ASK JULIEANNA – JUICE FASTING

What would be the best way to begin a Juice fast/detox for a first timer?

-Jannett

 

Although our bodies are made to naturally detoxify, our noxious diets and environment add stress to the system, making us more likely to end up with chronic disease. Juice fasting can have powerful health benefits for some people. There are two main reasons it may be effective. First, juicing vegetables and fruits takes out most of the fiber and accelerates absorption into the bloodstream, easing up the work of the gastrointestinal tract during digestion and absorption, a process that requires approximately 10% of your energy intake (depending on your body specifics and the type of food consumed). This energy can then be redirected towards necessary cellular repair and recovery. Secondly, juicing provides an easy way to consume large doses of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals), while indirectly crowding out the opportunity to eat health-damaging foods. Many physicians who guide their patients through juice fasts have seen positive results with health issues and illnesses. Likewise, healthy people who periodically juice fast also tout great outcomes.

If you decide you want to juice in order to restart a healthful diet or to help overcome an illness, clear it with your physician first. Then slowly modify your diet to be based on whole plant foods (primarily vegetables and fruits, along with legumes, whole grains, and small amounts of nuts and seeds) for a period of time before the juice fast. Eating according to the Whole Food Plant-Based Food Plate below is optimal for pre- and post-juicing as well as a long-term plan for optimal health. Once you begin your juice fast, emphasize fresh juices made primarily of vegetables with smaller amounts of fruit. Excellent ingredients to juice include cucumbers, kale, spinach, broccoli stalks, carrots, beets, ginger, lemon, lime, apple, pear, melons, and pineapple. Most experts recommend juicing for a period of three days to a week. The length of your juice fast depends on your physician’s recommendations and your specific goals. Drink enough to stay satiated and include plenty of water in addition to the juices.

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Image: Gretchen Tseng