Today, Americans consume a much higher amount of food compared to several hundred years ago. In addition to the ease of access, much of the “food” consumed in Westernized cultures is artificial and extensively manufactured.

The result of this shift in diet (from whole, natural foods to more man-made, chemically induced foods) is source-disputed disease and widespread obesity. The prevalence of these major concerns alone is enough to promote and practice more nutritious dieting behaviors. 

Juice fasting is a healthy discipline that is often overlooked, and unbeknownst, in Western cultures. Unlike traditional water fasting, juice fasting allows the body to absorb a high amount of nutrients without the risks of malnutrition. This offers a safe and healthy method for short and longer-term fasting, which promotes optimal health in many ways.

Healing Benefits of Juice Fasting

So what does juice fasting do to our bodies that makes the practice so powerful?

In essence, any form of fasting “gives the stomach a rest” from having to break-down the foods we eat. With respect to our volume consumption society, that reason alone is enough to give juice fasting a 24-hour trial. However, there is more to juice fasting than a time-out for one of our most vital organs.

The stomach requires a fair amount of blood to break-down the solid foods we eat. Hence the explanation of why we get tired after we eat a large meal – blood flows away from our brains and into our stomachs. During a fast, the lack of blood needed for the stomach to its job is a significant reserve. The availability of more blood brings more life and healing power to other parts of the body. This leads to deeper restoration and healing to certain ailments.

Juice Fasting for Weight Loss

Juice fasting for weight loss is one of the healthiest forms of calorie restriction. In addition to consuming less and more nutritious calories, when the stomach is on reserve, food cravings and the temptation for sweets is much more controllable.

As the stomach expands and contracts meal after meal, our minds are triggered to know when it is time to eat and when we are full. During the contraction phase, or when or stomach begins to reduce in size hours after eating, we feel a growing sense of hunger. However during a juice fast, the stomach remains at a semi-consistent size. This makes the onset of hunger less extreme. In addition, this also helps to reduce the intense cravings we may experience several hours after not eating (which can often lead to over eating.)

So Why Not Juice Fast?

When you take a look back to our Paleolithic ancestors, they would go days, sometimes weeks without eating. Only for the past few hundred years have humans become accustomed to eating regular meals throughout the day. And even more so today, humans are eating foods that are unrecognizable to our “still Paleo bodies.”

Juice fasting is a healthy way to rejuvenate and restore ourselves. Not only as a common method for physical detoxification and healing, juice fasting can help us appreciate and respect what we put into our bodies.

A Few Juice Fasting Tips:

• Start and end you juice fast with a raw food diet a few days prior and after the fast.
• Don’t chew gum, for this sends signals to the stomach to start working – thus defeating the purpose of the fast.
• Drink a variety of juices. If vegetable juices are undesirable, try overpowering the flavors with something sweeter (e.g. pineapple juice helps to override the flavor of broccoli juice.)
• While juice fasting, go about your day in the same manner you normally would.
• Take in the moment. Juice fasting is an uplifting experience that helps you get more in-touch with your body and mind.

Juicing fasting is one of the best things you can do for your body. Whether for weight loss, detoxification, healing, or spiritual reasons, the advantageous of juice fasting can help both physically and mentally.

Biological Benefits

The biological benefits behind juicing fasting are simple. When the stomach is not forced to breakdown solid foods, it doesn't have to work as hard. As a result, the large amount of blood the usually flows to our stomachs when we eat can remain in other vital parts of the body.

This reserve of blood can go deeper into areas of the body that need it most. This also explains why when people fast, they have a feeling of being "high" or a experience a tingling sensation. That is the feeling of blood making its way further into the body.

In addition, juicing is one the best ways to extract all the nutrients from fruits and vegetables. When foods are consumed in their purest form, such as juice, the body can absorb almost all of the nutrients available.

On the other hand, when fruits and vegetables are consumed in solid form, only about 70% of all nutrients can be absorbed, depending on how well the person chews and the efficacy of his or her digestive track.

Mental Benefits

Taking a look back to our Paleo ancestors, they went days, sometimes weeks without eating. Since that time, our bodies have not evolved all that much.

For many individuals and cultures, taking a break from solid foods is a perfectly natural practice. Modern society has shaped us to think that we need at least 3 meals a day to stay healthy and well. And yet modern society has never been more polluted.

Fasting from food can rejuvenate one's perspective on healthy eating and offer a new appreciation for food. Juice fasting is safe way to restore one's mindset and better control one's habits. It can extend beyond our diets and offer great sense of self-awareness that can extend into many aspects of our lives.

Tips For Juice Fasting

If you are thinking about a juice fast, there are few things you will want to keep in mind. Below we offer the basics to beginning your juice fast:

• Juice fasting is more than just a temporary change in diet. Think of fasting as a journey to a better you for the long-term.
• Before juice fasting, eat a primarily raw food diet 5-7 days before. Focus on high fiber foods that will help clean your digestive track.
• While fasting, consume a wide variety of juices to maximize the nutritional value of your food. Try to include leafy greens, or other vegetables that you wouldn't normally think of.
• Mask the earthy flavors of vegetable-based juices with sweet fruit juices for better taste (e.g. Cover up Kale with Pineapple, Broccoli with Lemon.)
• Do not chew gum or suck on candy while fasting. Jaw movement alone can stimulate blood flow to the stomach, which is counterproductive.
• Breaking your fast is probably the most important part of the process. Just like before fasting, eat raw foods in very small, snack-like doses. Chew your food well and only eat until you feel full, which shouldn't be much.
• Transition into regular eating slowly. It is recommended to stay on the raw food diet for few days before jumping back into cooked foods.

We hope you appreciate this information and will explore the power of juice fasting for yourself. Thanks for visiting the Health n' Wellness Blog!