Adding more vegetables to your diet is never a bad idea, but they should not be your only source of food. Various diet plans that promote living only on juice or raw vegetables do not provide complete nutrition, nor do they produce sustainable or permanent weight loss. That said, whether you are looking to lose weight or simply feel better, vegetables are an important food group that must not be overlooked.
Premises
Raw vegetable diets are based on the theory that the heat from cooking destroys the nutrient content of the food. While it's true that heat does deplete vitamin C, it also enhances other nutrients by changing them into forms your body can more easily absorb. Juice fasts are founded on the notion that consuming nothing but fresh juice cleanses your body of toxins and helps you lose weight. While you will almost certainly lose weight due to the dangerously low calorie intake, detox claims are unfounded. Your liver and kidneys remove the toxins from your body every day, whether you drink juice or not.
Calories
Both diets are very low in calories, which works against you by keeping your energy levels low and allowing your body to feed off calorie-burning muscle tissue for fuel. Juice fasts can be higher in calories than a raw vegetable diet, though, because the juice is a concentrated form of the vegetable -- in other words, a glass of juice would have several times the calories of an equivalent volume of vegetables. Juice fasts also allow fruit juice in most cases, which has more calories than vegetables. The problem with juicing is that you leave behind the fiber content of the vegetable, and fiber can be your biggest ally when dieting. It helps you feel full longer on less food, which can lead to decreased calorie intake and reduced weight.
Variety/Convenience
Raw vegetables offer much more variety than juice fasts. Most juice fasting plans include a list of specific allowable juices, and if you dislike a few of them, your choices are severely limited. There is infinite variety in vegetables, with different tastes, textures and nutrient profiles, and you could theoretically explore your local farmer's market for a long time without getting bored. Raw vegetables are also more convenient than juice fasts, because they are grab-and-go. Juice fasts require that you own a juicer and make your juice immediately before drinking it, and store-bought juices are not allowed. If you work outside the home or have a hectic schedule, you may find that taking several juice breaks per day can be difficult.
Better Way
While fresh juice can be a part of a healthy diet, you're better off just eating the whole food so you reap the benefit of fiber. You'll also find that the high fiber and water content of whole vegetables fills you up faster, so you'll eat less. You shouldn't subsist only on vegetables, though. Even people who eat an exclusively raw diet include soaked grains, and some even include raw milk and meat, although those aren't recommended for safety reasons. By not including grains and protein in your diet, you put yourself at risk for mineral deficiencies as well as the consequences of inadequate protein intake. Instead of harsh restriction, eat a balanced diet in controlled portions and exercise daily to lose weight and feel better all-around.
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