Are you also tired and have no energy? So, what do you want to do to regain your energy? Go for a walk with someone? Have a cup of tea or coffee? Does the idea of doing juice fasting cross your mind? Because it sure does cross my mind several times. We all know the benefits of juices, but do we also know the benefits of juice fasting? Is this liquid diet even useful or worth it?
Juice fasting has become a popular method for people to reset their health and wellness journey. It can be done for various reasons, such as improving gut health, losing weight, or achieving better overall health. But to begin juice fasting, you would be required first to know what juice fasting is. What are the benefits of juice fasting?
In this article, we have provided comprehensive information about juice fasting that can be helpful and crucial before starting your juice fasting journey.
What do we mean by juice fasting?
Juice fasting demands a person to drink homemade drinks or prepare fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetable juices. It can periodically involve nut milk like cashew milk as well but not regularly besides plentiful water, tea, and occasionally clear broths.
Juice fasting, also known as a cleanse or detox, involves juicing fruits and vegetables instead of blending them.
Let’s discuss why you should do juice fast and avoid eating, the most pleasurable part of our day-to-day life, something that almost all of us enjoy. When you consider doing a juice fast, it shows you have researched the topic and are excited about the benefits.
We have mentioned a few of the benefits of juice fasting below. If you want a more detailed explanation, keep reading.
Benefits of Juice Fasting:
1. Your digestive system gets a much-required rest
While juice fasting, you will not be eating anything and will be entirely dependent on a liquid diet, so there will be nothing available in your stomach for the digestive system to digest.
These juices will even lack the fibers, so now the content can be easily absorbed by the organs, and there is no need for the digestive system to work on it beforehand. This gives your digestive system a much-required rest, which externally might now seem very important but can do wonders in improving your overall health.
2. Effortlessly shedding pounds from the belly
We all have some stubborn fat, also referred to as belly fat, in our bodies. It means you are unable to lose more weight even after losing the initial weight. The reason behind stubborn weight can be anything, such as stress, age, hormones, and many more.
This weight is not reduced even through diets and gym workouts as well. Even if you have it, don’t feel ashamed of it. It’s a normal thing I have, and you might also have it.
A nice, properly planned and executed juice fast can help you get rid of this unwanted, stubborn fat as well.
3. Detoxify your internal organs
We consume a variety of food items throughout our day. It can be healthy food as well as junk food. But our body is also just like other vehicles that work on the road. Just like vehicles require time-to-time servicing, our body also requires cleansing the internal organs for a specific period so as to keep them healthy.
This can be easily done with a cleaner diet. When we are on a juice fast, it becomes effortless to cleanse and detox our internal organs with ease. This will eventually improve the overall efficiency of our body as you are giving the highest quality nutrients to your body.
4. Efficiently removes accumulated waste from your body
By juice fasting, you are making the work of the kidneys easier as they are in charge of the elimination of waste from your body. If you are excreting properly, then the accumulated waste can have various adverse effects on your health as well as your body.
You can even get sick, so try to embrace juice fasting in your lifestyle routine.
5. Intensifying mind-body work
If you are practicing juice fasting, then any work you do on your body magnifies many times, having higher and better effects. This will strengthen your mind-body work like yoga, meditation, and massage. Whatever you do while juice fasting, you will always get better benefits than your expectations. This bodywork even improves the detox and cleansing work.
6. Experience a natural glow on your face and body
Even after a short juice fast, you will experience changes in your body and skin. Your skin will begin to glow naturally, and you will sparkle with the after-effects on your body.
Your body is reviving from the inside through juice fasting, so its after-effects will soon be seen from the outside as well.
7. Stay energized throughout the day
One of the most paradoxical benefits of fasting is that you will get a large amount of energy as compared to when you are eating a regular diet. As specified above, your digestive system is on an off day, which means it is not working. So, the energy required to digest the food you take during a regular diet is saved.
8. Boost your immune system
When you drink juice, your body’s absorption of vitamin C improves, which is crucial for a strong immune system.
9. A refreshing break from regular routine
Juice fasting may seem intimidating at first, but once you start, you may find pleasure in taking a break from cooking, eating, chewing, cleaning, and constantly thinking about what to eat next. This break in routine can be refreshing and beneficial to your well-being.
What should you do after a juice fast?
After your first day of a juice fast, it is important not to overload your body with a heavy diet. Start with eating smaller meals and snacks. A large meal might make you feel like vomiting and restless.
If you have a sensitive stomach, you can take baby steps like eating salads, sweet potatoes, fresh fruits, and oatmeal to get back to your regular game-track diet. But if you do not have a sensitive stomach, you can even directly skip to your routine diet.
After a break from solid food items through juice fasting, you now need to intake high-nutritional food items back into your diet. Have high-fiber food items.
You can increase the fiber content in your diet through fruits and vegetables. To ensure adequate protein intake, you can incorporate lentils, legumes, meat, poultry, and other sources into your diet.
Who shouldn’t try juice fasting?
Juice fasting is not suitable for certain groups of people. Children, adolescents, pregnant women and breastfeeding women have high nutritional requirements, especially protein for growth, which juice fasting cannot fulfill. Therefore, they should avoid juice fasting.
Similarly, athletes and players have high-calorie requirements, and juice fasting might not provide them with sufficient nutrients for recovery or high-energy activities. Hence, they should avoid juice fasting as well.
Additionally, people with diseases such as diabetes, liver disease, or kidney disease should avoid juice fasting due to their altered physical relationship with food. It is best for them to consult their doctor before attempting juice fasting.
Are you looking for other ways to get the benefits of juicing?
The most distinguished benefit of juice fasting is its capability to detoxify. But if we have functional and healthy kidneys and liver, this can be done by just having a properly balanced diet high in whole and minimally processed foods to cleanse our bodies.
Another benefit of juice fasting is you can lose weight and get better digestion, and this can be done by including some fruits and vegetables in your regular diet as well.
In this way, your fiber intake increases and will also improve your digestive system and reduce the intake of carbohydrates, which will help in reducing weight. But to get the other benefits, you must do proper juice fasting.
8 Tips for Juice Fasting Success
Juice fasting can be challenging, but with careful planning and consideration, you can increase your chances of success. Here are eight tips to help you have a successful juice fasting experience:
1. Prepare for the Fast:
Before starting a juice fast, take some time to mentally and physically prepare yourself. This includes understanding the goals of your fast, clearing your schedule, and creating a supportive environment.
2. Plan Your Recipes:
Research and plan a variety of juice recipes that you enjoy and that provide a mix of fruits and vegetables. This will help keep your taste buds engaged and ensure you receive a broad spectrum of nutrients.
3. Caloric Intake:
Be mindful of your caloric intake. While juice fasting can lead to calorie restriction, it’s essential to consume enough calories to meet your basic energy needs. Ensure you’re getting an adequate number of calories to support your daily activities.
4. Lack of Protein:
Recognize that juice fasting typically lacks sufficient protein, which is essential for muscle maintenance and overall health. If your fast is longer-term, consider adding small amounts of protein-rich ingredients like spirulina or chia seeds to some of your juices.
5. Hydration is Important:
Juice fasting can be dehydrating, as you may not be getting as much water as you’re used to from solid foods. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.
6. Choose Fruits and Vegetables Wisely:
Select a variety of fruits and vegetables with different colors and nutrient profiles to ensure you’re getting a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
7. Workout Routine:
While it’s generally advisable to reduce strenuous exercise during a juice fast, light to moderate physical activity like walking or yoga can be beneficial for circulation and overall well-being. Listen to your body and adjust your activity level accordingly.
8. Slowly Breaking the Cleanse:
When ending your juice fast, don’t immediately jump back into solid foods. Start with easily digestible foods like smoothies, soups, and steamed vegetables, gradually reintroducing solid foods over a few days to avoid digestive discomfort.
Bonus Tip:
9. Supervision and Monitoring:
If you have any underlying health conditions or are considering an extended juice fast, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian. They can provide guidance, monitor your progress, and ensure you’re meeting your nutritional needs safely.
FAQs
Q. How much juice should we take during juice fasting?
While juice fasting, your goal should be to drink a minimum of six 16-ounce servings of juice. In simpler words, you must drink one serving every two hours between 8 am to 6 pm. And there are no restrictions on tea and water.
Q. Does juice fasting lead to headaches and fatigue?
Yes, you may get a headache while juice fasting. This is because you will be solely dependent on fruit and vegetable juices, reducing the consumption of fibers and fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Another reason for the headache can also be the toxins leaving your body and the lack of protein and fat in the juices.
Q. For how many days is it safe to do juice fasting?
According to researchers, it is completely safe for a healthy person to do juice fasting for three days without any issues. After that, you can return to your regular diet.
Q. How much weight can I lose through juice fasting?
You can lose 1-2 pounds quickly or 5-8 pounds by juice fasting for five days. But don’t fast for too long. Remember, the weight you lose is mostly water and muscle mass, not fat.
Q. How to break a juice fast?
However, there is no hard and fast rule on how to break a juice fast. You can break it whichever way you want. But it is advisable to have low-fat dairy (a great source of protein) immediately after a juice fast. You can even have easily digestible plant-based proteins like nut butter, seeds, legumes, etc.
Final Words
Juice fasting has various benefits. Weight loss is one of the most important and appreciated benefits of juice fasting. However, it comes with other benefits as well, such as an enhanced immune system, better health conditions, improved energy levels, and better detoxification of the body.
Juice fasting can provide much-needed rest to the digestive system, but some people may experience adverse effects, such as headaches. Proper preparation can help eliminate these adverse effects. However, if someone experiences negative health effects due to juice fasting, they should avoid it. For most people, it’s a great way to remove toxins from the body, leading to a healthier body.
