Given the struggle many of us face to eat healthily and avoid toxic food additives, it makes sense to occasionally cleanse the body of toxins. The detox diet, often called a juice fasting, not only cuts off the flow of toxins to the body, it actively flushes toxins from our system.
Juice fasting differs from other types of fasting regimens in that it provides you with a steady flow of nutrients even as it infuses your body with natural ingredients that actively work to eliminate toxicity.
Juice fasting can be done entirely at home with the help of a few simple tools. There are also store-bought juices that can provide what you need for effective juice fasting. The goal of juice fasting is to maintain a steady supply of nutrients while augmenting this with additional nutrients that stimulate the elimination of toxic chemicals in the system.
The difficulty of juice fasting is to maintain the balance of nutrients. A solid and effective juice fast will maintain your baseline health while actively working to improve your health. This guide will give you the information you need for healthy juice fasting. We will give all you need to begin doing healthy and rejuvenating juice fasting.
What is juice fast?
The short and simple answer to this is that a juice fast is a period in which you s=consume nothing but juices instead of regular meals. Obviously, there is much more to it than this.
Making juices from fruits, vegetables, and herbs is an age-old practice. After modern juicing machines and methods were developed in the early part of the 20th century, many health and nutrition experts recommended juices as a health supplement.
Since fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients and healthy chemical supplements, it stands to reason that they could help bolster your health. It has long been believed that drinking juices from fruits and vegetables provide the body with healing properties in addition to nutrition.
The idea is that by providing your body with a strict regimen of juices containing the correct kinds of nutrients and cleansing properties, you can eliminate the toxins that accumulate over time and set your body on a healthier path. A fast, or juice cleanse as it is often called, is simply a planned diet of juices for a specific period of time to achieve a specific end.
How does it work?
The recommended method for a juice detox is to drink nothing but juices and smoothies for a period of three days. In general, a juice detox follows three stages:
Preparation: Three to five days before the detox period, gradually eliminate all sources of toxins in your diet and lifestyle. This means cutting down and stopping certain foods like coffee, refined sugar, meat, dairy, and wheat. You will also need to stop all alcohol intake and stop smoking. This phase should be accompanied by an increase in things like fresh vegetables, fruits, and fluids that will work as a pre-cleanse.
Cleanse or detox stage: For the period of the detox or cleanse you should drink a minimum of 32 ounces of juice or smoothies. About half of this should be green vegetable juices.
Post-cleanse: After the detox period (usually three days) your body will be weakened, and your digestive system will be sensitive. Eat light, adding foods over the curse of several days. Do not go directly back to eating your
A juice fast is designed to improve your health, but it is possible that you will not feel all that well while you are going through the fast. Some things to keep in mind while doing a juice fast:
- No strenuous exercise. Keep your physical activity light. Walking is ideal since it increases circulation which will improve lymphatic function to help clean toxins from your body.
- Get a massage: Massage therapy of any kind will work to push toxins out. Lymphatic draining and deep massage are ideal.
- Take care of mind/body wellness. Keeping your mental well-being in line with your physical well-being is crucial. Relaxation techniques, mindfulness meditation, and breathing exercises will help tune the mind in with the physical boosts of a juice fast.
- Be aware of your emotions. In many traditional forms of medicine, the liver and kidneys are connected to feelings of anger and fear. You may feel mood swings during and immediately following a juice fast. These are normal and can be managed if you are aware of what is happening.
A juice fast is meant to cleanse the body, but any intervention of this type will impact your total state of well-being. Be aware of things, and stick to the guidelines above, and you will see the benefits of the juice fast without falling prey to some of the short-term difficulties.
Juice Fasting Benefits
The nutrition and boosts to immunity are immediate and obvious benefits to a juice fast. However, there are more benefits than the obvious. Some of the primary benefits to a juice fast are as follows:
Detoxifies cells and tissues
Because the juice fast increases key nutrients and things such as antioxidants while simultaneously depriving the body of chemicals that are damaging, the process of a juice fast opens channels of detoxification.
There are four principal excretory routes in the body: the skin, bowels, liver, and kidneys all play crucial roles in removing toxins from our physiology. A juice cleanse opens all of the pathways and flushes toxins out of the system. As these toxins follow the excretory pathways, antioxidants in the juices clean up things like free radicals which can cause serious damage to cells.
Assists in weight loss
Weight loss with a juice fast comes in the form of calorie control. This happens in two ways. First, by maintaining a strict regimen of juices through a juice fast you significantly reduce your calorie intake. Second, because a juice fast necessarily means keeping careful track of the types of juices and the quantities of juices you consume, it is relatively easy to calculate the exact number of calories you consume. Counting calories and the sources of calories is half the battle for weight loss. Perhaps most significant for weight loss, a juice fast can recalibrate your metabolic rate. This will lead to a long-term benefit of not retaining calories in ways that lead to weight gain.
Help prevent chronic disease
The primary health benefit of a juice fast is the huge surge of antioxidants and fiber. Many antioxidants are bound up with fiber which is then separated in the digestive system.
High levels of juices can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. Particularly, apple and pomegranate juices have been shown to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels which leads to better heart health.
A juice fast, the included vegetable juices are known to reduce the levels of a chemical called homocysteine. This is a marker of oxidative stress. By reducing the presence of this chemical and others like it, vegetable juices reduce the risk of heart disease.
A solid juice fast that includes a good mix of fruit and vegetable juices has also been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe an increase in polyphenols from juices inhibits the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Side effects of juice fasting
Like any other sudden change in your diet, a juice fast can have some side effects. These are the kinds of things you can expect.
Intestinal issues
Sustaining yourself on juices for a period of time can result in a general upset in your intestinal system. If you are relying primarily on juices that are low in fiber, you may experience constipation. On the other hand, a master cleanse that includes large amounts of vegetable fiber and fruit juices may cause loose bowels. Sorry for that is disturbing, but you need to know. These conditions will pass once you are finished with the fast and return to a normal healthy diet.
Lethargy
A juice fast generally lacks protein and fats. This is why we go through a juice fast for a finite period of time to obtain a specific result. But the loss of protein and fats in your diet, even for three days, may cause low energy and you may actually look fatigued. Again, this will pass once you return to your normal healthy diet.
Rebound effect on calories
A juice fast necessarily vastly reduces your caloric intake. If you are not careful, when you return to a normal diet, your body will try to regain as many calories as it can in a short time. This is why we are told to increase our caloric intake slowly and gradually after a juice fast.
How to juice fast?
A general breakdown of how to do a juice fast consists of preparation, the fast itself, and how to return to normal eating patterns. Detailed juice fast programs will have more specific procedures.
Before
Prior to fasting remove all toxic foods and indulgences. Stop smoking (Do this anyway). Abstain from alcohol. Do not eat junk foods or sweets, and especially avoid processed sugars. This is to cleanse your system of things that will simply leave on their own.
During
Any juice fast will have a specific protocol, but a good general guide consists of the following:
When you wake up
Lukewarm water with a splash of fresh lemon juice
- 8–9 a.m.: Juice, such as the green vegetable juice
- 10:30–11:30 a.m.: Juice (or smoothie/cleanse food)
- 1–2 p.m.: Juice (or smoothie/cleanse food)
- 3–4 p.m.: Juice such as the beet, carrot, apple juice
- 5–6 p.m.: Juice (or smoothie/cleanse food)
- 6–8 p.m.: Smoothie or almond or cashew nut "milk"
After
After the period of fasting is complete, you can slowly build up your intake of normal foods. Make sure you progress by degrees. A swift return to your normal diet can be a shock to your entire metabolism and lead to intestinal distress and feeling ill. Proteins, for example, are often difficult to digest, and your body will need time to reacclimate to digesting proteins.
Juice Fasting Recipes
There are hundreds of juice fasting recipes available in books and on the internet. A simple search will take you to them. One of the best and easiest ways to work out a solid juice fasting program complete with the juices you need to get results is to simply choose one of the many juice fasting programs available from Spartan Detox. The Spartan 3-Day Detox, for example, will provide juices and smoothies that are effective and satisfying.
Juice Fasting FAQS
What is juice fast?
A juice fast is simply a planned period of time in which you consume nothing but fruit and vegetable juices.
What is the purpose of a juice fast?
The main reasons for a juice fast are to cleanse the body of toxins, to reduce the number of calories you consume, and to boost immunity.
Can I consume other things besides juices?
Yes. A juice fast includes things like nut milk so you can combine things to make smoothies.
What are the benefits of a juice fast?
A juice fast has been shown to boost immunity, reduce calories, and protect against chronic diseases like heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Spartan Detox Plan
The best juice fast plan available is the Spartan Detox Plan. Spartan offers several plans designed to meet your specific needs. Whether your goal is to lose weight or to bolster your immune system, Spartan Detox provides plans that include the juices and smoothies that will help you meet your goals.
Spartan Detox Plans are made from natural juices and smoothies are prepared every day using the best quality fruits outdoors offering an exceptional taste and drink experience that will help your body feel energetic.
Spartan Detox also provides support through your detox programs.
Conclusion
The idea of limiting a diet to juices is quite old, and there is a long history of people finding health benefits from a planned period of consuming only juices. Now we have scientific evidence to back up this tradition.
By combining the correct balance of fruit and vegetable juices and consuming nothing but these juices for a fixed period of time, we now know that it is possible to give your body the kind of healthy boost we all need from time to time. It may seem daunting to live off nothing but juices, but the benefits are real.
Since most juice fasts last no longer than three days, the plans are not difficult to maintain. Also, by combining the right kinds of juices over the course of your juice fast it is easy to control feelings of hunger and avoid the discomfort traditionally associated with fasting.
A good juice fast can provide anything from simple weight loss to protection against heart disease. The plans available now are not only easy, but they are also delicious and satisfying.
