How to Do a Juice Fast

Alternative health advocates find juice fasting to be an effective way to detoxify the body. The idea is to allow the body to heal itself with the aid of natural vitamins and minerals while flushing out the toxins that result from the consumption of meat and highly processed foods. If you've been looking for a natural cleansing process, this may be the way for you. Here is how to do a juice fast.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Quality fruit and vegetable juicer (not a blender or simple citrus juicer)
• Filtered water
• Juicer recipes (optional, but very helpful)

1. Talk to your family physician before beginning a juice fast, especially if you are currently taking prescription medication. Undesirable candidates for juice fasting include diabetics and underweight individuals, so keep this in mind when you talk to your doctor.
2. Avoid solid foods of any kind while fasting. For many, this is the most difficult aspect of the juice fast. Since this fast is designed to detoxify, it is also recommended to avoid smoking, alcohol and caffeine during the process.
3. Prepare various vegetable juice concoctions in the juicer (a little fruit is fine, but vegetable juice should be the main component of the diet). Carrots are popular for their vitamin content and taste, but greens are essential as well. Just remember that, since you are dealing with fresh juice, it should be consumed immediately after preparation.
4. Mix your juice servings with equal portions of filtered water. This can be done either by mixing the juice and water in equal amounts or by drinking a glass of water prior to drinking the juice.
5. Drink at least four 8-oz. portions of fresh juice each day. If you find yourself feeling hungry, simply drink more juice. Since you are basically consuming raw nutrients and vitamins, there is no hindrance on how much you should have to feel satisfied. Just remember to pair each juice serving with an equal amount of water.
6. Continue this fasting process for a minimum of 3 days. This gives the body a bit of time to purge itself of the toxins that are stored up within. You can continue the process longer than three days as long as you are keeping the body well nourished and hydrated.
7. Move gradually to a solid diet when coming off the fast. Try raw fruits and veggies for a couple of days (salads, etc.). It is not recommended to jump right back into large meals with high fat and calorie contents.

Tips & Warnings

• While on the fast, it is normal to experience a period of feeling rather lousy. It has been described by some as mild flu-like symptoms such as malaise and achiness. Do not be alarmed. This is simply the build-up of toxins working to make their exit from the body. As the body detoxifies, the blah feeling will subside.
• Some people become constipated while doing a juice fast. Have a natural, herb-based laxative handy in case this becomes a problem for you.