The Facts And Figures On Juice Cleansing

A juice cleanse can be a healthful way to rid the body of built up toxins and restore the proper balance of nutrients. In essence, it is a material way of wiping the slate clean and starting your body on a new path toward good health. It can have a positive effect psychologically as well as physically but it is not without its risks, so it is important to understand the process and proceed with caution.

What exactly is a cleansing fast? As the name suggests, it is a period of time, usually one to three days but sometimes longer, when you put nothing into your body but one particular food or drink. In the case of juice fasting, the staple of nutrition is fruit and vegetable juice. By avoiding all other food and drink, you allow your body to divest itself of all excess substances.

Individuals undertake a juice cleanse for many different reasons. It can be a good form of detoxification, helping you to break the bonds of addiction to alcohol or nicotine. It can be a quick and effective form of weight loss for those who need to shed pounds. And it has even been found to help in some healing processes, allowing the body to focus better on reducing pain or battling depression.

Of course, depriving your body of all other sources of nutrients is a drastic step to take and shouldn’t be attempted by everyone. Pregnant women need extra nutrients to help in the development of the fetus so fasting of any kind is never recommended during pregnancy. Also, those who have weaker constitutions to begin with, such as children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses, should avoid fasting.

A cleansing fast, while providing positive results in terms of overall health, can also have some uncomfortable and potentially serious side effects. Headache, dehydration, loss of electrolytes, bad breath and body odor can all occur depending on the individual. If there is any serious sign of illness while undergoing a fast, you should consult your doctor immediately.

Because fresh fruits and vegetables contain so many of the vital nutrients, fruit juice and raw vegetables are good basic building blocks for a cleanse. In order to get the most out of a fruit and vegetable based cleanse, it is important that you use only organic produce, and pay particular attention to green, leafy vegetables as they are among the most healthful.

A typical juice cleanse lasts for about three days and should begin gradually, with the systematic reduction of both food and toxic substances such as alcohol, nicotine and tobacco. These toxins should be cut out first, usually 7 days before the fast itself starts, then cut out meat and dairy in the last few days before beginning the cleanse. This will help lessen the shock to the body.

After the cleanse is over, you should gradually reintroduce other foods, again to minimize any shock to your system. Eventually, you should be able to return to eating a full, balanced diet but with a sharper awareness of what your body requires. Done correctly, juice cleansing can leave you feeling refreshed, revitalized and ready to face whatever life has in store for you!

For more facts and figures on a healthy detox take a look at juice cleansing and find additional information by reading about cleansing fast.