“Juice Fasting Once a Week is Healthy”

“Taking one day a week and doing a 24 hour juice fast is healthy. It helps the body purge toxins, gives the digestive system a rest, and gives the immune system a break from constant stress… thus we become healthier.”

Here are a few reasons why doing a 24 hour juice fast is healthy.

When we are constantly eating solid food out GI tract never has abreak to recoup and restore itself. Taking a break and doing an organic veggie juice cleans helps the GI tract rest. And like any organ that is over used by constantly eating… the GI tract can benefit from not eating solid food once in a while.

Also there have been many studies showing that mice, rats, and even people live longer if they eat less. In fact there have been studies showing that those people who eat very little live much longer than other people. In fact the geneticist Frances Ashcroft says we would all be healthier if we would fast one day a week, And in would help get rid of diabetes, obesity , and other diseases. But at the same time just drinking water while fasting creates a process in the body where the liver is depleted of glucose. Glucose our energy source is important for keeping the our muscles from being used by the body as food to create more glucose. Thus doing a raw organic fruit and veggie juice fast and especially the green juices, once a week can create balance in the body and detox the body at the same time.

Every time we eat food and especially cooked food our body sees cooked food as an invader. And sends out white blood cells to fight off these invaders thus stressing our immune system. But when we do a raw fast with fresh organic veggie and fruit juices that doesn’t happen. Because raw organic juice is not seen as an invader… in fact it boosts our immune system.

A juice fast is also good for the brain. Studies show that those who drink juice on regular basis have a much lower chance of coming down with Alzheimer's disease. And when we juice we get all the nutrients of all the great veggies, plus we can pack in those 5 to 7 servings of green veggies that are important for keeping our immune system bright, vital, and working well. Studies also show that fasting can improve insulin sensitivity, thus reducing the possibility of diabetes.

Drinking organic veggie juice alkalizes our body, and this stops the process of creating acid in our system. Our natural buffering system works great until we get to be in our 30’s and 40’s. Then we start to become more and more acidic, which causes inflammation, which in turn brings about diseases such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, and even cancer. But drinking lots of green juices helps the body stay alkaline… thus keeping away disease in general.

And raw organic green juices contain biophotonic energy which comes from the absorption of light into plants. That energy ends up in the tissues of the plant and in the juice of fresh veggies… and that energy is used to create metabolic sequences in our body.

Plus when doing an organic veggie juice fast many experience better sleep. This may be a side effect of getting toxins out of the body including the liver. Fast food, cooked food, and none organic food all contains toxins that the liver has to detox, and those toxins take a toll on our tissues, and some of those toxins buildup and cause our brains to become sluggishly. Toxins hinder our ability to focus, impair our memory and our learning ability. Thus organic juice reboots the mind and brings about a vital outlook on life and a good mood. The best way to juice is with a juicer, but blending also works. But then again using a blender keeps all the fiber intact and thus the GI tract never really gets a rest from peristalsis and creating digestive enzymes for breaking down food.

Types of juices to drink: Drink lots of fresh organic green veggie juices, such as kale, collard greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, green bean leaves, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, and also add some carrots, celery, cucumbers, red beets, and a few other veggies work well. Plus a few simple fruit juices made from apples, oranges, pineapple, and other fresh organic fruits. Remember stick with as many green juices as possible.

Drink a large glass of green organic juice every 2 hours if not more often.Juicing is popular because it makes eating simple. Deciding what to eat, where to eat, how much to eat… can sometimes be hard to figure out. Juicing organic fruits and veggies one a week is simple, and it creates health and brings about a good mood.

But of course those who are diabetic, young children, and women who are pregnant should not fast. And if a person is taking medications they should check with their doctor. And if a person want’s to modify the 24 hour juice fast and have a hot meal at the end of the day… that’s also great and it works well for most people.

Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist