Juice fasting has become a popular way for people to detoxify their body and lose weight, provided they do it in a healthy way, and for a limited time. I would suggest 3 days, any longer and it can become difficult, as you may find yourself over-tired and lacking energy (the opposite of what you should be feeling!) Juice fasting consists of cutting out all solid food for a period of time and replacing your entire food intake with various fruit and vegetable juices. Since low-sugar fruits and vegetables contain high concentrations of nutrients and antioxidants, low levels of calories, and almost no fat; this can be an excellent way to get your health back on track and flood your body with essential nutrients. In most cases, a juice fast also means eliminating all of the dietary fibre from your diet, as a juicer will prevent any of those fibres from being included in the juice.
Once the 3 days is up, you can extend a juice diet, which means that most of your meals will consist of juice, but a small meal at lunchtime and dinnertime is introduced. These are often rich in protein, and in the form of a soup or stew. Generally speaking, 3 days is the accepted limit for a pure juice fast, but depending on your present health condition, slightly longer juice fasts may be acceptable.
How To:
Preparation and planning are key when doing a juice fast. Stock up on a variety of fruits and vegetables, and clear out excess carbohydrates and snacks from your home. It may be easy to avoid making yourself a big meal, but I always find that after a day on a juice fast, it’s the easy, convenient snacks that always look the most tempting! So, for best results, make sure to remove all traces of crisps, crackers, granola bars etc… Most juice fasting plans will recommend you consume 5-6 different juice mixes each day. This helps with variety, but It’s okay if some are repeated. It is important to get as many essential nutrients as possible, as we want this to be a highly nutritious 3 days, so this will require drinking different blends of fruits and vegetables, as each has a different nutrient profile. Once you have my ingredient list, I’d suggest heading out to your supermarket and stocking up, so you have all the ingredients. Remember, variety in each juice is important. Drinking 6-8 glasses of a single juice is quite boring, and will make it harder for you to succeed in your fast. Also, certain fruits and vegetables are extremely high in certain concentrated nutrients, and there is always the danger of consuming too much of one nutrient (e.g., hyperkalaemia – an excess of potassium).
Look at other forms of hydration too, such as herbal teas. Dandelion, nettle, peppermint, fresh lemon and ginger are all wonderful to support detoxification in the body, and help your digestive system in this rest period.
Ingredients:
You will be making the same 5x juices each day, for 3x days, so please ensure you have enough ingredients. The list below is quantity for 3x days’ worth of recipes.
-
Immunity
6x bulbs of Beetroot (or 2 large bunches)
1x bag of red apples
1x bag of lemons Lemon
2x knobs of Ginger
-
Strengthen
1x small bag of organic cacao powder
1x pack of unsulphered medjool dates
3x ripe avocados
1x jar of unsweetened almond butter
3x bananas
-
Glow
1x bag of red Apples
3x Sweet potato
1x knob of ginger
1x jar of Cinnamon
-
Detox
1x bunch of Parsley
1x large bunch of rainbow or swiss chard
1x bag of Green apples
1x bag of Lemons
1x bag of Limes
-
Cleanse
3x bunches of celery
3x cucumbers
1x bag of lemons
1x bag of green apples
Benefits of a Juice Fast
A juice fast is extremely beneficial for overall wellbeing, and full body rejuvenation, with some of the top benefits being:
- Strengthening the immune system
- Weight loss
- Potentially reducing the risk of cancer
- Detoxifying the body
- Improving digestion, and improving repair throughout the body
- Reducing inflammation
- Improving skin tone and texture
- Improving inflammatory skin issues, like eczema
- Boosting energy
- Kick starting metabolism
One of the key benefits of this fast is that, by removing dietary fibre and solids from your daily intake, you can allow your digestive system to REST and, therefore, more efficiently absorb key nutrients and antioxidants during the course of the fast. Nowadays, we are surrounded by food and it’s available to us 24/7. Our digestive system rarely rests for longer than 2-3 hours (Breakfast, 11am snack, lunch, 3pm snack, dinner, after dinner treat, etc...) So, this is a fantastic opportunity to be strict with yourself and follow the plan tightly.
JUICE DAYS 1, 2 and 3
Warm water and lemon on rising.
1. CLEANSE
1x cucumber
1x bunch of celery
1x green apple
Juice of 1x lemon
Juice and drink immediately
2. DETOX
1x green apple
Juice of 1x lemon
Juice of 1x lime
Small handful of parsley
Small handful of rainbow/swiss chard
Juice and drink immediately
3. IMMUNITY
2x bulbs of raw beetroot
1x red apple
Juice of 1x lemon
Small chunk of ginger peeled
Juice and drink immediately
4. GLOW
1x red apple
1x raw sweet potato
1x tsp of cinnamon (Added after juice has been prepared - stir in well)
1x piece of peeled ginger
Juice and drink immediately
5. STRENGTHEN
1 tsp of raw cacao powder
A pinch of Himalayan salt
1 date (pitted)
1 tbsp of almond butter
Water
Blend on high in blender/nutri bullet/vitamix until smooth and creamy
Aftercare
Now you’ve completed your 3x days, hopefully you are feeling a little lighter, brighter and more energetic. Although you’ve finished the fast, these next few days are equally as important. Your precious body has been on a bit of retreat, so ease yourself back in gently, and follow a whole food, simple diet. Lots of veggies and fresh fruits, clean protein, gluten-free whole grains and lots of liquids. I’d recommend lots of warming soups and stews. Prepare meals that are going to be easy on your digestion and avoid anything that is heavily oiled, sugared, creamed or fried (…TAKEAWAYS!!)
Stick to my friendly foods, and not so friendly foods, list for the next few days to best support your gut, liver, metabolism, skin, sleep and energy.
Friendly foods
Root Vegetables
Leafy greens
Fruits
Gluten-free wholegrains: millet, quinoa, brown rice, gf oats, buckwheat, organic rice cakes, gluten-free oatcakes
Nuts and seeds
Healthy fats: avocados, extra virgin olive oil, olives, coconut yogurt, nut butters, hummus, coconut milk
Clean protein: organic free-range chicken/turkey, organic tempeh, legumes, organic free-range eggs
1x smoothie or green juice daily
Lots of herbal teas and water
Unsweetened nut milks
Not-so friendly foods
White flour goods: pastries, cakes, white bread
Sugar: biscuits, muffins, condiments, sauces, granola bars
Fried foods
Low fat dairy (opt for good quality full fat organic)
Fizzy drinks
Alcohol
Processed foods: sugary cereal, choc bars, crisps, ready meals etc…
