Juice fasting to lose weight is appropriate if you are in good health. Elson Haas, MD, author of The Detox Diet has led juice fasting groups in Marin County, Calif., for several years. To lose weight, start with a 3-day fast. Consume organic vegetable and fruit juices, and notice if you have any adverse effects such as dizziness or fatigue.
Step 1
Juice organic fruits and vegetables only. The idea is to detoxify while you juice fast. Inorganic produce may have pesticides and is counter to the process of removing toxins from the internal organs. By detoxifying, your internal organs will function more efficiently and speed the process of weight loss.
Step 2
Use a Chlorox bleach food bath if you do not have easy access to organic produce, submerge the fruits and vegetables in a Chlorox food bath. In a gallon of filtered water, add 1 tsp. of Chlorox bleach and add produce. Soak for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly before using.
Step 3
Experiment with different juicing combinations. The rule of thumb is to juice apples with any fruit and vegetable. Melons are best juiced as a monofruit. For example, juice only watermelon (rind and all) and consume as is. Do the same for honey dew or cantaloupe. Combining melons with other fruits and vegetables may not digest well.
Step 4
Consume at least four to six freshly extracted juices daily. Drink another four to six, 8-oz. glasses of filtered water. Sip herbal teas that assist detoxification. These teas can include commercial detox teas and those that contain herbs known to cleanse the internal organs: dandelion root, burdock root, buckthorn, senna and others.
Do not exceed any recommended dosage of tea according to its labeling. This is especially true for senna and cascara sagrada, which cleanses the large intestine.
Step 5
Juice fast for a 3-day weekend for the first time. Reduce your physical exercise if you are consuming only liquids. If you are juice fasting and still going into the office or attending school, bring your juices with you. On the run, get fresh juices at juice bars, health food stores, or in a pinch, consume ready-made organic juices. Do not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day if you are at least 5 feet tall.
Step 6
Observe closely how you feel each day of your juice fast to determine how long to do it. If you feel strong physically and mentally alert on your third day, consider extending the juice fast for up to 7 days. Discontinue if you feel weak, dizzy, or have difficulty performing routine daily activities such as driving or cooking.
Step 7
Complete the juice fast and gradually return to eating solid foods. Eat steamed vegetables, whole grains such as brown rice, millet, oats or quinoa. Elson Haas, M.D., author of "The New Detox Diet," also recommends eating small amounts of fish or yogurt and low-saturated fats such as olive, flax or hemp seed oil.
Tips and Warnings
- Transition to a healthy weight loss diet as outlined in My Food Pyramid, designed by the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA). The juice fast is a good way to lose a few pounds to boost your confidence at the start of a weight loss diet, but for long-term, permanent weight loss, you must return to eating solid food. Aim to lose about a pound to 1 1/2 lbs. per week.
- Juice fasting is a temporary diet. If you experience a high fever, nausea or become irregular, discontinue the juice fast. Transition to drinking freshly prepared vegetable broth and to easily digested foods.
Things You'll Need
- Juicer
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Herbal teas: dandelion root, burdock root, red clover, buckthorn, yellow dock, senna, cascara sagrada, detox teas
- Chlorox bleach (optional)
- Water
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