Juice fasting is often being misunderstood and can actually be damaging your health & well being if not done correctly. Promises such as "lose 5 pounds in 5 days!", "get glowing skin!" or "get more energy!" might lead you to jump too quickly into a fast without really understanding how to do it in a way that is safe and enjoyable while providing you the amazing benefits it can have.
Yes, you do end up losing weight etc but most of all juice fasting is about Optimal Health, Vitality, Detoxing, Releasing, Clearing the Mind and Becoming More Aware and Connected of One Self!
Here are some of the AMAZING BENEFITS of Juice Fasting:
- Completely detoxifies the body at a metabolic and cellular level.
- Cleanses organs that are harbors for toxins in your body begin release toxins buildup over time such as colon, kidneys, bladder, lungs, sinuses, and the skin.
- While fasting, diseased or damaged are eliminated from your body due to the digestive system being turned off for an extended period of time which gives your body a lot more energy to use for releasing toxins.
- Gives your immune system a super boost with the huge dose of mega nutrition and live enzymes from the juice.
- Can help heal from incurable diseases such as pain, arthritis, cancer, depression, diabetes, infections or autoimmune diseases
How Long Should a Juice Cleanse Last?
There is no right or wrong answer here. Joe Cross, the narrator the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead did a 60 day juice cleanse. Many have followed his lead but there is no need to do a 60 day juice cleanse to reap the benefits of juicing. You can do a cleanse for as short as 24 hours. Most health professionals recommend starting with a 3-5 day juice fast. Choose a time when you have enough time to rest and be in a quiet space to be more inward.
You might experience feeling groggy or run down during the first 2 days which is normal as you start the detox.
Why juice and what types of juice?
When you juice your fruits and vegetables, you remove the fiber and drink only the liquid which contains the organic hydration, nutrients, vitamins and enzymes from the plant food which will completely turn off your digestive fire and give your organs a rest. Around 70% of your energy every day is spent on digestion alone. Think about that!
If you suffer from headaches, constipation, diarrhea, skin troubles, fatigue, irritability, excess weight, bloating or any other number of symptoms, your body needs some help to cleanse. The proper way of fasting is a beautiful method of helping you to do this.
Enjoy plenty of fresh vegetable juices, particularly green vegetable juices (see recipe below), with some fruit to sweeten the juice such as green apples. You can also use sweeter vegetables like carrots, beets or bell pepper to add sweetness.
As a good rule of thumb drink at least half of your juices made from green vegetables and then add other juices for fun and variety. Be particularly careful not to overdo fresh fruit juices as they will send your sugar levels out of balance and feed yeast if over consumed. Better is to use low sugar fruits such as green apples, grapefruit or berries. or lemon and lime. Use lemons and limes in everything if you like! They are brilliant alkalizers and extremely low in sugar.
The below list is great to get you started with different juices. You can choose whichever juices you please while on your juice fast. Feel free to experiment while on your juice fast plan!
How much juice should I be drinking?
How much juice you drink when fasting is a very personal decision as it should be directed by your own hunger signals and how you feel. However, as a general rule of thumb it is recommended to have between 4-6 juices per day each consisting of 16-20 ounces along with herbal teas and water. If you have signs of hunger coming up just add more juice.
Can I still work while fasting?
Although it is best to take some time off for fasting many people still continue with their regular daily work schedule. However, it should not be strenuous or stressful. Make sure you find a time that allows you to have more rest and time off such as weekends or holidays. Try to fill your schedule with as little as possible so you really can harvest the full benefits of your fasting period. Rest and relaxation are vital for optimal results.
If you follow a hard work out routine give yourself a break and do more gentle exercise such as yoga, walking or swimming along with activities that relax body and mind such as reading , watching films, meditating or being creative.
How create the most beneficial fasting experience
When you fast, your body is using all that time normally spent on digestion to clean up your cells and draw up old toxic matter. As this toxic matter is being released, it is looking for a way out of your body. For your fast to leave you purified and feeling better, you have to ensure that toxic matter actually leaves your body which happens mostly through your bowels. It can also show on your skin and through your sweat, or in excess mucus build up in your mouth and nose. However, the bowels are playing the biggest role in getting that old toxic waste out of your system.
Because most people don't have regular bowel movements when they fast which is why colon cleansing is a must, whether it is enema or better even, colon hydrotherapy. This absolutely crucial for your fast to reap the benefits you desire!
Another tip to greatly enhance your juice fasting experience is dry brushing. Dry skin brushing is an amazing way to detox your body by stimulating your lymphatic system and shedding old skin cells. It is very simple yet very effective!
List of Ingredients and Basic Recipe
Best is to buy your produce as fresh as possible and prepare your juice each day.
You can mix and experiment with your juices as you like. Use any kind of greens but such as kale, collard greens, bok choy, lettuce, cilantro, parsley, dandelion, spinach; veggies such as carrots, celery, cabbage, beets, tomato, cucumber, radish, ginger and garlic and low sugar fruits like green apples, grapefruit, berries and lots of lemons.
Recipe to get started for 1 day
- At least 60% green leafy veggies
- 3 carrots
- 4 stalks of celery
- 2 green apples
- 1 cucumber
- some white or red cabbage
- 2-3 inch of ginger
- 3-4 garlic gloves
- 2 lemons
Enjoy, Revitalize & Rejuvenate!