A fruit and vegetable juice diet is designed to detoxify your body. It is often referred to as a juice fast. When on the diet, you consume nothing but fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, making it an extreme detoxification process compared to other detox diets, which include solids. It typically lasts for one to three days and should fill you with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants. However, side effects may include dizziness, fainting, hunger and diarrhea.
Detoxification
The air you breathe is full of harmful toxins, and chemicals are used to preserve much of the food you eat. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the poisonous chemicals in the air include mercury and arsenic. The idea behind a detoxification, or a detox diet, is to rid your body of these harmful chemicals by flushing them out. These diets therefore focus on fluids and fiber to increase bowel movements and urination.
Fruit and Vegetable Juice
Fruit and vegetables are packed full of vital nutrients. The American Heart Association recommends you eat eight portions of fruit and vegetables per day, even when you are not on a diet. This is because they protect you against cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity and asthma, explains the University of Michigan Medical Center. For this diet, all you need is a juicer. Do not substitute fresh fruit and vegetables for cartons of juice bought from the supermarket. These may lack vital nutrients. Juice a wide range of fruits and vegetables for the full nutritional benefits. The fruit should be organic. Berries are full of beneficial antioxidants, so they should be a big part of the diet, while green vegetables contain chlorophyll, which cleanses the liver of toxins.
Vitamins and Minerals
Most fruit contains vitamins A and E, which strengthen teeth, hair and bones and improve circulation. Berries, tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple and green vegetables contain vitamins B and K, which enhance your immune system and strengthen your bones. Most vegetables and citrus fruits contain vitamin C, which repairs your tissues, cells and organs. Most vegetables also contain copper, which provides your blood with oxygen, and vegetables like squash, beans and peas contain potassium, magnesium and iron, which strengthen bones, muscles, your immune system, your teeth and your hair.
Benefits
Clearing the toxins from your colon, liver, sinuses, bladder, lungs, kidneys and skin should leave you looking and feeling cleansed and refreshed. In particular, your colon will benefit from the rest given to your stomach and digestive system, because it will rid itself of putrefied matter that could cause future disease. Your immune system should improve, you will lose weight, your blood sugar levels will be better balanced, and your liver capacity will increase.
Side Effects
Because your body is depleted of solids and therefore, carbohydrates, fat and protein during a fruit and vegetable juice diet, there are numerous potential side effects. The Mayo Clinic website lists dehydration, fatigue, dizziness and nausea as common side effects from detox diets, while diarrhea, vomiting, calcium deficiency and kidney problems may also occur. If these side effects occur, quit the diet immediately.
Considerations
Certain fruits should not be juiced: the pits of apricots, cherries, and peaches, the skins of bananas and avocados, pineapple, mangoes and kiwi, and the tops of carrots and rhubarb. After the diet, your return to solids should be gradual.
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