How to reintroduce foods after a cleanse

After completing a juice cleanse, transitioning back to your regular diet might leave you wondering what you should be eating to maximize all those feel-good post-cleanse benefits.

Knowing which foods to incorporate back into your diet (and which to avoid) will help you make the most of your cleanse and keep your healthy eating habits on track.

As dedicated juicers ourselves, we’re sharing our top post-cleanse eating tips so you can get the most out of your juice cleanse.

Tips To Ease Your Way Back To Your Regular Healthy Diet

1. EAT WHOLE FOODS.
With the convenience of processed and refined foods, avoiding them can be difficult. But eating whole foods provide way more of the nutrients that benefit your body—and are easier on your digestive system when transitioning back to your normal diet. After your juice cleanse, stick to whole foods like organic produce, nuts, beans, and other foods without added sugar or preservatives.

2. INCORPORATE LOTS OF FRUITS AND VEGGIES.
Try to work 2 servings of fruit and 3 to 5 servings of vegetables into your meals each day. Vegetables can be eaten raw, lightly steamed, or roasted. Get all the fibre you can to keep your digestive processes moving from high-fibre fruits and veggies like carrots, apples, broccoli, and raspberries. These foods are all great for digestion (and are tasty too!).

3. EAT HEALTHY FATS.
Healthy fats are good to incorporate into your diet and can keep you full and satisfied post-cleanse—making you less likely to snack and undermine the benefits of your cleanse. Get your healthy fats from foods like avocados, olives, nuts, tofu, and peanut butter.

4. WATCH (& REDUCE) YOUR SUGAR INTAKE.
Refined sugars are harder for your body to digest and can make the transition back to solid foods harder on your body. Avoid processed foods and drinks with added sugar, and stick to natural sugars found in fruits or honey instead.

5. AVOID COFFEE AND OTHER CAFFEINE.
Since this is something you cut out leading up to and during your cleanse, you may be more sensitive to caffeine. Jumping right back into your morning coffee(s) can throw a wrench into your sleep schedule and leave you feeling jittery throughout the day. Reintroduce caffeine back into your diet slowly, starting with ½ a cup per day.

6. SKIP HAPPY HOUR.
Your liver has been working hard to detoxify your body for the past few days, so give it a bit of a rest. Wait at least a week before reintroducing alcohol into your diet.

7. DRINK LOTS OF WATER.
Keeping hydrated will help improve digestion and keep your body running smoothly. Drink hot (or warm) water with lemon and herbal teas to ease your digestive system back into your regular routine.

Your Post-Cleanse Food Guide

If you’re wondering what to eat after a cleanse and get into the habit of a regular healthy diet, try out these post-cleanse meal suggestions in the days following your cleanse.

Day 1

  • Eat 3 small meals.
  • Stick to easy-to-digest fruits like bananas, cantaloupe, and watermelon.
  • Ease back into full meals with something light and easy like a soup made from veggies like squash, pumpkins, beets, and green beans.
  • Drink 8 cups of water and/or herbal teas throughout the day. Stay away from caffeinated teas and coffee for the first day to avoid an upset stomach or that jittery feeling.

Day 2

  • Introduce small portions of rice or quinoa.
  • Keep eating more of the fruits and vegetables suggested on day 1.
  • Add healthy fats to help keep you satisfied longer. Avocados, nuts, and natural peanut butter are all tasty sources of these healthy fats.
  • Introduce starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes for extra iron and calcium.
  • Drink 8 cups of water and/or herbal teas throughout the day.
  • Start reintroducing caffeine in small quantities if you wish. Try having a ½ cup of black coffee and see how you feel. Increase in small amounts over the next few days.

Day 3

  • Introduce dairy like yogurt and skim milk slowly if desired. If you don’t eat dairy, use your normal alternatives like almond or coconut milk.
  • Introduce more of your favorite fruits and vegetables.
  • Incorporate small amounts of easily-digestible animal protein like eggs. Avoid red meats for now and opt for lean chicken or tofu alternatives.
  • Drink 8 cups of water and/or herbal teas throughout the day. Continue to drink caffeine normally if you like.

Day 4 - And Beyond

Continue your healthy eating habits and tailor them to your preferences. The first few days after a juice cleanse is all about maximizing its benefits by incorporating healthier foods back into your diet. After a couple days of a juice-based diet, getting back to solid foods can be a bit of a challenge, so take some time to ease your body back into your regular diet. Introduce gluten, dairy, and red meats slowly just to be sure you don’t overwhelm your system and end up feeling sick.

Get More From Your Juice Cleanse

A juice cleanse can be challenging (especially if it’s your first!), so congrats on completing it. Now make sure you’re maximizing the benefits by sticking to a healthy diet afterwards. Incorporating the right foods back into your diet will help you make the most of your cleanse and keep your healthy lifestyle journey on track.

Which Pulp & Press juice cleanse is right for you?

Take our quiz to discover which cleanse is best for your lifestyle and goals!

Take The Quiz

To everyone who is about to ‘finish’ (or has finished) the Standard Process 21 Day Cleanse or the Whole 30 Program, I want to first and foremost congratulate you. Well done!

These congratulations are not, however, for merely doing the program. Instead, they are compliments for making a commitment to your health. Fortunately for all of us, the journey begins with the Standard Process Cleanse, or any other program you might have completed, but extends beyond these three weeks.

The next steps are important to continuing this commitment to your health. Many call this phase the ‘reintroduction phase’. During the next few weeks, you will begin to add back the foods that you eliminated during your cleanse. You might have even added a few back already! Maybe you celebrated this morning with a bacon and pancake brunch extravaganza! But a word of caution about this…

By doing the cleanse program, we tried to create a situation in which we can observe how the foods we eat might contribute to some of our symptoms. Some foods might simply be preventing us from feeling our best. Eliminating foods to ‘restart’ our system, gives us the perfect opportunity to make these observations.

When you’re reintroducing food groups back into your diet, it’s critical to add each food back, one at a time, in small amounts, so that you may observe how they make you feel. You may find that foods you have eaten for years cause bloating, pimples or even headaches. You may also find that food combinations are bothersome to your digestive system. By introducing each food or food group one by one, you can easily identify which foods are causing duress. If you introduce too many at once, you may find yourself feeling unwell – and you will be unable to pinpoint which food caused the issue.

I would love my clients to share with me how their experience has been thus far, via email. With these insights, I can make a recommendation for a more personalized program for the next step in their wellness journey. First and foremost, it’s most important to make note what has improved, or not. Maintaining a food journal during the reintroduction phase will be helpful in keeping track of what foods cause symptoms, and which do not. It’s best to make note of: difference in digestion (subtle or dramatic), sleep, mood, skin, join pain, etc.

In the link below Melissa Hartwig from the Whole30 Program, writes a detailed description of what she coins “Reintro 101”. There is a fast-track plan and a Slow-Roll plan, each outlined with Pros and Cons. I encourage you all to take a look, so that you can feel empowered to reintroduce foods back into your diet, while still maintaining optimal health – for your physical and mental well-being.

Whole 30 Reintroduction

"The content below is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition."

You’ve been struggling with stomach pains for months.

Constipation, bloating, and nausea are beginning to affect your daily life. 

You’re not sure what is causing you to be so uncomfortable, but you’re ready for some answers.

There’s a good chance that the foods you’re consuming are destroying your gut health, causing pain and discomfort.


The good news is that
a juice cleanse can help you safely detoxify your body and strategically help you reintroduce foods that leave you feeling good.


This guide explains how to
safely end a juice cleanse and gives details on what to eat in the days following your cleanse to avoid a major shock to your digestive system.

Table of Contents

  • What Is a Juice Cleanse?
  • What to Eat After a Juice Cleanse: Reintroducing Foods to Your Diet
  • What to Eat After a 3 Day Juice Cleanse
  • What to Eat After a 5 Day Juice Cleanse
  • What Foods Should You Avoid After a Juice Cleanse?
  • Can You Eat During a Juice Cleanse?
  • Is a Juice Cleanse the Best Option for You? Return Your Body to Health With Nutrition Response Testing and a Holistic Diet
  • What Is a Juice Cleanse?

    During a juice cleanse, you drink only the juices from fruits and vegetables to help detoxify and clean out your body. Because of the restriction of foods and calories, people often lose weight while on a juice cleanse.


    Juicing can help to add the extra vitamins and minerals and improve digestion without consuming the pulps, skins, and fibrous portions of the fruits and vegetables.


    Not sure if a juice cleanse will help you reach your health goals?
     


    HealthierU offers
    Nutrition Response Testing that can help determine your health concerns and symptoms and find holistic and natural ways to address them.

    How Long Does a Juice Cleanse Last?

    Most often, people choose a 3 or 5 day juice cleanse option. The length of your cleanse might be determined by your symptoms and goals.

    It is not usually recommended to complete a juice cleanse longer than 10 days. Not only is it hard to maintain, but the risks of juice fasting that long can be dangerous. During a juice faster lasting longer than 10 days you may experience:

    • Extreme tiredness.
    • Frequent headaches.
    • Blood sugar levels that heavily fluctuate.

    These issues are caused by the constant higher sugar and low levels of fiber you are receiving from strictly consuming the juices of fruits and vegetables. The drastic changes in your blood sugar and the toxins leaving your body, plus the lack of protein, are major contributors to headaches and fatigue.

    What Should I Eat After a Juice Detox?

    If you’re considering juice fasting, you might be wondering what to eat post juice cleanse.

    What type of post juice cleanse menu should you prepare the week following your juice fast?

    Generally, you should start slowly to avoid being nauseated or uncomfortable. Eating the same fruits and vegetables in their whole form is a good place to start before adding in whole grains, proteins, and full high-quality meals.

    You should continue to avoid high fats, sugars, and processed foods in your post juice cleanse menu.

    What to Eat After a Juice Cleanse: Reintroducing Foods to Your Diet

    Reintroducing foods back into your diet following a juice cleanse the correct way is important for your digestive health. The approach you take should mimic the number of days you were on the juice cleanse. 


    So what do I eat after a juice cleanse?


    Although you might be craving fatty, greasy, and fried foods,
    don’t jump ship. To help the transition back to solid foods while maintaining a healthy body, you want to:

    • Stay hydrated
    • Eat whole foods
    • Beware of your sugar intake
    • Avoid caffeine and coffee
    • Avoid alcohol
    • Choose alkaline foods 
    • Create smaller meals to help with digestion
    • Take your time eating

    What to Eat After a 3 Day Juice Cleanse

    You’ve just completed a 3 day juice cleanse and are ready to reintroduce solid and whole foods back into your diet.


    You feel good and you’ve lost a few pounds
    , so you don’t want to reverse the work you just did by eating foods that will disrupt your digestive system or quickly add the weight back on.


    You need to know what to eat after a 3 day juice cleanse to continue the healthier lifestyle you’re after.

    Day 1 Meal Plan

    Aim for three small meals for your first day post juice cleanse menu. You should avoid coffee and caffeine, stay hydrated, and eat fruits and vegetables that are easy to digest.


    Try:

    • A bowl of bananas, cantaloupe, and watermelon
    • Dark leafy greens with lemon juice
    • A soup made from pumpkin, squash, beets, green beans

    Day 2 Meal Plan

    On day two, you should continue to eat fruits and vegetables like the day before and try to reintroduce small portions of grains.

    You could:

    • Have a bowl of fruit
    • Eat small portions of rice or quinoa
    • Add a healthy fat, like avocado, over a starchy vegetable like sweet potatoes.
    • Try other healthy fats, like nuts or natural peanut butter.

    Continuing to stay hydrated is very important, but you could also reintroduce small amounts of caffeine and see how your body reacts.

    Day 3 Meal Plan

    On day 3, you can increase your caffeine and continue to drink plenty of water. You can also reintroduce dairy and easily-digestible animal proteins.

    You might try:

    • A yogurt parfait with fruit and nuts
    • Skim milk or dairy alternatives
    • More fruits and vegetables
    • Eggs and lean chicken or tofu
    • More rice or quinoa

    What to Eat After a 5 Day Juice Cleanse

    Reintroducing foods after a 5 day juice cleanse is a more gradual and slower process than a 3 day juice cleanse.

    But just like with a 3 day juice cleanse, you want to give your body the same number of days to adjust to whole foods as you did the juice cleanse.

    It is important to know what to eat after a 5 day juice cleanse to allow your body time to process the different food groups.

    Remember, staying well-hydrated throughout the post juice cleanse process is also important.

    Day 1 Meal Plan

    On the first day following your 5 day juice cleanse, you should have three small meals. They should include:

    • Fresh vegetables similar to what you used in your cleanse
    • A bowl of fresh fruit
    • Nuts
    • Oils, herbs, and spices
    • Water, water, water

    Day 2 Meal Plan

    Continue to eat fruits, vegetables, and nuts but also add in:

    • Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes
    • Beans and legumes
    • Brown rice or quinoa
    • More oils, herbs, and spices for flavors
    • Plenty of water

    Day 3 Meal Plan

    By day 3, you can reintroduce eggs and dairy. You might also have small amounts of caffeine or coffee if you wish.

    By today, your post juice cleanse menu should consist of:

    • Fruits and vegetables
    • Brown rice or quinoa
    • Beans and legumes
    • Starchy vegetables
    • Dairy products like skim milk or yogurt (or non-dairy alternatives)
    • Eggs
    • Water
    • Caffeine or coffee

    Day 4 Meal Plan

    On day 4, you can continue to expand your post juice cleanse recipes by adding proteins like:

    • Eggs
    • Chicken
    • Fish
    • Tofu or other meat alternatives
    • More water
    • Caffeine or coffee

    Day 5 Meal Plan

    By day 5 following your juice cleanse, your body should begin to feel well-adjusted to the foods you have slowly reintroduced back into your diet.

    From this day forward, you can incorporate the foods you want to be a regular part of your diet in the future.

    To continue with the long-term benefits of your juice cleanse, you should still consider keeping the following food sources to a minimum:

    • Alcohol
    • Caffeine
    • Processed foods
    • High fats
    • Sugar 

    What Foods Should You Avoid After a Juice Cleanse?

    If you want to continue to reap the benefits of your juice cleanse and live a healthy lifestyle, there are foods you should avoid once your juice cleanse is complete.

    To attempt to avoid major digestive issues, you should consider steering clear of:

    Instead, stick to fresh fruits that are easier to digest like bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, or avocado.

    1. Fermented foods that do not contain probiotics or helpful enzymes.
    2. Specific meats and proteins. Anything in a casing (like a hot dog or sausage) is more fibrous and harder to digest.Additionally, proteins like lunch meats and shellfish should be avoided.
    3. Some grains that are not as easily digested, like wild rice or granola.
    4. Dairy that is mixed with artificial sweeteners.

    At HealthierU, we use Nutrition Response Training to help determine what foods, even those that are considered healthy, might be contributing to your health issues. To find out what could be causing your digestive problems or allergies, a free consultation with our Master Clinicians can help.

    Can You Eat During a Juice Cleanse?

    Most often, people who juice cleanse do not eat during the process because it slows down the effects and results. However, with so many different juice cleanses being marketed today, this could depend on which one you choose to follow.


    Some
    juice cleanses recommend you do not eat at all while others make exceptions for specific foods like whole vegetables, nuts, or a smaller meal for people who require more calories.


    If you are going to eat during a juice cleanse, you could try:

    • Raw vegetables like carrots or celery
    • Organic fruit
    • Nuts

    What Should I Eat the Day Before a Juice Cleanse?

    If you’re planning to start a juice cleanse, you should prepare for it the right way instead of just waking up and jumping right into it one day.


    Here are some things to consider:

    1. Drink plenty of water to keep your cells hydrated.
    2. Get good sleep.
    3. Begin cutting out caffeine and carbonated drinks.
    4. Don’t load up on foods you will be missing.

    By eating some suggested foods leading up to your juice cleanse, you’re doing two things:

    1. You are avoiding a major shock to your body 
    2. You are helping your digestive system by reducing the foods that are high in sugar, processed, or are refined carbs. 


    Now you’re wondering,
    “What should I eat the day before a juice cleanse?”


    Stick to
    whole fruits and root vegetables, leafy greens, citrus, whole grains, and nuts. These food choices are similar to what you will fuel your body with post juice cleanse.

    Is a Juice Cleanse the Best Option for You? Return Your Body to Health With Nutrition Response Testing and a Holistic Diet

    A juice cleanse is just one natural way to detoxify your body and attempt to lose weight but it may not be for everyone. Because of the calorie restrictions and restrictive terms, some people might shy away from drinking only juices for a set number of days.

    It can even come with some health risks, like:

    • Having nutrient deficiencies from depriving your body of proteins, healthy fats, and specific vitamins.
    • Causing major spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels from the lack of fiber.
    • Extreme fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and cravings from the low calories.
    • Muscle or bone loss because of the lack of protein that your muscles need to repair and grow.


    Are you interested in a juice cleanse and want to know if it’s a smart and safe route for you?


    HealthierU offers a free consultation with our Master Clinicians and uses Natural Response Testing to help
    find the root of your digestive issues, pains, allergies, or anxieties. 


    By eliminating
    toxic foods and substances, our natural and holistic approach has helped thousands of patients improve their health. Click here to get started today.