Embarking on a juice fast can yield many health benefits. With a juice fast, you will not only nourish your body with vitamins and minerals from raw vegetables and fruit, you will also give your gastrointestinal time to rest and restore its natural function. Although juice fasts are often given to patients recovering from surgery, they can also be used to lose weight. It is important to learn all the basics of juice fasting before starting on this diet, as it will help you avoid common mistakes, such as not drinking enough juice and experiencing dehydration, or fasting too long for your specific body type.
Step 1
Talk to a nutritional counselor about your interest in juice fasting. She can assess your current health condition and suggest what fruits and vegetables contain the vitamins and minerals you most need for your body type and condition. She can also determine if your body is ready for a fast; if you are malnourished, you may not be ready to eliminate solid food from your diet. Get your nutritional counselor's feedback on how long you should stay on your juice fast and good ways to ease your body in and out of fasting, such as eating easy-to-digest foods before and after, including broths and steamed vegetables.
Step 2
Read books, publications and websites that specialize in juice fasting, such as the book "Juice Fasting and Detoxification," by Steve Meyerowitz, Beth Robbins and Michael Parman or the article "The Healing Power of Juicing," published on Dr. Foster's Essentials website, where you can learn all about the health benefits of juicing. These resources also feature useful recipes to follow on your juice fasting diet. It is important to understand every detail concerning not only juicing but fasting, as it is a big shift for your digestive system to go from consuming solid food to only liquids. You will need to supplement your juice fast with some sort of natural laxative to aid your colon in releasing any fecal matter left behind from your last meal, as well as to optimize your nutrient absorption.
Step 3
Attend raw food seminars that focus on aspects of juice fasting. Raw food enthusiasts are often involved in juice fasting as it directly relates to their diet ideals. Attending a seminar can put you in touch with other individuals who are involved in or starting a juice fast; you can even fast together and provide support to each other during the process.
Tips and Warnings
- Always buy organic produce, as they will have minimized contents of the harmful chemicals and pesticides found in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Things You'll Need
- Juicing books
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