Fasting is a chance to cleanse your body, your mind, and your soul. If you wonder if a juice fast is right for you, we might have the answer!
Fasting has been practiced for thousands of years both for spiritual and for health purposes. Throughout ancient times, abstinence from food was often undertaken primarily as a means of becoming more spiritually sound. In more recent times, the focus of fasts has shifted to curing certain diseases—ranging from severe mental illness to aggressive cancer. To have complete wellness, experts have come to realize there are different components of health: body, mind, and spirit. Each of these inseparable aspects must be carefully considered in order to thrive. A great benefit of fasting is it encourages both spiritual and physical wholeness at the same time.
Types of Fasts
Water-only Fast—Can be as long as 40 days. However, due to heavy and sudden detox (which may cause shock to the body), it is not recommended unless under close supervision of a medical professional.
-If the individual is fasting for the purpose of reaching or maintaining a healthy weight, consuming no calories during this period may—in the long run—be counterproductive. During the water-only fast, the body’s metabolism will slow significantly. Once the fast is concluded, it can take several months before the metabolic rate is back up at its peak level, and this will ultimately lead to weight gain rather than loss. The same principle applies when a person consumes little or no food and they wonder why it’s still difficult to shed the extra pounds.
Juice fasts, however, provide a safer and just-as-effective means of rapid cleansing and detoxification. For those who are new to fasting, it provides all the benefits at a much gentler level. Energy will still be consumed, but in the form of liquid, less strain will be placed on the digestive system—giving both organs and tissues a chance to rest and repair. In addition, fresh-pressed or raw juices are bursting with antioxidants that will assist the healing process and nourish new cells.
Should I Do a Juice Fast?
Almost anyone can benefit from doing a juice fast. Unless a certain medical condition prevents it, something as simple as a juice-fast can do wonders to promote health and longevity.
The world we live in today is not the same as it was several hundred years ago. Daily, we are exposed to pollution, toxins, and chemicals—not to mention food additives and preservatives. The kidneys, liver, and digestive system are forced to go into overdrive while working to eliminate these harmful substances. If not dealt with, maintaining normal, healthy detoxification becomes a challenge. Sluggish detoxification will ultimately result in disease, as free radicals begin to invade.
Fasting will help evict the villainous free radicals that come in through lifestyle, food, or environment. During a juice fast, the body is energized with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, these will assist the body in restoration to its normal processes. Because the key nutrients are extracted straight from the source, they will also be more bioavailable. Again, getting so many power-packed nutrients in liquid form makes them easier to absorb in the intestine, while also giving the digestive track a break.
What to Expect
Brief juice fasting (1–3) days every month can be an excellent preventative against many illnesses. Some additional benefits include but aren’t limited to:
- Glowing youthful skin. Juice fasting reduces acne and redness, and minimizes and reverses premature aging.
- Helps get the digestive tract “Back on track.” By having a chance to rest and heal, you may find drastic improvement from IBS or constipation.
- Increased energy and stamina
- Heighted ability to concentrate and less “mental fog”
- Clear, radiant eyes
All the benefits of fasting may seem too good to be true. Conventional remedies for the above list are expensive and time consuming, and often, the root causes of the above maladies are not dealt with. Juice fasting is a less costly, more successful means of attaining life-long results.
But the results don’t come without a certain degree of discomfort. While juice fasting will put you on the quick route to healing, the die-off symptoms are usually unavoidable. During the first few days of your fast (day 1 and 2 especially), you may notice increased facial redness/acne, fatigue, general weakness, mental fogginess, or muscle soreness. This can be discouraging—especially because the ultimate purpose of the fast is to resolve these very issues. The key is not becoming discouraged too quickly.
- Ease into the fast with small light meals in combination with fresh juice, if need be
- Get plenty of rest—don’t overexert physically or mentally
- Take relaxing walks and get plenty of fresh air
- Be sure to drink plenty of fluid and purified water – this will help cleanse the lymphatic system
Be encouraged. The benefits greatly exceed the short-term die-off effects. This spring, why not give juice fasting a try as a step towards long-term inner renewal and healing?
