Luke takes a closer look at how to tackle the challenge behind the question "How do I Juice Fast?" in this article.
Have you tried a juice fast before?
Doing your first juice fast can be a challenge. Some of the more difficult things to deal with can be during the adjustment stages. This can include feeling dizzy, a little low on energy, or maybe even a tad foggy and unable to concentrate. So, why would you want to go through that?
A juice fast can help reset your digestive system and allow your gut to heal from issues that have been caused by accumulative diet choices.
Many people who undertake a juice fast do so as a way to cleanse parasites out of their systems. This may sound a little off putting, but there are parasites in all of our bodies. Some people have more than others, but they don't have to be there for life. A juice fast that targets parasite cleansing can purge these from your body.
When on a juice fast with this intention in mind it is normal for the waste you pass to be a fair bit different from what you might normally see. However, if you notice something worrying, like bleeding, you really need to seek medical attention.
Not that this is likely to happen, but there's no accounting for the range of medical conditions that people have.
In saying that, we are not Doctors, nor do we claim to be, and we can't be accountable for advising you to do something that isn't right for you (we haven't even met you after all). Seeing a Doctor or a Dietitian you trust before making changes to your diet may well be a prudent move.
So, back to the parasite cleanse. A dear friend of mine who has been Vegan for the best part of five years recently completed a parasite cleans on a juice detox (using Cabala Juice, as explained by Luke in the linked article above).
He had seen a Colon Hydrotherapist the month before on a weekly basis for 4 weeks who had helped to remove plaque (meat plaque that is) from his digestive system (mainly his intestines) that had been there for years. Even after years of a Vegan diet this stuff was still stuck in his system.
He described this plaque as being like rope when it finally came out. So, the next step was a parasite juice cleanse. The results when I saw him a few weeks later were impressive. He looked good before, but after the juice fast he looked even better.
Brighter eyes, leaner, higher energy, and he beamed. What he told me he saw come out of his body, even after the hydrotherapy was worrying. And that's on top of being Vegan for 4 years. And I don't mean junk food Vegan - he had a male pole dancing studio where we taught guys how to pole dance, and he had the physique to go with it. Fitness and a healthy diet have been key for him as long as I have known him.
So, how about me? How do I juice fast?
I prefer to juice fast after a 4 day water fast. One of the Pro Tips I'll give you is to chew your juice. Yes, you read right, chew your juice. If you don't then you'll slowly deplete the acids in your stomach, and these will take some time to replenish. That kinda makes it hard to process solid foods when you go back to them if your low on the required digestive juices.
Another tip is to juice your own fruit and vegetables. Avoid the pre-made stuff for a number of reasons:
- You don't really know what has gone into them
- The freshness is questionable
- You'll often get a second or third grade raw product (lower grade fruit gets juiced and canned - the good stuff goes to the shops for sale as fresh fruit and vegetables)
I prefer to use a cold pressed juicer. I picked mine up online for less than $100.00 and you can get them quite easily. Make sure you read the reviews as some struggle with things like kale and other leafy vegetables. Celery can wreck some juicers too with how stringy it can be.
So, get juicing! Check out Luke's article above.