A real fast doesn’t normally include any kind of sustenance or beverages aside from just water. However, after many years of fasting and coaching others, I cannot deny just how immensely powerful it is to fast with fruit and vegetable juices. At first I opposed juice fasting because I considered myself a “purist.”

But, a little older now (and wiser I hope!), I see that nature has immense healing and restorative powers that cannot be denied, and juice fasting - in my opinion - is one of the most direct ways in which to harness this miracle. The juices provide nutrition which hasten the body’s excretion of toxins, as well as tissue repair. Indeed, fasting with fruit and veggie juices is very powerful and can help you to notably improve your health, as well as lose weight quickly.

Beyond weight loss, however, I always like to emphasize the power of body cleansing. Fasting causes the body to switch to “survival” mode, meaning that it starts to tap on stored fat in order to provide energy needs.

Since the worst of the toxins from the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat are stored inside fat cells, this survival mode - known as ketosis – causes the toxins to be released into the blood stream. The result is what can be mild to severe detox symptoms. These last anywhere from nine to 21 days, depending on your body makeup and state of health. Juice fasting helps to facilitate this process because the abundant nutrients in raw fresh juices help the body to more effectively process and expel these poisons.

Fasting enables the digestive system get some rest and so the extra energy can be utilized to eliminate toxins. The body metabolises its tissue to supply the energy usually produced from solid foods.

However, and miraculously, the body will only consume the unhealthy, fragile cells, NOT the healthy ones. It is for this reason that fasting frequently for a week to 14 days (at least once annually), can help keep you healthy, clean and lean. This, of course, depends largely on what you eat when you aren’t fasting. You STILL must become willing to make PERMANENT eating-habit changes once the fast is over. Here are juice fasting pointers you should be aware of:

* Don’t use anything except raw organic produce to prevent any kind of chemical deposits which could remain. However, if organic is at present beyond your budget, or if you simply do not have access to it where you live, then it is imperative that you wash and scrub the fruits and vegetables throughly before juicing. I recommend that you purchase a hand scrubbing brush especially for this purpose.

* Utilize a non-centrifugal juicer so that you can protect the live nutrients in the juice. An entire argument could be presented both in favor and against this and that type of juicer. I honestly do not make a huge deal of it. In an optimum circumstance, purchase the non-centrifugal. If you cannot find one where you live, just get the very best that you can. It is better to start doing something right away than to continue to procrastinate, don’t you think?

Sidebar: What’s the big deal about juicers anyways? Well, non-centrifugal juicers generate less heat and therefore do not threaten the nutrients in the juice which can be destroyed by high temperatures. In addition, some schools of thought indicate that these life-giving nutrients actually are sucked into the bloodstream through the esophagus prior to reaching the digestive system. There is no proof to this argument, but it certainly is a very interesting supposition.

* Help your body out through the detox process and go out for regular walks or cycling… any type of low-impact exercise would be great. Spend plenty of time taking deep breaths and visualize clean air going in and black toxic stuff being eliminated as you exhale.

The more calories you burn each day, the faster the body can process and be rid of the toxins that cause all of the uncomfortable cravings and detox symptoms. But I said “low intensity.” Biking a few miles is fine… but NOT a twenty or thirty mile hike please! If you jog, do it slowly and stop the moment you start to feel light-headed. Low impact, low impact, low impact… oh, did I tell you: low impact!

* Consume the juice as quickly as possible after you prepare it. You can plausibly stretch a juice’s lifespan to as much as three – even four days if you agitate it frequently, keep it in an airtight jar and cover the jar or jug with aluminum foil to shield the juice from all light. Many times I have been juice fasting for long periods of time and simply do not have the time to be juicing every day. So I prepare up to one gallon of juice at a time and then protect it like a newborn baby!

* Raw fruit and veggie juices possess alkaline nutrients that help the body to more effectively counteract toxic/acid waste generated by the water we drink, air we breathe and food we eat – in addition to a variety of environmental toxins..

* Lots of poisons tend to be expelled via the pores and skin during detoxification. Spending at least ten minutes each day “brushing” your skin helps a lot to get those pores actively eliminating toxic residue. Just make sure that you do not use a brush that is too harsh and can break your skin.

The whole point is to “hel” your skin, NOT mangle it! Shower when you are finished. If you have access to a sauna, use it daily for ten to fifteen minutes to further stimulate the excretion of toxins through the skin.

* You can drink as many as 7 eight-ounce glasses of juice daily, but no more. Make sure to drink at least half a gallon of water also. When hunger and/or detox symptoms hit you, try drinking a seltzer/sparkling water or a cup of green tea for some added pep. I usually drink the seltzer water two or three times daily if I am struggling with hunger.

Green tea (preferably decaffeinated) usually helps a lot at those “hump” times of the day when you feel yourself dragging. You ought not, however, drink green tea at night as it may keep you up. If you drink anything in the evening, try chamomille tea instead. It is very soothing and will help you settle in for the night.

* You should always break the fast slowly. Spend various days re-introducing solid food to the digestive system. Anything raw is usually best and is most easily digested. A huge steak two days after fasting is not a good idea.

Neither is a cheeseburger or any of that other trash that got you sick and overweight in the first place. NOW is a perfect time for you to take stock of your eating habits and become willing to make some PERMANENT changes. Otherwise you will simply end up back where you started, eventually.

For those who have chronic conditions such as cancer and/or diabetes (among others) or are underweight or with child, I strongly encourage you to see your doctor and talk to him or her FIRST. Thanx for visiting Fitness Through Fasting. If I can be of service to you in any way, simply drop me a line!