Vegan Detox Benefits: What To Expect On A Vegan Cleanse
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Time to read 6 min
When going vegan you’ll no doubt notice some changes – especially in the detox phase.
Perhaps you’re transitioning to vegan as a lifestyle change. Maybe you’re going on a vegan cleanse. No matter your reasons, detoxifying from meat, eggs, and dairy can have a profound positive impact on your health and wellbeing.
In the first few weeks of a vegan detox, you will likely encounter some new changes. You might develop a glow, find an extra kick in your step – and you’ll likely visit the bathroom more than you’re used to.
A vegan detox is so powerful and reveals a lot about the impact our food has on us.
Whether you’re on a 3-day vegan cleanse or forever cleanse – going vegan is the detox we all need in our lives.
What Is A Vegan Detox?
A vegan detox means detoxifying your body in a way that does not include any animal products or by-products. This means a vegan detox eliminates meat, dairy and eggs.
There are generally two types of vegan detoxes:
1. Short-term vegan cleanse – This group often uses the vegan diet to cleanse their bodies usually between 3-30 days.
2. Lifestyle change – This group are those going vegan for long-term health benefits, ethics and/or environmental reasons. Just like those undergoing short-term detoxes, those transitioning will likely experience the same effects of a vegan cleanse. This group will often include oils, sugars and processed vegan foods, that short-term detoxers do not.
At first, a vegan detox might sound a little daunting. However, most vegan foods, especially those used when detoxing are the healthiest and most natural foods available. For example, fruit juices and vegetable-based soups are highly encouraged in many detoxes, they just happen to be vegan.
Like many cleanses, a vegan detox consists mostly of juices, smoothies, soups. However, it’s common for many people to simply go vegan without any strict rules to detox. This is because simply cutting out meat, dairy and eggs alone is its own detox.
Why Take A Vegan Detox?
Detoxifying your body is an important part of staying healthy – especially if your eating and drinking habits haven’t been the best.
A vegan detox is perhaps the best way to cleanse, as meat and dairy are naturally slower for human bodies to process.
More research is pointing to the incredible health benefits of a vegan plant-based diet (1).
In fact, many scientists have discovered, not only is a whole foods plant-based diet good for our health, but the lifestyle can significantly reduce- and reverse – some diseases (2).
A vegan detox is also a good way for those considering going vegan to see how they will feel. However, short detoxes might not give an accurate idea of how you will feel in the long term.
Curious about vegan snacks?
6 Benefits Of A Vegan Detox
The benefits of going vegan are almost endless and long-lasting.
Here are some reasons why a vegan detox could be for you:
1. Promotes Overall Health
A huge benefit of going vegan, whether for 3 days, 30 days, or forever, is the enormous positive impact it has on health.
Detoxifying from a lifetime of meat, dairy and eggs and replacing them with greens, fruits and healthier plant proteins will promote a better immune system, healthier bodily functions, and prevent deadly diseases.
You can look at going vegan as health insurance. The more you put into it, the more you’re covered.
2. Increases Energy Levels
Animal products, especially meat take a lot of work for our bodies to break down. As it takes a lot of work for us to digest, the process can often make us feel sluggish or tired.
A vegan cleanse will surprise your body by replacing hard to break down foods with easy ones. Your gut handles broccoli better than steak, and you’ll reap the benefits with more energy.
3. More Bathroom Breaks
When you start consuming fewer animals and more healthy foods your intake of fiber booms.
This causes a lot more trips to the bathroom, especially at first. While everyone has different bathroom schedules, clearing your body out regularly is better for energy and wellbeing, especially in the long-term.
Constipation can have adverse impacts on quality of life and can lead to serious conditions (3).
4. Clearing Skin
Going vegan does wonders for clearing up acne.
But be mindful, short-term detoxing can impact everyone’s skin differently. And a short vegan detox may not clear up acne and perhaps make it worse. This is because cleanses push toxins out of the body to the surface.
However, as many vegans attest, the reduction in animal hormones in dairy and meat causes clearer skin. Eating more beta-carotene foods like carrots and sweet potatoes can also give people radiant, glowing skin( 4)
5. Improved Focus
Vegan diets are almost entirely devoid of cholesterol. Excess, cholesterol is known to clog arteries and affect memory, attention and even lead to strokes in the long term (5).
When you clear your body of high cholesterol foods like meat, dairy and eggs, you’re providing clearing pathways to your brain, effectively improving your brain function and focus.
6. Can Help With Weight Loss
If weight loss is your goal, a vegan detox can help you achieve that in a healthy and controlled way.
By choosing to cleanse your body of harmful foods, you’re promoting a good environment to burn through your food faster while staying full for longer.
What Foods Should You Avoid On A Vegan Detox?
There is a misconception that going vegan automatically means being healthy.
While eating a plant-based diet is a healthier choice, there are ingredients you should avoid when on e vegan detox.
These include:
Sugar – Vegan diets include sugar, which contains a lot of empty calories.
Oil – Any detox should reduce oil significantly as it contains a lot of fat and calories.
Sodium – High sodium is generally not great for anyone. When on your vegan detox make sure to limit your salt intake.
Processed Foods – There are a lot of incredible vegan processed foods that make the transition to veganism a lot easier for people. However, if you’re going vegan for the health benefits – you might want to hold off that Beyond Burger.
How Often Should You Detox?
If it’s been a while, or you’ve never detoxed before, you are probably due a cleanse.
But how often should you detox?
Experts recommend only cleansing 2-4 times a year. This is because too much detoxification can have a reverse effect.
Tips For A Healthy Vegan Detox
Everyone cleanses differently. We all have different needs, goals, preferences and timelines.
These tips should be used as a general guideline for a healthy vegan detox.
1. Keep Hydrated
As with any detox, it’s important to keep your water intake up. Water is the absolute best thing for humans to consume, it is fundamental to life. When cleansing, water is the key.
2. Avoid Alcohol
It’s no surprise alcohol isn’t the best for us. The toxins it produces and strain it puts on our bodies, is a big reason why you should refrain from that drink when detoxing.
3. Get Quality Sleep
Often overlooked, sleep is essential to a successful detox. Long and deep sleep is important as this is when your body adjusts, recovers and prepares itself to deal with the changes you’re experiencing.
4. Drink Plenty Of Juices
Juice cleanses are extremely popular – and they’re vegan.
A raw juice cleanse can reset your body while providing it will essential nutrients – they’re also extremely tasty.
5. Cleanse With Smoothies
Similar to a juice cleanse, smoothie cleanses are a great option for detoxing.
RawJuvenate offers up a complete organic detox plan. Here’s the plan: replace one meal a day with a super green and pea protein-fortified smoothie of your choice, plus daily aloe, probiotic and fibre capsules to help clean out your digestive tract and keep things “moving”.
6. Try An Oatmeal Cleanse
Your mom was right – you should eat your oatmeal.
Detoxing with oatmeal is a great way to detoxify your body in a natural way. There’s plenty of oatmeal flavors to choose from and tasty on-the-go oatmeal snacks too.
7. Eat Lots Of Soup
Soup can be your best friend when detoxing. It’s extremely nutritious and good for you.
8. Cleanses Your Aura
Using essential oil aromatherapy try clearing out the negative energy of your space. You’ll find it helps clear your mind, de-stress, and energize you.
9. Exercise
One of the very best ways to get toxins out of your body is to sweat them out.
When you exercise, your body’s functions are kicked into gear. One of the best things to accompany your detox is to add in some exercise.
Not sure where to start on your vegan cleanse? At Vegancuts we offer 100% vegan snack and beauty subscription boxes that are better for you, the planet and animals.
Jase Quelch
Jase is passionate about everything vegan. When he's not advocating for animals, you'll find him roaming the globe scoping out the best vegan eats.
