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Different people use juice fasting for different reasons. Some people decided to juice fasting for spiritual or religious purposes while others use juice fasting to help lose weight or to act as an aide to eliminate bad habits like smoking, alcohol or even drugs. Hence juice fasting is often accepted by those who choose alternative healing and is often used to assist chronic health problems.
Juice fasting not only removes toxic waste or toxins from the body, it is also a source of vitamins, minerals and enzymes for the body. As you juice as a whole, the fresh fruits and vegetables provide your body with energy without requiring you to waste energy on digestion. Thus this gives the body a break and your body is given the time to heal and rejuvenate.
Among the many types of juice fasting programs, the most important thing to remember while you choose is to use fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Non-organic foods contain high levels of toxins including pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Hence using commercially grown fruits and vegetables for juice fasting is defeating the purpose of detoxing as you are adding more toxins to your body.
If you find it difficult to buy organic produce, health experts recommend peeling off the skins of the fruits or using a non-toxic produce cleaner or baking soda to wash your foods. While most skins of organically grown fruits and vegetables may be left on, you should remove the skins from pineapples, oranges, papaya, melons, and kiwi fruit.
There are certain parts of the fruits and vegetables that you should avoid juicing like the pits in fruits of apricots, peaches and cherries. To add on to that, , citrus peels, apple seeds, tops of root vegetables such as carrots or rhubarb, or the tough outer skin of bananas, plantains, and avocados should not be juiced.
The fibers of fruits and vegetables have essential nutrients locked within them. To absorb the highest level of nutrients, you would need a juice extractor that can release the essential nutrients.
Having said all these, the best ingredients for a juice fast include: apples, beets, cranberries, carrots, celery, cabbage, kale, pineapple, spinach, and leafy green vegetables.
Other common fruits and vegetables used in juice fasting include:
v Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower
v Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and yams
v Greens such as parsley, kale, chard and dandelion leaf
v Herbs such as basil, ginger, fennel and turmeric
v Wheatgrass
Women who are pregnant or nursing should avoid juice fasting, as should people with chronic health problems such as diabetes, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, epilepsy, kidney disease or low blood sugar.
People who are taking prescription medications should never embark on a juice fast unless under strict supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner. Grapefruit juice and pomegranate juice should never be used during a fast when a person is taking prescription medications because they can increase the amount of drugs in the body.
Individuals who consume high levels of caffeine are likely to experience severe headaches when embarking on a juice fast. Therefore, it is recommended to gradually decrease caffeine consumption one to two weeks prior to starting a juice fast.
Other common side effects of juice fasting include fatigue, constipation, increased body odor and bad breath. Oftentimes people who embark on a juice fast will experience skin outbreaks. This is because the skin is the most effective way for the body to eliminate toxins. Typically, these side effects are temporary and will disappear once juice fasting is completed.