What is juice cleansing?
A cleanse if basically a type of fast. The idea of fasting has been around for centuries with accounts recording people fasting for generations in every culture.
Juice cleansing, unlike pure fasting, is much easier to do. Going without food for days on end can be tricky in our society where so much is expected of us.
Replacing meals with juices gives your digestive system a break and your body a huge boost in easily absorbed nutrients.
You could think of juice fasting like a holiday. We all feel the benefits of a good break and so do our digestive systems.
What happens when you fast?
When we eat our body uses energy from food as fuel. If it’s not needed the energy is stored for later use. A few hours after eating (usually around 5-6 hrs) the body enters a post absorptive phase, this is when we use the energy stored in the liver to provide fuel.
Once all the energy stored in the liver has been used up, fat is then mobilised and used for fuel. This is how we lose weight. The time it takes to mobilise fats varies person to person, but it usually takes 12 or more hours depending on metabolism and energy expended on exercise. This phase is when the beneficial effects of a cleanse occur.
What's intermittent fasting?
We all practice intermittent fasting during our sleep hours.
Time when we sleep counts as fasting. Intermittent means time when you eat and times when you don’t. It is now thought best practise to give your body a full 12 hours of not eating. So if you go to sleep at 11pm you shouldn’t eat before 11am the following day. This gives your digestion a chance to have fully completed its job. Most of us over eat and load up the body before it has had time to digest the previous meal. This leads to a sluggish digestion, bloating, pain, constipation and tiredness.
Intermittent fasting is more of a calorie restricted diet than a fast. But it does have its benefits.
Benefits of juice fasting
1. Weight management
2. Cleanses your body of toxins
3. Reduces inflammation
4. Reduces blood pressure
5. Increases insulin sensitivity
6. Improves blood sugar levels
7. Elevates ketones levels in the blood
8. Supports your gut health
Weight management
Obesity is on the rise. It is thought that 60% of the population is over weight.
Obesity is linked with all western disease, diabetes,heart disease, cancer and now even Covid-19.
A reduction of weight is paramount to good health. Maintaining an optimal weight reduces the risks of disease and paves the way for better overall health.
Browse my bespoke juice cleanses here
