I‘ve been juicing and making green smoothies for a few years now & I’ve learned quite a bit along the way and continue to learn more and more daily. I am in no way, shape or form and expert so this is just my experiences & opinions. The main thing is that you don’t have to do a “juice fast” in order to benefit from juicing. Juice fasting seems to be gaining momentum because of it’s quick weight loss potential, however the weight loss achieved from a short term fast is also short term itself. There are always exceptions but nearly everyone I know who has done a juice fast and lost weight quickly, gained it back, even while continuing to eat well. While weight loss can occur, it’s more more permanent and substantial when it is lost at an average rate regardless of the method. Instead, juicing should be seen as a nutritional supplement, like nature’s very own multi-vitamin.
I’ve done juice fasts and I still do them a couple times a year for short periods of time, 3 to 5 days works well for me, as a way to detox my body and jumpstart it to working in top shape. There are some people who do 30-60 days fasts and I say more power to them! Not that I wouldn’t consider it, but for me a few days is ideal & do-able. During the work week I don’t have access to make juice whenever needed or a place to keep it refrigerated at work, I’m not always near a juice bar who can make it for me, it’s not easy on the pocketbook & requires frequent trips to the grocery store unless my summer garden is in full swing, and I enjoy chewing. I’m a foodie who thoroughly enjoys flavors, chewing, trying new & exotic foods & a good meal with friends (especially if it came from my garden & was cooked on the grill!), so I don’t want to give up meals because I really enjoy them. Overall I’m conscious of what I eat but I don’t deprive myself and I’m not strict (as seen my my love of cupcakes & ice cream). Mostly I use juicing as a nutritional supplement to flood my body with all the good enzymes & nutrients that can only come from fresh fruits & veggies. It’s better than any multi-vitamin I’ve ever taken.
Why juice instead of eating fruits & veggies? Well if I tried to eat an entire bag of carrots and 5 oranges my jaw would lock up before I made it halfway through, not to mention it would probably fill me up all day and I couldn’t eat anything else. I can’t live on carrots and oranges alone! Juicing drains the nutrients from the plants, discards the pulp and leaves me with a 12 oz glass juice that contains an entire bag of carrots and 5 oranges worth of fresh nutrients, vitamins & minerals. Simply put, you can eat a ton of fruits & veggies in just a glass full of juice. You don’t need an expensive juicer, use your blender if needed just to give it a try. Then if you decide to continue with it I can offer some juicer suggestions.
Juicing fresh fruits & veggies is the best option, but when I’m on the go and want a juice I’ll grab a Naked or Bolthouse brand Green juice out of the drink section at most convenience stores. I’m sure it has some added sugar (although it says it doesnt) & is flash pasturized so it’s not as nutrient rich as the fresh stuff but it’ll work in a pinch. Tropicana OJ is NOT okay – loaded with sugar, added preservatives & pasturized there is no fresh orange juice in it in my opinion! You can however buy fresh squeezed OJ with nothing added at some health food stores & specialty grocers such as Whole Foods.
I’ve convinced some people to try juicing, honestly some enjoyed it while others didn’t. Some did it with ease while others had headaches, skin breakouts, fatigue & stayed ravenously hungry (most likely detox symptons & they weren’t consuming enough to get the daily calories needed). I made a few juices for my grandmother who is recovering from a brain tumor and surgery at age 93 in order to help provide hydration, calories & nutrients in a glass because she wasn’t eating or drinking fluids likes she should have been. I convinced my boyfriend to drink a V8 like concoction with veggies from my garden and after a few days of drinking a glassful daily his chronic ezcema on his hand began to heal from the inside out. Since then he has also drank & used water from Hot Springs, VA (noted for their sulfur content and historic healing property) and it cleared it up in just a few days. Until then the prescribed meds only helped with the symptoms. Another friend tried it to lower her cholesterol so she could get off meds and lose weight – she did a fast of about 5-7 days to lose the weight and did at the rate of about a pound a day but gained it back soon even while eating well & exercising, however her cholesterol was lowered in a very short period of time, and she has been able to maintain that with a few juices a week and no meds. Plus it cleared up a case of psoriasis that she had been battling. It has helped me with a few issues too, including clearing up mysterious skin allergies that would appear like hives on my torso and forearms. I still don’t know what the cause is but I haven’t had any reactions since I drank that juice daily for about a week and now about 1-2 times weekly.
Every time I have done a fast I have lost weight but also gained it back after stopping, however the health benefits far outweigh (laugh, thats a funny) weight loss – and will eventually lead to a slower and more sustained weight loss due to improved health. Like I said before, its different for some people and they might be able to keep the weight off but in my experience super fast weight loss doesn’t stick and overall health is my main focus. Different people have different reactions & experiences with it but as long as they gave it a try I’m pleased. I recommend you check out Join the Reboot for great juicing mixes & info on how to get started. Green Smoothie Girl is also a great resource for those that enjoy smoothies better (more on smoothies some other time!)
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