Fasting has been around since biblical times, with roots in every culture around the world. It has been widely interpreted as healing the bodies longevity, healing the mind spiritually and today medically.
Juicing is the newest trend in quick and easy weight loss. During a juice fast, you will be consuming nutrients through fresh fruit and vegetable juices, while omitting and abstaining from any solid foods. This offers a huge benefit to the body. Since solid foods are not consumed during a juice fast, your body can convert the energy normally used for digestion into a powerful detoxification method where excess waste, toxins and damaged or dying cells can be shed from the body. Most people are unaware that the body uses up to 30% of its daily energy expenditures to digest the foods we eat. Heavy meals from carbohydrates and meats require significantly more energy to digest than a diet consisting of fruits and vegetables. By drinking only fresh juice, your body will use this extra energy more efficiently and it will help to cleanse and detox the body quickly.
In addition to extra energy, you will lose weight quickly during a juice fast. Most people report that they lose an average of 10 lbs in one week during a juice fast. When our body is deprived of the excess food and calories, it goes into a fat burning and cleansing mode. The liver and lymphatic system become able to rid the body of toxins and repair damaged cells and tissue at a faster rate.
So what does that mean? The liver is responsible for both ridding the body of toxins during digestion as well as utilizing the fat cells in the body. Excess consumption of starches, sugars and fats causes the liver to send a signal to the brain to start producing fat cells and storing for later use. The liver can also becomed overwhelmed on a western diet as there are so many pesticides, chemicals, plastics and harmful additives that are in the foods we consume. Our liver cannot process these things all at once. Juicing breaks this cycle. The liver gets the break it needs to shed the free radicals caused by overconsumption and use the fat cells for fuel during a fast. This creates a much faster and more efficient means of fat loss. Juicing also delivers the nutrients directly into the system without the need for digestion. This means that the liver gets the minerals and nutrients needed without having to transfer or break down toxins into waste. No need for digestion means more energy to shed waste and fat cells already accumulated in the body.
How long you decide to fast for is also important. Most people who are new to fasting should try to fast for 3 day, 7 days or 10 days. Those who have fasted before can go longer, with some going as long as 30, 60 and 100 days. In most cases, thse who fasted for more than 30 days had a significant amount of weight to lose. Those who fasted for shorter days were new to fasting and/or did not have as much to lose. How much you weigh prior to the fast will determine how much weight you will lose. If you were leaner when you started, do not expect to lose as much as someone who is overweight or obese.
Another thing to consider though when starting a juice fast is the detox symptoms. Everyone will react differently to a fast but some things to consider will be headaches, nausea, mood swings, sensitivity to light and sound, hunger pangs, mild to moderate dizziness and slugglishness for the first several days. Some people also report mild acne breakouts and skin rashes that dissapear after a few days. Most symptoms are mild and dissapear after the first few days. These are signs that the body is detoxing itself and many symptoms become present when a change is diet is initiated. The severity of these symptoms will depend of the person, the level of toxicity in the body and your diet prior to the fast.
Many people who have undergone a fast report that changing your diet a week prior to starting the fast will help ease the detox symptoms and make the transition easier throughout the process. A week before the fast you should cut out sodas, processed sugars and artificial sweetners. You should also limit intake of carbohydrates and meat as they are heavier to digest. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, increase your water intake and cut back on dairy products. Two to three days before the fast, cut calories down and try drinking a warm broth or soups to prepare your body.
So, if you decide to fast, consider the pros and cons beforehand and always seek a doctor's approval before starting a fast. Do your research and find out as much as you can before starting this or any weight loss plan.