5 Day Juice Cleanse/Fast

A Juice Cleanse/Fast is a fasting process and a detox practice in which you only drink fruit and vegetable juices to get the nutrition and benefits. This is considered a form of the Live Foods Diet. These fasts may can go on from a few days to months. This type of juice can only be produced by using a power juicer. The idea around this fast is to lose weight, clean the liver, kidneys, other organs, and remove impurities in the body.

So hi....! First I must say that since the juice fast can effect your health and well being, you should always consult with your doctor before proceeding with this method. I am NOT a medical professional.

I am professional librarian (who did his research) that wanted to cleanse my organs, lose a bit of weight, and gain some confidence by changing some of my lifestyles. I'm a 32 year old man, with a medium build. My healthy weight range is between 155 - 165 pounds. I'm a moderate alcohol drinker, and am around 15 pounds over weight.

• Exposure to pure vitamins and antioxidants
• Cleaning of the body's internal organs
• The removal of toxins from processed foods
• The removal of alcohol from lifestyle
• The removal of caffeine from lifestyle
• The removal of salt from lifestyle
• Confidence gained from healthy routine and will power
• Weight Loss
• Healthy Glow in Skin

• Conflicting information from doctors and nutritionists as to its effectiveness
• The cost
• Buying the veggies and fruits
• The time it takes to prepare the juice
• The clean up
• Hunger pangs
• The removal of alcohol from lifestyle
• The removal of salt from lifestyle
• The removal of caffeine from lifestyle
• Bathroom changes
• Possible headache and fatigue
• Sleep problems
• Irritability

The juice fast is a very hard process on the body and even the mind. Fasting is something that most of us wouldn't even consider. It is a process us humans are not used to. The Juice Fast is not cheap and takes a lot to of effort to get started and maintain.

• A mid-range electric juicer (cost from $40 to $125) Your juicer needs to be the type that pulverizes the fruits and vegetables.
• A range of fresh fruits and vegetables, organic if possible (cost from $50 - $100)
• Decaffeinate Herbal teas for drinking in between meals (optional)
• Liver Detox Tea (3 boxes - cost $15)
• Large storage bags (gallon)
• Milk Thistle Pills (1 bottle 1000 mg - $6)
• Bag of Lemons (2 bags - $10)
• Will Power
• Old store plastic bags for pulp removal

This process is what I used, you can vary according to your needs.

• Drink 3 - 12oz glasses of juice a day
• After drinking each meal - Drink 2 - 12oz glasses of water with a half of a squeezed lemon in each glass (cleans the liver and gives the sense of being full)
• Take a Milk Thistle Pill with meal
• Drink a cup of Liver Detox tea in between meals
• Drink plenty of water through out the day
• Each glass of juice will contain roughly 250 - 400 calories

• Make sure vegetables and fruit are properly washed
• Buy produce every two days or every day
• If you can, try to buy organic vegetables and fruits. This is optional.
• Prepare a day's worth of raw materials ahead of time in gallon storage bags as a time saver. Cutting produce will cause a gradual decline of nutrient content. Best to prepare one day at a time.
• Juicing should be done and drank immediately after or very shortly after. Letting juice sit will cause a loss of nutrients. This might not be possible with work constraints. Optional - make juice ahead of time, definitely try make and drink immediately
• DO NOT put used pulp down garbage disposal - It can get clogged because of the fineness of the pulp. Use plastic grocery store bags to dispose after every use. Pulp will start to smell after a few hours
• Clean juicer after every use
• Drinking lemon water after every meal will help body feel full.
• Try not to weigh yourself. Base weight loss on look and fit of clothing
• Going #2....you know what I mean... will be tough with the loss of fiber and protein. Lemon water will help this. Otherwise take laxatives. #2-ing (new word) helps remove toxins from body
• Try to Start on a Monday and end on Friday, that way you can enjoy the weekend and get back to normal or semi normal lifestyle.

After the fast, I am feeling really good about myself. My pants and shirts are fitting like they should again. Lost about 6 lbs. I'm going to continue to try to eat healthy and cut down on caffeine, alcohol, and salt. But........must admit.....Had a Bloody Mary and cup of strong coffee right after on Day 6. It was a Saturday.....