1. Your Health is Number One
A liquid diet is not for everyone, as fruit and vegetable juices are high in natural sugars which can greatly effect your blood sugar. Additionally, liquid diets are inherently low in both fat and protein. Before beginning a liquid diet or juice fast, consult your doctor or naturopath and take his advice about how you should approach the diet and what sort of adjustments can be made if you happen to have a medical condition. This form of dieting should not be sustained for more than a week or 10 days without doctor supervision, as your body begins to lose important protein stores.
2. Set Yourself Up for Success
A liquid diet can be a great way to detox and promote weight loss, but it is also a test of will, as you may feel a bit tired, hungry and even experience mood swings. Make sure that you can keep your diet while working, or decide to take some vacation time instead. Additionally, you may find it helpful to begin with just a few days on your first diet to see how it goes. Add only another couple of days each time you enter another liquid diet and your body will be more likely to have a smooth adjustment.
3. Liquid Lunches
Ease the transition into your diet by giving up a few items a week ahead of time, such as caffeine, dairy products, red meats, citrus fruits, spicy foods, alcohol and tobacco. About two days before beginning, start to replace solid foods at lunchtime with smoothies or soups. The introduction of more liquids will make a smoother transition for your digestive tract. It is also recommended that you take a gentle laxative, such as psyllium husk capsules, throughout your fast beginning the day before. Because you will not be ingesting any solid foods or juice pulps, wastes will not be eliminated easily, therefore a gentle, natural laxative can help ease stomach cramping and bloating.
4. Drink to Your Heart's Content
Be very careful not to starve yourself while you are on a liquid diet. You may consume any clear, pulp-free juice or soup, taking in as much as is necessary to satisfy your hunger. Drinking soup or juice as often as you feel a tinge of hunger, and combining a large variety of fruit and vegetable juices will ensure that your body receives all of the vital minerals and vitamins it needs to keep you going.
5. Realistic Results
In the first few days of your diet, the weight loss you experience is caused by water loss as you will be taking in far less sodium. Additionally, as you clean your bowels of all solid matter, you will lose another few pounds. Be prepared to gain a bit of weight after you complete your liquid diet; it is completely natural and is non-harmful body weight present in water and waste material in the digestive tract.
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