A fruit-and-vegetable-only diet is a short-term diet that can be used for a variety of purposes. Because this diet may eliminate items your body needs for long-term health, never undertake a fruit-and-vegetable-only diet without consulting a health care practitioner. Fruit and vegetables can help reduce the risk of developing diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, according to the USDA, but only when used as a part of a balanced, nutritious diet.
Types
A fruit-and-veggieonly diet may be touted as a "detox" diet, or it may be prescribed by a health practitioner to allow your body to stabilize its digestive processes. Once your system is stabilized, reintroduce other foods to find out if they are potential allergens. In some versions of this diet, you may eat unlimited fruits and vegetables without restriction. In other versions, you may eat only fruit or only vegetables for each snack or meal, and must go without eating for two hours between fruit meals and vegetable meals.
Food Preparation
Most fruit-and-vegetable-only diets restrict your food intake to raw or lightly sauteed vegetables and raw, fresh fruits. Some versions may allow for baked or dried fruits as well as small amounts of specific seasonings, such as sea salt or ginger. Depending on your personal views on food and your previous diet, mixtures of sauteed veggies may feel more filling than raw salads due to psychological or cultural bias that views salads as merely a portion of a meal, while cooked foods may seem more like a complete meal. Use your personal judgment along with your doctor's instructions regarding food preparation.
Duration
Fruit and veggie detox diets generally last either three or seven days, while a medically prescribed detox may last up to 17 days. After the diet is over, new foods must be reintroduced to your system slowly to avoid gastrointestinal upset. Introducing one new food type per day or every few days, such as whole grains, lean meats or dairy, is the best way to return to a balanced diet.
Benefits
Most fruits and vegetables are high in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is the part of the plant your body cannot digest. Eating foods high in this "roughage" will cause you to feel full without adding extra calories or fat, and the fiber helps move other items through your digestive system, leading to regular bowel movements and good overall bowel health, notes the Mayo Clinic staff. Some people also experience a reduced craving for fatty and processed foods after this type of diet, leading to a healthier long-term diet.
Warnings
Detox diets shock your body's systems with a drastic change in your eating habits and nutrient levels. Depending on your overall health, standard diet before the detox and other physical conditions, you may experience mild or severe side effects from a fruit-and-vegetable-only diet. The most common complaints from detox dieters are headaches, nausea, dehydration, fatigue and dizziness, notes Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietician at the Mayo Clinic. The fruit and vegetable detox may also cause a marked increase in bowel movements and gas thanks to the dietary fiber.
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