Guest Post: How to Do a Juice Fast Safely

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How to Do a Juice Fast Safely

Juice fasts are a great way to cleanse and rejuvenate your body. They can help you to get rid of toxins in your body, get more energy, and heal health problems, such as poor digestion, hormonal imbalances, and infection. Some claim that an extended juice fast can even cure major diseases such as diabetes.

While juice is nutritious and beneficial, a juice fast is still a fast (though not in the strictest sense of the word). You are cutting out food groups and severely restricting your calories, and you need to take caution to ensure that your fast is a safe one and gives you the desired benefits.

Here are a few tips for how to conduct a juice fast safely:

Get Prepared

If you are used to eating fast food several times a week, drinking coffee every morning, and generally eating a diet full of processed foods, sugars, and caffeine, then suddenly starting a juice fast is going to be very hard on your body. You may suffer severe headaches, nausea, and crippling fatigue. You may even suffer from the “detox flu,” which mimics flu symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat and fever.

Make your transition a little easier by preparing for your juice fast. Start cutting back on some of these toxins, including sugar and caffeine. Reduce these gradually leading up to your fast.

You should also be sure you are in good health when you start your fast. If you are diabetic or anemic, have kidney or liver disease, or another serious health condition, a juice fast may not be safe. If you have an eating disorder, are recovering from surgery, or are taking medication, a juice fast may not be safe. Of course, if you are pregnant or nursing, you should not fast.

Prepare Juices Fresh

The nutrients and enzymes in fresh juice are what help your body to detoxify and heal. Many of these nutrients and enzymes are lost if the juice is not prepared correctly or consumed quickly.

Make sure you prepare all your juices only when you are ready to drink them. Don’t buy commercially made juices, as these will not have the enzymes needed. Choose organic, fresh fruits and vegetables and clean them thoroughly before juicing. Use a quality juicer to get the most juice from your produce quickly and efficiently.

Get Enough Calories

A juice fast is technically not a fast since you are consuming calories. If you consume too few calories, you can become weak or even ill. An extended fast with too few calories can lead to severe health problems.

Make sure you drink enough juice during your fast to maintain your energy levels and to help your body do the healing work it needs to do. Typically, a liter or two of juice will need to be consumed. While you are likely to feel some fatigue from the detoxification process, you should not be faint or weak.

Choose a Variety of Produce

Juicing focuses on only two food groups – fruits and vegetables – which limits such as the vitamins and minerals you can receive in your diet. In order to ensure that you do not become deficient on any of the nutrients you need, you should include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your juice diet.

Fruits and vegetables that are especially beneficial during a juice fast include dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, root vegetables such as carrots and beets, and fruits with antioxidants. It is also helpful to add fresh herbs and wheatgrass to your juices.

A juice fast can be a wonderful way to detoxify and heal your body. However, you must take the proper precautions to ensure that you are only getting the benefits of your fast and to not suffer any ill side effects.

Have you undergone a juice fast? What preparations did you make to ensure it was safe? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Tara Spenser is currently the resident writer for workingcapital.org, where she researches small business working capital available. In her spare time, she enjoys blogging, swimming and being a mom.