The term “juice fast” can bring to mind many different associations of people. Some might think of a crazy and extreme fad or a regimented diet to lose weight fast. Others may think of fasting as a wonderful and bountiful healing tool, while others may already be fasting regularly or working towards it, or include it as part of their spiritual practice.
Here’s the thing: juice fasting can be all of these things. It just depends on the context in which it is used, the intention and reasons behind it, and the way it is done and the attitude that goes with it.
I have zero interest or support for fad diets and programs that will only serve to leave the person undertaking them with little or no education on the process (usually because it’s not good for the body!), which diets encourage short term. that they may get superficial results in the short term, but certainly not lasting results, that they don’t provide you with strategies and support on how to maintain the results you feel good about in the long term, and that they ignore the emotional aspect of healing, growth and oneself. gets better. Not to mention very often they are downright horrible for your health!
However, juice fasting, if done in the right context and for the right reasons, can be an incredible tool for getting the health results (and spiritual connection) you seek. Here I am going to share with you some basic information about juice fasting and how you can incorporate it into your life if it works for you.
What is juice fasting?
It is a certain period of time when all you consume, aside from liquids like water and herbal teas, is fresh fruit and vegetable juice. Some people have also strained vegetable broth when juice fasting. Just as important is what you’re NOT consuming when you’re fasting, and that’s any solid foods, or any liquids that tax the body, such as coffee, caffeinated teas, milk, sodas, pasteurized juices, smoothies, shakes, protein powder, diet food. drinks and so on.
Why juice and what types of juice?
By juicing your fruits and vegetables, you are extracting the fiber from them and simply drinking the liquid with all of its organic hydration, nutrients, vitamins, and enzymes. Although we need fiber in our diets, going for a certain period of time without fiber, and without putting in offending foods and liquids, gives your body a chance to expend less energy on digestion. A great deal of energy is spent digesting what we consume every day, and rarely do people give their bodies a break from digestion to spend energy on other things, such as deep cleansing the body and extracting old acidic waste. they are probably causing a lot of symptoms by being there. Do you suffer from headaches, constipation, diarrhea, skin disorders, fatigue, irritability, excess weight, bloating or any other symptoms? Then your body needs help to cleanse itself and the smart app of fasting is a brilliant way to do it.
Often these symptoms also indicate that there is an overgrowth of yeast in the body, which feeds on sugar and acidic waste found in the body. If the yeast feeds, it proliferates rapidly and the symptoms will continue to worsen over time and new ones will appear as the body becomes increasingly defenseless against the opportunistic yeast. Although fruits are a wonderful food for the body, providing massive amounts of nutrition, alkalinity, hydration, enzymes, and energy, they are still natural sugars, which means they will also feed yeast. For this reason, you should always be careful when fasting not to over-consume fruit juices. You’ll also find that if you overindulge in fruit juices, your energy can drop and spike a little all over the place! It’s not so much fun when you’re trying to give your body rest and calm so it can work its healing magic!
Focus instead on vegetable juices, particularly green vegetable juices, with a hint of fruit to sweeten the juice and ensure it remains delicious. You can also use sweeter vegetables like carrots, beets, and bell peppers to add the sweet factor. A good rule of thumb is to make sure at least half of your fasting juices are green vegetable-based juices, and then use other juices for fun and variety. You could also focus on using low-sugar fruits to make your other juices or sweeten your vegetables. Fresh grapefruit juice alone is divine, green apples add sweetness to any juice, and berries add a whole new indulgent flavor. Use lemons and limes on everything if you want! They are brilliantly alkalizing and extremely low in sugar.
How much juice should I drink?
How much juice you drink when fasting is a very personal decision, as it should be driven by your own hunger cues and how you feel. However, it is ideal to include at least a liter of green vegetable juice every day, if not more. Then you could enjoy one to three liters of juice depending on how much you feel you need. For me and many clients I guide on fasts, two to three liters of juice throughout the day feels good, although some days it may be a little less or more. Get a liter or two of mostly green vegetable juice as your non-negotiable and then drink more juice as your body needs. There is no competition here, just what feels right to you.
Do I need to change my lifestyle and routine while fasting?
This very much depends on your experience with fasting, your health history, your work and family commitments, the cleanliness of your diet before you start, the responsibilities and demands on your time and energy that you may or may not let go of, and the support you will have. .
If you’re drinking a lot of juice, say four liters, you may be able to continue to function on your normal schedule while fasting. However, by doing so, you are not giving your body its full opportunity to accept and work with the healing and cleansing process. While you may be able to get up and go to work, do your homework, take care of your family, and make your own juice, it will not provide the best possible experience and results.
Especially if you’re drinking three liters of juice or less, then it’s really important to take a little break while doing your juice fast. You don’t have to stop your life completely, but eliminate excessive and stressful workloads, say no to social events that could make your fast more difficult to adhere to and consume more of your time and energy, leave hard workouts out of your regimen and communicate to whoever you need that you are not going to assume anything extra.
Take time as often as you can for more relaxation, rest, gentle movement like stretching and walking, reading, watching movies, meditating, and working on creative projects that inspire and delight you, rather than those that drain you.
Ensuring your fast is a success
Calling a fast a “success” may seem strange, but it is vital to know whether or not you can fast and have a successful experience. You obviously want the coach! When you fast, your body is using all that time it normally spends on digestion to clean house and remove old toxic matter (we covered this, but it bears repeating!). When this toxic matter is removed, it is still inside the body but has been removed for disposal. For fasting to be successful, you need to ensure that toxic matter is eliminated from the body, so that your body is left in a cleaner state free of that toxicity.
How do you know if this matter is eliminated from your body? Because you see it come out of you in you through your guts! You can also see it on your skin and through your sweat, excess mucus builds up in your mouth and nose, and will release it through all of your elimination channels, but your gut will play the biggest role in elimination (literally! !) that old toxic waste comes out.
However, the vast majority of people I work with find that they don’t have natural bowel movements when juice fasting. This is why colon cleansing is really a must when fasting! If you fast but your intestines back up, where do you think that toxicity goes? That’s right – NOWHERE! It will remain inside you and your body will not be in a better state than before. That’s a failed cleanup!
How you can incorporate juice fasting into your life
So now you understand what juice fasting is and why it is such a wonderful cleansing and healing tool. However, it can seem very intimidating and scary to think about going without solid food for a few days or more! That’s very normal, but don’t despair, you can still use the juice fasting concept to get great results without having to spend a lot of time surviving on liquid meals alone.
To give you an idea, here are a few ways you can fit fasting into your life to get results: day fasts, half-day fasts, mini-fasts, long fasts, juice and mixed-food “fasts,” juices and raw foods. “, and even just including juices in your daily routine along with the other foods you eat will start to put you on the path to cleaner cells. Whichever approach works best for you is great! Any help you give your body by lightening your diet and adding juicing will begin to shift your body into a more alkaline and balanced state which will only give you better health and a body you love over time.
The only way to truly approach cleansing, whether it’s juice fasting, raw food, whole food, or any other type of approach, is to consider your individual needs, goals, health history, emotional and social considerations, and support (or lack thereof). East) .
For your clean cells, dancing, singing with health!