Juice Fasting 101

Posted March 16th, 2010 by noelle | View Comments

So you want to do a juice fast. But you’re a little confused, right? No doubt, there is a ton of confusing and often incomplete information out there.

Listen, I understand, I’ve been there. Below is a summary I put together around juice fasting. It will help you sort through all of your questions. It is the “one stop” source for information on juice fasting I wish I had in the beginning!

I also encourage you to take a look at my recommended juice fast reading list – it is a collection of some of my favorite juice fasting resources.

And for all of you looking for some super deep cleansing, (you know the kind…the cleansing that involves scrapping out the crud that is weighing you and your energy levels down and enabling cellulite to rear its ugly head) please contact one of these amazing detox counselors. They are all terrific.

Eat clean and eat less going into a juice fast

For best results and a more enjoyable experience – eat clean and eat less going into a juice fast.”

Meat, dairy, alcohol, candy and your carb obsession should ideally be reduced and slowly replaced with lighter fare. “Clean” and light eating is the focus here over dense, processed foods.

Take a look at this Sample Menu: What to eat to prepare for a juice fast, as you think about getting started with your juice fast.
Do a juice fast that takes your diet history into account

If you are coming from a history of heavy eating and processed foods, for instance, a 5 day juice fast could actually be more of a setback than a boost to you by awakening sleeping toxins and poisons too quickly.

Do this: Consider a modified juice fast or a series of “mini fasts”. Even one day on ‘just juice’ can be a lot if you’re not ready. Be patient with yourself and the detoxification process. A modified or mini juice fast would involve juicing until lunch or juicing until dinner. It could even involve cutting out a late night snack and/ or incorporating a green smoothie or fresh pressed juice for breakfast.
A short 2-3 day fast is a good place to start

Most people who are looking to do something healthy for themselves will do a series of mini juice fasts, and then build up to a one, two or three day juice fast.

And if you do the right preparation, a short two to three day juice fast is actually a great place for first time juicers to start.
What to expect during a juice fast

Everyone responds to detoxification differently, depending on the level of toxicity in the body. Even veteran fasters, and clean eaters will often experience a hurdle in the first few hours or days of a juice fast.
How to break a juice fast

While you will lose weight during a juice fast, you will regain it very quickly if you don’t adjust to the “re-feeding” period appropriately.

Take a look at this Sample Menu: What to eat to break your juice fast, as you think about the wind down portion of your juice fast. Green smoothies are an easy, satisfying drink to incorporate into your post fast.
Where to get your juice for a juice fast

If you have a juicer and are feeling ambitious, you can always make your own juice. If you want something a bit more structured, check out my favorite mail-order juice program based here in NYC, The Blueprint Cleanse.
Green based juices are best for juice fasts

During detoxification, and in this case juice fasting, green-based, pressed vegetable juices are best.

Green veggie based juices (and green smoothies) are packed with chlorophyll (which is “sunshine” in a green form that is purifying and healing to our bodies), antioxidants, and good-for-your-blood nutrients for superior health and energy.
Plan to drink 4 – 5 16 oz bottles of juice a day on a juice fast

Typically, when juice fasting, most women that I know feel good with four to five 16 oz bottles of fresh vegetable juice a day complimented with lemon water and herbal tea.
Water, herbal teas and potassium broth are also great compliments to a juice fast

In between vegetable juices, if you are looking to keep your mouth busy…try sipping on some water with lemon or herbal tea with lemon. If you have a sweet tooth, add a little pure honey, or agave nectar. The more natural the sweetener, the better.

Fresh potassium broth is also a nice addition to your fast in the colder months. It’s especially nice first thing in the morning as a substitute for a green juice. Check out a great potassium broth recipe from the popular Kripalu Yoga Center in the Berkshires. Thank you to the team at American Yogini for publishing it!
It is possible to lose weight (and keep it off) with a juice fast

During a juice fast expect to lose a lot of water weight first. Then work to keep it off by eating clean. If you go back to your normal diet of white breads, sweets, sodas, and other processed foods after the juice fast, expect to regain any weight lost.
Movement is good during a juice fast

Do what feels good when it comes to exercise during your juice fast! You probably won’t be running a marathon, but you can and should continue to move!

Consider a walk or a bike ride with a friend at sunset. Yoga always feels amazing too – and there are so many wonderful variations today to choose from.
What to eat if you need to cheat on a juice fast

If you need to “cheat” during your juice fast – don’t worry your attempts at being healthy and/or losing weight won’t be sabotaged. Sometimes a few slices of carrot, cucumber, string beans or celery, or a few slices of an avocado can be all you need to take you through a day. The avocado is my personal favorite! It’s so creamy and satisfying. A little raw food helps slow down the headachy, need-for-food symptoms of the cleanse. Why you ask? It shifts the body’s energy from detoxification to digestion (which requires A LOT of energy!).
Is there a perfect time to cleanse?

A cleansing juice fast is always a nice “reset” after a period of overindulgence. Of just whenever you feel like you need a pick me up.

Veteran juice fasters also love to do a juice fast during a change of seasons as a great way to shed accumulated toxins and boost the body’s natural detoxification system.

If you want a personalized assessment of your “perfect” time to cleanse, you can email the team at American Yogini here. For those of you not familiar with American Yogini, they offer a wonderful, supervised juice fasting oasis just outside New York City on the North Fork of Long Island, New York.