Whoever thought throwing a bunch of fruit and veggies in a blender and calling it a sufficient meal was full of something, and it wasn't the proper nutrients needed for a healthy life style? As spring break is just around the corner, and summer is waiting patiently in the distance, we all have one thing on our minds...

Looking freaking good in our swimsuits.

It's OK to admit it—we all care about that beach bod.

Yet, I have found that sometimes when we want to look good so badly, we end up hurting ourselves in the process. Now, I am not a nutritionist by any means. I'm not even close. But I grew up with a mother who happens to extremely care about healthy eating, and as a former dancer, I would like to think I know just enough to form an opinion on this scary fad.

Whatever it may be that's motivating you to start some sort of juice cleanse or tea detox, I caution you to think about exactly what you are wanting to do. It may seem like the simplest and quickest way of shedding those few extra winter quarter pounds, but it's really not.

Yes, there will be immediate results. You will lose a lot of weight at the end of your cleanse, which is the reason many people use these juice cleanses to either jump start weight loss or get in shape quickly. What many people do not realize though is that people who do strictly juice diets end up gaining all of the weight they lost back...and then some.

When you deprive your body of the necessary calories (about 2,000-2,500 calories a day) you are basically starving yourself, which doesn't only result in a whiplash of weight gain, but potentially even more harmful long-term effects like nutritional deficiencies.

If that doesn't convince you of the horrors of juice cleansing think about it like this. Let's say you decide to do just a three-day juice cleanse. For example, this one below.

Now imagine that for three days all you have had to "eat" was some liquefied celery and beets...FOR THREE DAYS. I think hangry would be an understatement to how anyone would be feeling by that point. I'm sorry, no amount of weight loss is worth the amount of productivity lost and emotional turmoil something like that would cause.

I like to chew my food. Thank you very much.

Then to get over said emotional turmoil, you binge. On everything. Dill pickle-flavored potato chips, rice crispy treats and all the caramel Frappuccinos you can sanely buy, leading you to lose all of that "progress" you had suffered through. Forget about hangry; at that point, you'll just be angry.

So, I urge you to see that the juice cleanse is not a solution, but the start of a new problem. It's a fad and everyone knows that fads are overrated anyways.

But please do not fret; there is still hope for that summer figure you long for!

Here's the not-so-secret secret:

Eat well. Drink water. Keep active.

Yep.

That's about it.

Eat well.

Cut out processed sugars from your diet, and when possible, eat local. Fruits and veggies are your friends (in whole form, mind you!) and don't forget about protein. Swap out ice cream for yogurt and cut down your portion sizes. There are little things here and there you can do everyday without starving yourself. It just takes the mind set to change.

Drink water.

Drink so much water. Have a full water bottle with you wherever you go. Don't just drink water when you're thirsty; that means you are already dehydrated! If you stop drinking soda and sugary coffee drinks and learn to stick with water and tea, you will be amazed by the results and the way you feel about them.

Keep active.

Get up and go do something. I know the warmth of your bed is almost too good to give up, but it's time to face the outside world. It doesn't have to be the gym necessarily. It can be drop-in yoga classes, a run through campus or even a bike ride. Anything to get you up and moving. Trust me, the fresh air does one good.

So I beg of you. Put the blender away, and don't you dare spend all your money on some sort of "magic detox formula" that promises instant results. The juice cleanse is momentary and harmful, but clean eating and an active lifestyle is everything.

Side note: Truly, I believe that no size or shape is superior to the other; there is a point in our lives when we must really learn to love the way we are and stop trying to change the way we look to fit some sort of distorted image we think we need to be in order to be worthy.

That said, a healthy lifestyle is still important. Not necessarily for the way you look, but mostly for the way you feel!

Really interested in a holistic healthy lifestyle change? Check out my favorite health and fitness blogger for more in-depth information on clean living.