Juice Fasting - Health Through Organic Nutrition
What exactly is Juice Fasting? A juice fast is when you only drink
fresh organic vegetable and fruit juices and you do not consume any food. A juice fast typically lasts one to three
days. An individual just beginning a juice fast for the first time should stick to a one a day juice fast and gradually
work up to two or three days. Any amount of time over three days should be done with your doctor’s
guidance.
Juice fasting is similar to house cleaning. Just like you clean a spring clean a home, our bodies need the same type of seasonal
cleaning. Juice fasting cleanses our bodies of toxins and chemicals that have built up over time. Fruits and vegetables
are packed with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that fight cancer, heart disease, strokes, and many other diseases. Eight ounces of
carrot juice provides enough carotenoids to equal about one and one-half pounds of carrots. There’s no way that you could sit down and eat
that many carrots. Juicing is simple and it is a vital way to quickly get the nutrients into the body. One a glass of
fresh vegetable juice has gone into the body; it is quickly absorbed and digested. Fresh juices are full of enzymes.
Juices are vegetables that have not been cooked, so they are filled with all the live nutrients and enzymes the body
needs. A raw diet is packed with vitamins and minerals and is life to the body.
It is important to pick a day to juice fast when you are able to relax and rest at home. Your body needs to conserve energy and
take a break from all the normal daily activity. During a juice fast, it’s also important to relax your emotions and your
mind. The day before the fast, it is wise to eat only fresh fruits and vegetables. This helps prepare the body for the
juice fast.
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Typical symptoms that may be experienced during a juice fast:
· Lightheadedness
· Changes in energy
· Change in sleep
· Constipation
· Nausea/Vomiting
· Body odor
· Skin eruptions
· Cold hands and feet
· Bad breath
All these symptoms are completely normal and are resulting from the elimination of toxins in the body. Continue
to relax, sip juices, herbal teas, and water.
To begin the fast, purchase organic fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apples, celery, and tomatoes. These essential
vegetables form the base of each juice. Other vegetables and fruits that can be purchased are beets, lemons, parsley,
cabbage, collard greens, and garlic. Juicing recipes can be found here.
What are the Basics of Juice Fasting?
The day before the fast, eat only organic fresh fruits and vegetables. Once you begin the fast, juice fruits and vegetables in the
morning and for lunch. In the afternoon and evening, juice just vegetables. Drink at least one glass of juice a day that
includes cabbage or broccoli and one that includes beets. These vegetables increase the flow of bile and help to support the liver during
detoxification.
In breaking your fast, only consume fresh fruit such as apples, grapes, watermelon, and fresh berries. Eat these as often as every
two to three hours the first day after your fast has ended. The second day after your fast, you may eat fruit in the morning and fresh
vegetable soup for lunch and for dinner. Fill up on water and you may juice a couple times a day. The third day after
your fast, you may add a salad and or a baked potato. Also a slice of bread such as Ezekiel bread may be added. Lastly, on the fourth day
after your fast, you may add a small amount of free-range chicken, turkey, or fish. Take your time and eat
slowly.
In addition, vitamins and supplements should be taken before the juice fast begins, not during the fast. You may resume taking
vitamins once the fast is broken. Continue to drink the herbal teas during the fast.
For more information on juicers, click here.
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