Afraid of what might happen when you first start juicing? Well, let’s review some of the potential first time juicing side effects.
First Time Juicing Side Effects : 4 Things That Might Happen
I’ve been juicing for many years and a lot of my readers have as well. But that doesn’t mean that everyone who reads this blog is an expert.
Maybe you are new to juicing and looking to start. If you are, then make sure to read my review on the best juicer for beginners when you’re done here.
That said, there are a lot of people who have never made fresh juice at home beyond orange juice.
They are probably wondering what the side effects are when you first make juice.
If you’re someone who watches health volgs then you’ve probably come across some wild stuff.
Everything from the outrageous positive claims, to crazy ones.
I’m here to set that straight and give you the lowdown.
The First Time Might Make You Feel Bloated!
It’s true. The first time you make a fresh juice you might feel bloated.
This is especially true if you happen to be a meat eater or someone with a fast food diet.
The cleaner your diet, the less likely it is that you’ll feel bloated.
In fact, if you’re a vegetarian or vegan or someone who eats healthy and has lots of fiber in your diet, then you probably won’t feel bloated at all.
The reason that some people feel bloated when drinking a juice for the first time is that they’re getting fiber plus natural sugars which some people are not used to processing.(1)
If you’re making a pure fruit juice, then you’re ingesting a lot of natural sugars.
While fruit juice is healthy, I always like to mix in greens to help lower the natural sugar content. So, instead of a pure apple juice drink, add some celery or kale.
The Bathroom Side Effect: You Might Run To The Bathroom!
No one likes to openly talk about this, but it’s something to understand.
Juicing can make you poop.
Why? Well, there are a few reasons.
First, some juices such as apple juice have a lot of natural sugars that, when combined with the fiber, make some people prone to poop.
And juice in general will make some people hit the bathroom because those same people are naturally fiber deficient.
And juice is the perfect way to get liquid and fiber into your diet!
Remember, when you juice, you are not removing all of the fiber. You do get fiber in a juice.
It’s akin to taking a fiber pill with a glass of water, except it’s much healthier.
The advice that I give most people is as follows:
- Go Slow
If you’ve been eating processed foods for years, you shouldn’t just jump into a 3 time a day green juice diet. Try one for breakfast.
- Make The Juice Light
My next tip would be to make the juice light. The heavier the juice, the more likely it will be to cause bloat. Especially in people who have never drank fresh juice on a regular basis. So, try a light juice–something with cucumbers as a main ingredient would be a good idea.
And the simple truth is that most people don’t have bathroom issues when drinking fresh juice. For those that do, it’s often something that only happens when they are first starting juicing.
I don’t subscribe to the whole juice cleanse fad, because I believe you should do a complete diet overhaul and not just cleanse the system every few months.
But…for those people who have been eating poorly, there will be a bathroom change for the first few days upon upping fiber and fresh juice intake.
The First Time Juicers Headache Side Effect: Only Some People
Again, this is a problem that experienced juicers do not suffer.
It’s also not something that your average person is likely to suffer.
The main reason that you’ll get a headache the first time you juice is because of what you are not drinking: caffeine.
A lot of people decide that they are going to skip their morning coffee or tea or whatever they get from Starbucks and instead juice.
And that’s a great idea and a healthy one. But…remember what happens when you have caffeine withdrawal? Headaches.
Thousands of studies have been conducted on caffeine and all of them signify the correlation between caffeine withdrawal and headaches. (2)
So, if you’re a daily coffee or tea drinker, then you will likely experience headaches.
But, these headaches have more to due with the caffeine withdrawal, and not the juice. If you continued drinking the coffee or tea, you will likely not have these headaches.
The Energy Rush! Is This Caffeine?
Another common side effect that people find when drinking fresh juice for the first time is that they get a rush of energy.
This is a good thing in most peoples eyes, but it’s also something to be aware of.
Now, not all juices will give you an energy boost.
There are some juices that provide more of an immediate boost than others.
The quick energy rush that you get from a juice with carrots or beets or lots of fruit comes down to the sugar content.
You are basically getting a sugar rush, even though it’s a natural sugar rush.
I would remind everyone that there is nothing inherently wrong with sugar. However, i would suggest that you steer clear of a juice that is too rich in sugar.
That means steer clear of pure carrot juice or pure beet juice or a pure apple juice. Mix in some greens or some other vegetables that have less sugar so you can balance it out.
I see this less than a side effect than as a benefit.
Imagine being able to swap out your caffeine addition with something more healthy, something such as a green juice mixed with beet juice.
How To Start Juicing
Now that you’ve read about the potential side effects of juicing, it’s time to start juicing.
I can’t cover it all in this post, since my goal here was to address the common side effects for first time juicers.
However, I did create an entire post that covered exactly how to use a juicer. I highly suggest reading this if you’re new to juicing.
Will Everyone Have These Side Effects The First Time
No, not at all.
Not everyone is going to suffer any or all of these side effects. The truth is that it is totally dependent upon the style of diet you have.
It’s also dependent upon your lifestyle.
So, don’t worry too much about these minor side effects and go forth and juice!
Notes and References
Hi there everyone!
My names Jason (Jay for short). You can find out more about me and why I started this website here.
Stay healthy and I hope you enjoy the information!