It’s hot and you are at your lethargic best. Your feel your muscles hanging in folds. You feel fat. You are looking for a pick me up that would get you moving and bring back the freshness. Well, we recommend fasting. Before you shake your head in negation, try this. Popularly known as juicing, it is a diet practice where you drink freshly made fruit and vegetable juices for one or two days. This allows your digestive systems to rest and the enzymes in the intestines to remove deep embedded toxins from the body.
Juices Eliminate
Since juices require no digestion and are easily assimilated, our digestive system gets a much-needed rest. Meanwhile, the body burns up and excretes huge amounts of accumulated wastes. So when you drink alkaline fruit, and vegetable juices, and potassium broth, the whole system goes through a process of healing. The natural sugars in the fruit juice strengthen the heart. They also assist in cellular regeneration. Minerals are increased within the tissues. In fact this also has a very good impact on the condition of our skin.
Fasting Right
Dr Honey Khanna, Sr Dietician, Max Hospital Pitampura, New Delhi, says “A juice fast to be done only for one to two days in 15 days. A longer fast requires medical supervision and possibly monitoring to ensure that fasting does not cause nutrient deficiencies.”
The best time for juicing is during the warmer months when the metabolism can get sluggish. “Seven or more days before the fast, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, dairy, wheat, animal meat, fish, and eggs need to be reduced or eliminated from the diet. This preparation diet often consists mainly of organic fruits, vegetables, and beans,” adds Dr Khanna.
Along with the fruit and vegetable juices, drink about six glasses of room temperature or warm filtered water. Try to pick organic fruits and vegetables. “If organic produce isn’t available, make sure to peel the skin off fruits and vegetables or washing vegetables thoroughly. Try to drink freshly prepared juice and go for fruit and vegetable combinations for maximum benefit,” explains Dr Khanna.
Don’t Fast If…
You are pregnant or nursing. People with diabetes, low blood sugar, eating disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, malnutrition, addictions, anemia, impaired immune function, infection, nutritional deficiency, low blood pressure, ulcerative colitis, cancer, terminal illness, epilepsy, or other chronic conditions shouldn’t try a juice fast or should do so only under strict medical supervision. Don’t try a juice fast before or after surgical procedures. Avoid fasting if you are on medication since juice fasting can reduce blood proteins and change the way prescription drugs react in the body.
Possible Side Effects
There are no specific side effects associated exclusively with juice fasting, though certain medical conditions such as diabetes may be aggravated by excessive intake of certain juices. When fasting for more than two days take care to maintain your intake of vitamins and nutrients. It’s also possible for a juice such as grapefruit to interact badly with certain prescription drugs. Additionally, the juices from highly acidic fruits such as tomato and citrus juices can conceivably upset the body’s natural acid-base balance. Common temporary side effects of a juice fast include headaches, tiredness, hypoglycaemia, constipation, acne, increased body odour, and bad breath.
When done over a longer period you can suffer from fainting spells, dizziness, low blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, vomiting, and diarrhea. If these side effects occur, there is a worsening of symptoms, or new symptoms appear, the fast should be discontinued and it should prompt an immediate visit to a qualified health professional.
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