In today's post, we will cover the topic of juice fasting! Juicing fasting has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years. This is because juice fasting is one of the top healing fasts you can do! Consuming only juices requires minimal digestion for the body to process and therefore, a lot of energy that would otherwise be used on digestion, is then conserved and used for healing. However, even though juice fasting is a very popular fast, I have seen it done incorrectly many times. There are some cases where I would not recommend juice fasting and other times when juice fasting is an absolute must to return health to the human body. This all depends upon the person, their strengths and weaknesses in their body, their health history and what they are wanting to heal. Today I will discuss my thoughts on juice fasting and when it is appropriate to juice fast when detoxing and healing the body.
Fruits and Greens: Whole vs. Juiced
First and foremost, let's tackle the opinion that juices are unnatural - while eating the whole fruits are. Juice fasting is very healing to the body. I know some people have differing views on juicing fruits and vegetables – argument being that it isn't natural and we should eat our fruits and veggies whole, but in my experience with helping my clients detox and heal, I will say that I am pro-juice fasting in most cases. As a society, we have all dug ourselves in a very deep hole. Our genetics are getting weaker and weaker with each passing generation. In this day and age, we are noticing more young people fall ill to severe health issues in their early 20s for instance – when their parents only started noticing these similar health issues in their 40's and 50's and their grandparents in their 60's and 70's! You see, each generation passes down their set of weaknesses to their offspring. These weaknesses and major congestion/toxicity in the body compiled then in turn creates the toughest cases to heal – I'm talking about beyond what just a change in diet to vegan or raw vegan would require to heal the body. It is these very cases with many weaknesses in which deep detoxification is required in order to heal the body, and tools like juice fasting and mono fruit fasting in particular must be used at certain points along with the raw food diet as a basis to clean out the body and regenerate the cells. Juicing – although unnatural to some – is therefore the only way some people can heal. By saving major energy on digestion, the body can then start to expel its many hidden wastes (such as mucus, parasites, fungus, heavy metals, neurotoxins, acidic residue, obstructions, sulfur and more). The simpler the diet is made in a person's healing protocol; the more healing can take place. This is a fact of nature and how the body works. This is why fasting (along with specific herbal formulas) is required at certain points during the detoxification process in order to heal.
The Juice Fasting "Detox" Misconception
Many people have the pre-conceived notion (most likely from the media - example: popular women's and health magazines and shows like Dr. Oz) that detox is something that can be done in about a week or a month to reset your body and then you have achieved detoxification. Nothing can be further from the truth! This is not what true detoxification is. Detoxing the entire body does not take a month. This time frame is not enough to detox and cleanse the miles and miles of lymphatic vessels in our body, the huge colon that has taken a beating from all of the acidic and mucus forming foods we have eaten in this life-time, the head and brain full of major congestion and neurotoxins, the obstructions lying deep within the tissues of all the organs in the body, the antibiotics we have taken every time we felt pain or an uncomfortable symptom and so much more. Think about it. All of these obstructions take consistent effort and time to be released and expectorated out of the body. A one-month juice fast would only scratch the surface. We have spent our entire lives eating the worst "foods" that humans can possibly consume. A majority of people have been eating cooked foods since day one – so the body has never even had a chance to begin eliminating wastes. What's more, many people have never even taken a conscious break from eating for even one meal - or even an entire day (not counting when we are feeling sick). The fact is, In a world of immediate satisfaction, many people are drawn to quick results and fast gratification – little do these people know that true results in any health endeavor - the ones that last and are there to stay - are only possible if the right level of balance is achieved and lifestyle changes are made in conjunction with their detox. It is my belief that detox has become a buzz word and has been misconstrued to be something that it is not. There are many people out there that believe they know what detox is but are just confused from the lies they have read about detox from the health "experts". This is why I feel that it is my duty to share the truth about detoxification with all of you to show should you how to truly heal - not simply just to feel a little better - temporarily - but to gain true healing of your entire body that will last you your entire lifetime!
When I do not recommend Juice fasting
I think many of you would be surprised to know that there are certain cases in which I do not recommend juice fasting. People coming from a Standard-American diet for instance - filled with meat and dairy should opt for a transitional diet of consuming more raw foods before jumping into something like a juice fast or any type of fast for that matter. That would be like going from 0 to 100 miles per hour in a second flat. The body will be shocked and start immediately purging toxins from all of its cells. The problem with this is that with all these toxins being released immediately, the kidneys (most likely not filtering) are unable to keep up with the amount of toxins being released. Thus, toxins are recirculated in the body and the person ends up feeling terrible! Unfortunately, so many people are introduced to the raw food world in this way - they start to detox in an unsafe way. Many never return back to raw foods because they associate juices with feeling terrible. On the other side, those that do end up having a good experience with juice fasting such as gaining more clarity and energy, losing unwanted fat and weight, and achieving clearer skin, sadly end up back to their old eating habits after their juice fast – only to have all of their weight and health issues return. This is because even though they detoxed their body somewhat during their juice fast, they go back to acidifying their body and creating mucus once again with a diet high in animal proteins, grains, dairy, processed foods and stimulants. Truly detoxifying the body to heal from health issues requires knowledge on how the body works during the detox process. Many also need to remember that a juice fast is not enough to correct health issues. Say someone has struggled with their weight for a long time - they may see a juice fast as a quick fix to lose a few pounds. While a juice fast may alkalize, hydrate the body and flush some acids out - it does not address the fact that this person has an adrenal gland weakness. Without addressing this weakness and regenerating this gland with herbs - they will never achieve long-term success. We must always address the root cause when healing the body of any issues.
There are cases that are extremely acidic in which I do not recommend juice fasting. For example - those that experience extreme edema should not juice fast. With edema, the kidneys and adrenal glands are extremely weak and the body is so highly acidic that the only method the body is using to buffer acids to protect surround tissues and cells is through water retention - known as edema. Juice fasting will result in these people holding onto water and they will experience unwanted swelling and water retention. In these cases - it is very important to support the kidneys, lymph system and various glands of the body in order to support the elimination of acids and achieve kidney filtration.
Another very important instance that I want to mention - Those with Lung Cancer should also not juice fast. I do not recommend juice fasts for those with lung cancer as the lungs are extremely acidic in these cases. Just like when someone experiences edema - the lungs can also fill up with water – known as pulmonary edema – and then the person would have to be pumped of this water at a hospital. This is risky during detox and I do not recommend someone take on this detoxification route alone without proper guidance and support from a knowledgeable and experienced detox specialist.
When I do Recommend Juice Fasting
Green Juices:
I have always found that fruit juices are more detoxifying than green juices. I have seen this when a client of mine introduces green juices into their diet when they have been solely on fruit for a while. Their detox actually begins to slow down with the introduction of any greens. This is because fruits and their juices are the most powerful at detoxing the body with their astringent factors - whereas greens lack this astringency. However, there are times when green juices are amazing and actually do save the day! Green juices can be used in the beginning of someone's detox to move them slowly towards releasing acids from the body. This is especially true if someone is highly acidic and congested from head to toe. A very common sign of high acidosis in the body is when someone is intolerant or allergic to certain fruits - most commonly things like citrus fruits, strawberries, mangoes and such. I have seen certain cases in which some people are so acidic and haven't eaten fruits in many years that they experience pain or allergic reactions when they begin eating fruits. This however is not the fruit itself that is at fault. This reaction is simply pointing to extreme toxicity in the body. The human species is a frugivorous species meant to thrive on natural raw fruits and simple sugars. Humans are supposed to get their healing and cleansing from the foods they eat each day. However, in someone with fruit allergies - it would be unwise to start them on fruits and fruit juices immediately - I would start the person on green juices to alkalize the body and to remove surface obstructions. After some time on green juices, then the person can be moved onto some fruits and fruit juices and they will find that they can tolerate them again!
Another Juice Case:
There are cases in which individuals are highly depleted, cannot digest and absorb anything anymore and are extremely sick with chronic or degenerative illnesses. In this case, juice fasting is one of the only ways to work these individuals out of pain and suffering through detoxification. It is a much better and more natural way for them to consume their nutrition and calories rather than the alternative – drinking ensure drinks filled with dairy products, hydrogenated oils, chemicals, and processed sugars. I call this drink the acidifier (as well as mucus former)! Sadly, there are so many people in this very situation in hospitals or bed ridden in their homes that feel as if they are stuck with their illness. These are people with extreme malabsorption and are kept in the dark by the medical industry as to why they have these health issues. As a detox specialist I have worked with many people like this and have worked them back to health, consistent energy, gaining healthy weight, and making nutritional deficiencies a thing of the past. When someone's digestion, absorption, utilization and elimination is so weak that they can no longer eat solid foods - this is where detoxifying their body with juices is the saving grace to healing their body. This is the way to bring astringency and pulling on the lymph system and mucus out of the body and colon so that the cells and tissues of the Gi Tract can begin to regenerate and build healthy and functioning tissue once again.
The Best Types of Juice Fasts
I have been involved in the natural health world as a healer for an entire decade now. I have seen what people juice fasting typically fast on - and I must say - although it is healthier than what they were consuming before – there are quite a few things I would advise doing differently. First is the mixing and juicing of too many ingredients. Here is an example of a juice that I would not recommend - (Kale, Broccoli, Orange, Banana, Carrots, and Wheat Grass) Not only does a juice like this confuse the body (with its many various ingredients), it also does not follow proper food combining rules! Combining fruits with greens and/or citrus fruits with sweet fruits like bananas is a big no no since these foods have completely different digestion times! This juice would create gas and fermentation in the body as well as improper absorption and utilization. This particular juice combination is also lacking in the true healers – fruits – for true power to move the lymph system! For example - carrots are starchy and not good detoxifiers of the body. I have seen combinations like these that people new to juicing concoct - and it is unfortunate because often times these juices taste terrible! Remember - Great taste is found in simplicity. Great health and healing is also found in simplicity! Of course, you can mix it up and enjoy your foods a little more creatively every once in a while, but this is when balance in one's diet should come into play. Balance in detox and in health in general is the key to long term success and true healing!
In conclusion, the type of fast you should do should always be based on your particular set of weaknesses and what health issues you are trying to heal. This is why I highly recommend working with a detox specialist to make sure that you are detoxing the right way in order to be on the right path to truly healing. Take cancer or tumors for example, I would recommend a grape juice fast as the most powerful cleanser of the body to heal from cancers and tumors because it is the most powerful at busting stagnation of lymphatic system open! You can read my article on how to Heal Breast Tumors and Cancer on my website where I discuss the protocol for this.
Until next time,
Happy Healing!
-Ailin Duran D.S.
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