If you have been trying to lose weight, you may have heard about juice fasting. As the name implies, it has something to do with juicing. In fact, it is all about juicing where you will consume juice – not the one you buy from stores, but what you get from your juicer.
The juicer compresses your fruits and veggies and you extract the pulp. Most juice fasting techniques involve only drinking this kind of juice and as you may have noticed, it is quite a challenge.
If you already feel squeamish, you are not the only one. Questions, such as “Will I get too hungry?” or “Will I keep going in and out of the toilet” are just some of the things curious people need answers to. But after knowing what juice fasting is, what you really want to know is if it is for you.
Why Juice Fast
If you are thinking about juice fasting, here are reasons to do it:
- Lose weight faster and easier
- Have increased energy
- Detoxify the body
- Get rid of some ailments, such as cancer, depression, and chronic pain
Why not Juice Fast
There are a lot of hurdles to overcome when you juice fast, including:
- Expensive
- Labour-intensive
- Lack of needed calories
The reasons to juice fast above mean that you are required to go into a liquid diet for an extended period of time. However, many experts agree that this type of fasting is best practiced for a short time only.
How to Juice Fast
If you are hell-bent on juice fasting, here are the things you need to know about this method of fasting:
- How Long
It depends on the technique you want to incorporate. For beginners though, it is recommended to juice for just two to three days. For those who have done juice fasting before, a week is recommended although 8 to 10 days are commonly practiced.
- Types
There are green juices and fruit juices. Aside from juices, also drink water. You can also drink herbal teas as substitute for fruit and vegetable juices.
- What to Juice
You can use any vegetable or fruit you want. But beginners should find the balance between drinking green and fruit juices. Green juices can be bitter, but fruit juices are tasty and sweet. Be careful with fruit juices though because several fruits are high in sugar. Good fruit options are green apples, limes, lemons, and grapefruits, but be careful with grapefruit, especially if you take prescription drugs, such as calcium blockers.
- How Much
It depends on your hunger, but ideally, you should drink at least one litre of green juice daily. You can add at least one more litre of other juices or liquids for the rest of the day.
- Side Effects
Expect hunger pangs at first. You may also feel sick and can’t get out of bed. Other people have noticed they have more energy, but others are very moody, tired, and may find it difficult to think straight.
The side effects are varied, but when done right, juice fasting works wonders. It can be used as a cleansing and healing method that promotes wellness.
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