WITHOUT a doubt, this Yuletide season will see many partying, consuming alcohol, getting together with family, finding opportunities to give back, as well as attending places of worship. Whatever the different plans for the season, food will definitely come into play, and lots of it too.

There will be an abundance and a variety to choose from. Some will forget that they were ever trying to eat healthy, totally disregarding whatever programmes they are on just for the season. We all know about controlling portion sizes, but can we just enjoy the festivities and worry about all that later?

Forget the feeling of lethargy after overeating, it will pass. We might be feeling uncomfortable after indulging, but we will feel better tomorrow.

Cherie Dowdie, owner of Live! Juice Bar, a mobile unit, told the Jamaica Observer that, although a pre-Christmas juice detox will not prevent the effects associated with all the festivities, it can minimise them as well as ensure that you are approaching the season in as healthy a state as possible.

“So make sure that your digestive system is not backed up. Make sure that you are feeling good and energetic. Make sure that your immune system is in top form,” shared Dowdie. “These are things that doing a detox will do for you, because what a juice detox really does is it just gives your digestive system a chance to rest and reboot.”

She explained that a juice detox is giving your body nourishment in the easiest way, which is in the form of juice.

“And what happens when you are having good nourishment is that your body does not really have to worry about dealing with toxic food or dealing with things that cause digestive issues…” said Dowdie. “It can focus on extracting the nutrition and making use of it.

“Which is why people find that if they are feeling kind of ‘under the weather’, meaning they are coming down with the flu, and you just clean up your diet a bit, you find that you bounce back a lot quicker than if you continue with a regular diet, if it’s not a very clean diet,” she continued.

She said that when people clean up their diets, their bodies do not have to deal with too much fat, carbs, preservatives, or too much of anything “junky”, as it is “focusing on extracting good nutrients from fruits and vegetables”.

So which juice should you try if you are considering a pre-Christmas cleanse?

“They call green juice the king of juices because they are one of the most nutrient vegetables available. So, whatever it is that you are trying to address in your diet, it is always best to start with green juices first,” Dowdie insisted.

She explained that green juices can be made from callaloo, celery, parsley, or kale and that anything green is good. She emphasised that dark green, leafy vegetables are best in terms of the benefits to be had.

The Live! Juice Bar owner added that grapefruits are also very good for detoxing.

“As well as anything with a high water content,” she added. “So … anything like watermelon, things like cucumber, those are really, really good for flushing out the system.”

She told the Sunday Observer that, although she is only offering a pre-Christmas juice detox at this time, she would normally recommend a post-Christmas cleanse as well.

“Because a lot of people, throughout the season, they want to drink, eat a whole heap of food, they sign up for the package, and so they go through a couple days before Christmas, take a break for the Christmas season, and then post-Christmas, they come back on to flush out.”

She told the Sunday Observer many people have not opted this year for the pre-Christmas juice detox, compared to previous years, she insisted that people need to prepare their bodies for the season.

Live! Juice Bar detox is said to boost one’s immune system, increase energy, promote weight loss, flush digestive system, and improve skin.

So how about doing a juice detox before that food binge for Christmas? It might just make the season merrier.

— AIR