One-Day Juice Diet

A one-day juice diet or fast is a healthy choice to maintain your health, detoxify and strengthen your immune system. When you juice fast you help your digestive system absorb the highest amount of nutrients. The purpose is to "hit the reset button" on the body by giving the digestive system a rest and expel toxins. By juicing your body requires minimum energy for the digestive process and all nutrients and energy are directed toward healing and rejuvenation.

Basic Concepts

During a juice fast you don't eat anything and you don't drink any alcohol, coffee, caffeine, sodas and the like. You juice what nature gives you (fruits and vegetables) without altering it (with sugar, salt or sweeteners). Because it has such a strong impact on the toxins in your body, it is highly recommended that you make the juice yourself rather than buying juices.

You can do a juice fast in a variety of ways, even by simply drinking freshly squeezed orange juice and water for 24 hours, and you will reap the benefits.

It is better to not mix fruits with vegetables in the same juice. Use them separately. This will help your digestive system minimize work and maximize nutrient absorption.

Good fruits to juice include orange, apple, grape, grapefruit, lemon, pear and pineapple. Good vegetables to juice include wheat grass, carrot, cucumber, beet, celery, lettuce, cabbage, parsley and ginger.

Drink water throughout the day. The water will also help flush the toxins out of your body.

The more water and the less juice you have in 24 hours, the more detoxifying the effect (more toxins will leave your body). To diminish the discomfort, drink more juice more often during the one-day fast.

Sample One-Day Juice Fast

This is an example of how to do a one-day juice diet. You can modify it to fit your needs and taste as long as you stick to the basic concepts.

Remember to have water and/or juice as often as every hour or more if you feel hungry.

When you wake up, drink a glass of lukewarm water with lemon (squeeze a whole lemon).
Breakfast: Have a fresh fruit juice of your choice.
Midmorning snack: Have some fruit or vegetable juice of your choice.
Lunch: Have a vegetable juice of your choice with ginger.
Midafternoon snack: Have fruit juice of your choice.
Dinner: Have vegetable juice or (if you feel lightheaded and/or hungry) fruit juice of your choice.
Evening: Have herbal tea with a pinch of ginger.
Bedtime: Have a full glass of water.