Busy moms often look for ways to lose weight quickly and easily. Many weight loss diets include the reduction of food intake with an increase in activities. Juice fasting, one type of weight loss diet, requires you take food in a liquid form for a certain time. Also known as detoxification dieting, juice fasting may reduce weight, but it may also cause some undesirable side effects, such as weakness and fatigue, according to Katherine Zeratsky, a certified dietitian with the Mayo Clinic. A brief juice fast may help you begin a weight loss diet and increase your motivation.
Step 1
Check with your doctor to get his approval before starting any type of diet that significantly alters your normal eating patterns. Make sure you do not have any undiagnosed conditions that might adversely affect your health while dieting. Get a green light from your health care professional before you begin your juice fast.
Step 2
Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to use in your juicer. Select varieties that you enjoy drinking and that contain nutrients. Avoid drinking only canned or bottled juices on your fast. Use fresh varieties of fruits and vegetables, such as lemons, grapes, watermelons, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes and beets. Wash your fresh produce. Keep it cool in your refrigerator until needed.
Step 3
Drink at least 32 oz. of juice each day during your juice fast. The “Gale Encyclopedia of Diets” recommends drinking an additional six glasses of filtered water during the day. Juice your fresh produce immediately before consuming it. Refrigerate any unused portions to take to work with you, if you are unable to make your juice at work.
Step 4
Limit your juice fast to three or four days to avoid feelings of fatigue and weakness. Use a brief period of fasting to jumpstart your diet, advises “The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets.” A prolonged decrease in caloric intake may slow down your metabolism, undermining your efforts at weight loss.
Step 5
Work solid foods back into your digestive track gradually over the period of a few days. Eat a few small pieces of fruits and vegetables the first day after your fast. Add cooked vegetables and proteins until you are consuming a balanced diet of nutritious foods.
Warnings
- Consult your physician if you become sick during your fast or experience heart palpitations or other unusual symptoms. Don’t force yourself to remain on your juice fast if it makes you feel ill or uncomfortable. Instead, discuss healthy alternatives for weight loss with your doctor.
Photo Credit
- juice image by Penny Williams from Fotolia.com
