains ingredients like coconut, carrot, ginger, apple, or citrus fruits like lemon and orange.

These juices can replenish essential nutrients and give your tired body a much-needed boost. In addition to improving your general wellness and alertness, the fruits and vegetables included in cold-pressed juices are carefully chosen for their specific benefits.

• Apples: Contain antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C
• Oranges: Maintain healthy cholesterol and are LOADED with vitamin C
• Kale: Contains vitamin C and E, supports bone health and immunity
• Beets: High in iron, support heart health, and can aid in weight loss
• Almonds/Nuts: High in magnesium, vitamin E, and fiber
• Ginger: Contains antioxidants, maintains healthy blood pressure
• Chia Seeds: High in fiber and omega-3, maintain healthy blood pressure

How Is a Juice Cleanse Different from Regular Fruits and Vegetables?

Think about the last time you ate a fruit or vegetable. Maybe you had an apple or a salad with lunch. But what about fresh greens for breakfast? That may seem a little excessive, but the American Heart Association recommends eating four to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Are you eating two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables every single day?

You may not be, and that’s okay—we’re human, we all lead busy lives, and sometimes, it’s easier to grab something microwavable for breakfast or lunch. Even with so many fruits and vegetables in season, it can still be challenging to eat healthy during the summer. Fresh produce is expensive and bothersome to prepare—all that washing and chopping—and if you travel a lot, you can’t always store produce properly and carry it with you. It’s no wonder many frequent travelers and summer vacationers end up eating out for the majority of their meals.

That’s why juice cleanses are a step up from regular produce. It’s easier to track your servings of fruits and veggies, and you can effortlessly carry a bottle of cold-pressed juice with you. Plus, they come in several delicious flavors, so you can find a healthy juice cleanse that tastes just like your favorite smoothie.

What Is the Best Juice Cleanse?

Like smoothies, some juice brands contain unnecessary amounts of sugar to make them taste sweet. If you’re looking to stock up on juice cleanses for vacation or summertime travel, look for all-natural ingredients from brands like PUR Cold-Pressed Juice. PUR has flavors to satisfy your cravings for every iced summer drink. Feeling jittery without your usual iced coffee from Starbucks? Grab PUR’s Cold Brew or Vanilla Almond-flavored juice cleanse. Their cold brew contains coffee, almonds, coconuts, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, and pea protein—it’s much healthier than your usual brew.

Looking for something a little more tropical for your day at the beach? Try a Pineapple Lemonade juice cleanse, which contains pineapple, lemon, agave, lemongrass, and Vitamin C. Of course, you could always go for the Greens blend if you need a veggie boost.

Conclusion

Cold-pressed juice cleanses offer health benefits with a delicious taste. How many summer beverages can say that? You choose what you put into your body this summer, and you’ll likely feel better if you give your body what it’s really craving—a healthy serving of refreshing fruits and vegetables.