Going on a juice fast is a decision most people make annually, and it’s getting more and more popular. Of course, it’s not just about shedding a few pounds, and there are setbacks to watch out for. What is it exactly? How long does it last? When should someone do it? Is it worth it? These are just a few questions asked when thinking about starting a juice fast, and this article is here to help.
First of all, what is a juice cleanse?
A juice cleanse is a type of temporary diet that helps to balance a person’s digestive system. While packing a person’s body with vitamins, water, and natural sugars, it also helps clean their digestive system, therefore they’ll be able to digest easily and quickly.
This results in a decent weight loss, which is why most people do the cleanse for exactly this reason. But the main positive of a juice cleanse is to literally clean someone’s body and basically reboot their system. And it helps that it can easily be implemented into any type of routine, even for those who spend their lives in an office.
Most experienced people start a juice fast in late spring or early summer. It’s easiest to start at this time because we’re usually motivated to move more and lose weight because of winter, and this is the time every store is full of fresh, local fruits and veggies. And not the boring apples and oranges, but the pineapples, raspberries, and so on. It’s definitely not recommended to start a juice fast in winter.
First of all, that is the time we instinctively eat more, because of the cold weather and energy loss. And because of this need for more calories, a juice fast will not be able to satisfy our system, and that can be unhealthy.
Having said that, let’s talk about how long one should be on a juice fast. Most ordinary people think a diet needs to be hard and requires discipline. This can be taken too seriously, and people can follow a diet to a fault. Everybody is different, and each person’s needs vary.
Generally, a juice fast should take no longer than 10 days. But for those who are inexperienced, it’s not recommended to push the limits, and experienced people who do a cleanse each year can live off juice for more than two weeks straight. It’s really up to everyone’s body, and everyone should be able to stop whenever they feel like it.
When is it effective though?
This is also up to the body type, but a juice cleanse can have massive results after only 3 days. Of course, these will not be external results necessarily, but for someone to cleanse their digestive system, a few days is enough. For a vitamin boost and visible weight loss, it’s recommended to take on ten days. But because the weight loss is because of faster digestion, this weight will not stay off and is not a permanent thing. For long-term weight loss, this is just the first step of many.
And finally, how is it most effective?
To bring the most out of what a juice fast starts (which is a healthy and fast metabolism), people have to keep up maintenance. After someone cleans the room, they don’t throw a massive house party as a celebration. They look after the order they’ve just created with lots of work. That’s exactly what this requires also.
Don’t celebrate by attacking your digestive system. A lot of people do a juice fast before going on a raw vegan diet for weeks and slowly bring more and more calories into their system. Other people continue fasting with a small lunch and make it bigger every week.
The length, the method, and the “aftercare” are all up to each individual. The most important thing to understand is to listen to your body, and never do anything to it that is too much. And if you choose to go on an extreme diet like this cleanse is, think about the results, and upkeep, so all your hard work doesn’t get thrown out the window. These types of cleansing diets are a great way to kickstart the spring season, and awaken your system after winter hibernation.
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