Lose weight fast on the juice diet
WHETHER you’re sticking to green juices or going the smoothie direction by adding fruits, juicing has been proven to be a quick way to get those pounds under control. And with such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables on the market to choose from, once you go this route, it’s guaranteed that not only will you be thinner, but healthier as well.
“For the juice diet, you can either make juice a large part of your diet for the duration or eliminate other foods for a period — say three or four days — and do a juice purge,” workout developer Mesha-Gaye Wright said.
The juice diet is the perfect way to remove toxins/waste from the body — you’re eliminating many of the foods that lead to rapid weight gain, like fats, carbs, and sugars, and introducing natural elements that will fuel your body.
These vitamins and minerals provide an excellent means for maintaining optimum mental and physical health.
How much weight can you lose on this diet?
Wright pointed to the 2017 study, Health benefit of vegetable/fruit juice-based diet… by Henning et al and published online on Nature.com, which followed 20 healthy adults who consumed only vegetable/fruit juices for three days, followed by 14 days of their customary diet.
“On day four we observed a significant decrease in weight and body mass index, which was maintained until day 17,” the experts found.
During the three-day juice intervention a significant weight loss of two to three pounds was observed. After the two-week follow-up period, body weight remained decreased by some two pounds, compared to baseline weight. Body mass index also decreased after the three-day juice fast and remained decreased after the two-week follow-up period.
“What this shows is that this diet indeed works, but you have to be very aware of what nutrients you’re taking in, and what you’d be lacking so that you can find supplemental foods (like nuts for your protein) to blend in your juices,” she added.
She gives some tips below for making the most of your juice diet.
1) Note that, if you go on this diet, especially if you’re eliminating other foods, some essential nutrients may be missing from your diet. People on this diet will usually strain the juices, which means they may not get enough fibre. Also, you may not get enough protein from your juices. These two factors can lead to you not feeling full, and more cravings can develop.
2) Don’t just jump into it — start slowly and see how your body reacts. You may have issues with excess gas, for example, especially if you’re including veggies like broccoli or kale.
3) Vegetables like kale and spinach, which are rich in vitamin K and are used in green juicing, can interfere with some blood thinners, for example, Warfarin.
4) It is easier to drink than to eat, so it is very important that you watch your calories from juicing, as much as you do with eating regular foods. Fruit juices can be high in calories, so, as a rule of thumb, have more vegetables instead of fruits in your juices.
5) Because of the low sodium content in fruits and vegetables, a salt deficiency may develop, which can lead to headaches, weakness, light-headedness and nausea.
6) Your juices can be made more balanced in terms of protein, minerals and vitamins by adding almonds, milk, Greek yoghurt or flaxseed.
7) Don’t overdo it. Doing the juice cleanse for prolonged periods, with the excessive amounts of organic acids found in fruits and vegetables, can affect the kidneys. It can also significantly lower sugar levels and cause loose stool.
