Coffee and Juice Detoxes

by Lidia Lim
(Singapore)

Q: How do I start the detox program if I have a cup of coffee habit in the morning?

A: Hi Lidia! It's not recommended to have caffeine if you are doing a juice cleanse. It's best to give yourself a break from these acidic beverages if possible. Coffee is highly acidic and works against the cleansing energy in your body.

Try replacing your coffee with a energy packed green juice (add a little bit of parsley- it can help impart natural energy) or herbal tea. While this might be hard at first, if you stick with it, you should be able to overcome the urge to drink it in a few days and feel great without it.

When we ingest caffeine, it gets absorbed throughout our body and it affects our organs, and interferes with natural processes in our body. It can be hard on the liver and it's ability to burn fat and cleanse out toxins. It also can lead to increased levels of cortisol (stress hormone), which can lead to increased fat storage.

If you must drink something, switch to green tea (35 milligrams of caffeine) or white tea (8 milligrams of caffeine), which is much less than a typical cup of coffee.

I hear many stories from my readers that green juice has done wonders in helping them kick their coffee habits. Maybe this can work for you as well.

Sorry to bring you bad news about caffeine during your juice cleanse.

Good luck and happy juicing!