"I've done probably every kind of cleanse that you could possible do, from a juice cleanse to a liver detox to a whole body," said Santa Monica resident Mouse Kim. "But the process of getting to the other side was not fun.
Mouse Kim is one of many who've tried a juice diet to feel better.
"I would just get sick. I would just not feel good," said Kim.
"I tried juice only for a day, I almost fell off the Megaformer. Literally I was dizzy," said Ky Evans, master trainer at The Studio MDR. "Whoa man, I couldn't get through a workout."
Pilates master Ky Evans gave juicing a test drive and found it didn't give him enough fuel.
"The problem with it, especially if you're training or living life at a very intense level, is you need more," said Evans.
But there is a way to juice responsibly so you can perform everyday tasks like taking a test, attending social events, and yes, exercising.
For instance, try blending juice with extras.
"You need a little more than the vegetables, so put a scoop of whey protein in there, put a scoop of almond butter in there," said Evans.
Juice becomes a power-packed pre-workout meal as the protein helps stabilize the sugar that's coming in the form of juice.
"So our blood sugar needs to stay stabilized so that our hormones work properly so that we can generate enough force for the workout," said fitness expert Holly Perkins.
Or try consuming produce in different forms.
"So I'm much more of a juice, blend and eat guy," said Evans.
In his movie "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," Joe Cross chronicled going from 310 pounds to 220 pounds by juicing. Now, he has a morning juice, a fibrous filling smoothie for lunch, and by evening he eats his produce.
Raw-food expert Matthew Kenney says if juicing leaves you on empty, try solids. His carrot salad with sesame and avocado citrus puree with carrot cacao and carrot mole is All plant food.
"All ingredients that may be found in a juice or a liquid beverage, except we haven't pureed it and juiced it," said Kenney, founder of Mathew Kinney Cuisine. "We're keeping the fiber intact and that fiber will allow you to fill up but still maintain your detox."
