A juice diet, or juice fast, consists of a generalized fasting regimen in which all solid foods are eliminated for a specific period of time from the diet in order to purge the body of accumulated wastes and toxins. Although there are a variety of different disciplines and types of diets that fall within the juice diet category, a typical juice diet consists of consuming nothing more than water and various kinds of vegetable and fruit juices for a specific and set length of time. The reasons for embarking upon a juice diet are many and can include religious fasting and eliminating overall toxic waste.
Juice diets are not intended to be a long-term solution to health, but as a supplement to encourage the natural healing process of the body into action. Most juice diets are not used primarily for weight loss goals, although weight loss is typical due to the reduced amount of calories consumed during the fast. Juice diets are typically anywhere from one to ten days in duration.
Various juices can be used when embarking upon a cleansing fast and can include virtually any vegetable or fruit that can be juiced. Vegetables and fruits used for the fast usually should be 100 percent natural and organic. Prepared commercial juice blends that contain sugar, water, and other additives usually are not to be used during the fasting period.
Proponents of the juice diet attest that the diet is a healthful and natural way to temporarily eliminate stress on the body from the digestion of food while allowing the body to rid itself from wastes in order to more naturally heal itself. Opponents of juice fasting aver that because fruit and vegetable juices are an extremely concentrated form of the natural, whole food, the body is forced to work harder at processing and digestion. As well, any weight that is lost during a juice diet typically tends to be regained after solid foods are reintroduced into the daily regimen.
When embarking on a juice diet, it can be important for a person to start slowly and incorporate both vegetable juices and fruit juices into the equation. Plenty of water should also be consumed in order to encourage the body to flush out toxins. Headaches and body aches are often said to be common symptoms of embarking upon the juice diet, and are generally blamed on the toxins and wastes being eliminated from the body in what is generally termed as a cleansing crisis, and are temporary in nature.