A Juice Cleanse For Children – Is This Okay?

Would You Let Your Child Do A Cleanse

Cleanses have become insanely popular in the past few years.  I’ve done a 30 day cleanse as well as a 9 day cleanse and MANY one day cleanses.  I have been a big fan of the way my body reacted to it.   I felt like it hit my body’s “restart” button by removing all the toxins.  In return, I eventually had more energy and also dropped a bit of weight.

Yes, there’s a ton of positives that comes from doing a cleanse but I’m going to lie, it was hard for me to not eat food.  It’s probably more of a mental thing since I’m so used to eating so often every day but who knows.

I think a quick cleanse is a great idea for adults to do every once in a while.  To be honest, I think a one or two day cleanse every month is an excellent routine.

Now…do you think it’s okay for children to do a cleanse?

The New York Post stated,

“Dherbs.com, a California-based company, markets a set of four Children’s Cleanse liquid extracts for $99 that are meant to be paired with a raw diet and promise “to nourish and cleanse” everything from the lungs and liver to the adrenals and colon. The program is aimed at kids ages 2 to 12, and can be customized for up to 14 days.” (Source)

Ummmm  whoah whoah whoah there….

A complete cleanse that’s appropriate for a 2 year old?  This is just NOT right…

I would be supportive to see a company coming out with a “cleansing” juice with all the proper vitamins and veggies in it so the kids can add it to their whole food meals, but NOT as a meal replacement for kids.

Also from The New York Post,

Marisol Gonzalez, MD, who specializes in adolescent medicine in Summit, NJ, says “The parents want their kids to lose a few pounds and ‘eat healthy’ — but your body needs a certain number of calories for your heart to beat. If [you cleanse] before puberty, you can delay growth.”  (Source)

I think the key word here is “the parents want”….

I understand that parents want their kids to eat healthy but I think this is taking it to an extreme.

I think encouraging diets like this at such a young age could trigger early eating disorders and an unhealthy relationship with food.

Kids need to eat FOOD!  They need a specific caloric intake to keep their bodies growing and functioning properly.   Most cleanses do not provide you with enough calories and that’s why you sometimes feel weak during a cleanse.

As I said above, I’m a supporter of adult cleanses but NOT in children.  I would never try to sell a cleanse to a mother FOR their child.  NO NO and NO.

What do you think of a cleanse for children?  Would you let your child do a cleanse? Submit your vote and/or leave a comment below!

online poll by Opinion Stage

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