Juice fasting (also known as “juice cleansing”) is a controversial fasting scheme and a detox diet in which a person consumes only fruit and vegetable juices to obtain nutrition while otherwise refraining from food consumption. The juice consumed during a juice fast is not the type commercially available, but rather that produced from fresh juice and vegetables.
Reasons for Fasting
Most people just diet because they are thinking of buckling down their weight but for others it may be something else. It may be spiritual or religious reason or just to take control over habitual behavior such as smoking or other addictions. Many people turn to cleanses because they feel off—they’re bloated and sluggish, dependent on caffeine and junk food cravings. One main reason of juice cleanse is to assist other methods of gallstone passage. Other than that juice fasting can cure many diseases like food poisoning, cholesterol, depression and many other irrepressible diseases.
Why might someone consider 3 day juice cleanse? Juicing helps unleash the natural healing power of the body. Juicing floods your system with powerful nutrients and antioxidants. It may also help retrain your taste buds to enjoy healthy fruits and vegetables, making it the first step toward a long-lasting lifestyle change, or jumpstarting a weight-loss regimen. Juicing can be beneficial for people with elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure, and those suffering from autoimmune diseases, like arthritis, digestive problems and skin conditions. While 60 days of juicing is extreme, and should never be attempted without the supervision of a physician, juicing for shorter amounts of time such as 3 days cleanse can still be beneficial.
The Ramp Up
Start flushing your body with fluids and clean up your diet for two days prior to your start date.
Directions:
Morning: Drink 16 ounces of hot water with lemon and ginger Eliminate: All caffeine, sugar, red meat, dairy and processed foods. Focus on fruit, vegetables and lean protein. Night: Drink 1 cup of hot herbal tea during the cleanse, you are going to continue to start your day with the hot water, lemon and ginger, and end your day with a cup of hot herbal tea.
The 3-Day Cleanse: What to Drink and Eat
For 3 days, you will drink a total of 5 juices per day – and eat one meal that consists of only fruits and vegetables.
You will have:
Breakfast Juice: Carrot Apple Ginger Mid-morning Juice: Mean Green Lunch Juice: Gazpacho Juice Afternoon Snack Juice: Citrus-Inspired Green Juice Pre-dinner Juice: Sunset Blend Dinner: Eating at the end of the day is essential during a short cleansed of this nature. This will help you feel full so you won’t fall prey to cravings or feelings of deprivation or starvation. Meals should consist of only fruits and vegetables.
Benefits of juice cleanse
There are many benefits of juice cleans. Doing a juice cleanse has been said to help unleash the natural healing power of your body by ridding built up toxins.
- Juicing floods your system with powerful nutrients and antioxidants.
- It may be the first step toward a long-lasting lifestyle change,
- It jumpstarts a weight-loss treatment by helping to reorient your taste buds as well as psychological connection to food.
- It boosts your immunity.
- It makes your skin glow.
- It improves digestion.
They are packed with so much delicious goodness; you’ll never believe something so healthy can be so satisfying.
Side effects
There are no specific effects that are associated exclusively with juice fasting. But…
- Juice mixes containing grapefruit juice may also adversely interact with certain prescription drugs.
- The low sodium content of most fruits and vegetables, salt deficiency may occur. Salt deficiency causes headaches and weakness, then light-headedness, then nausea.
After the cleanse, it’s important to eat foods that will not “shock” your body. Focus on healthy, whole foods and avoid the processed stuff at all costs!
You can return to eating 3 meals per day, but continue to have at least one juice a day. Try to make your snack a fresh juice.
Add in good sources of protein like nuts or lean chicken. And don’t forget about the hot water, lemon and ginger in the morning, and hot herbal tea at night.
Before starting any cleanse, make sure to consult your physician, especially if you have a medical condition like diabetes. Also, don’t participate if you’re pregnant or nursing. Detoxes are also not a substitute for medical diagnoses or treatment.
Sophia Marais enjoys writing about food & nutrition, health, fitness & weight loss related issue. Currently she is working for Greens and Company that offers the best juice cleanse in San Francisco.