To complete a three day juice fast, you will actually be following a five day plan - taking one day to ease your body into the fast and one day to ease out. If this is your first fast, it may be helpful to rope in a friend to go through the process with you. You can help motivate one another and a slight competitive edge will keep you from giving in to temptations!
Stock up on oranges, lemons, limes, tomatoes, spinach, kale, celery, carrots, cucumbers, apples, grapes, blueberries, beets, garlic and ginger root. If possible, you should also stock up on some good quality spring water from a company that uses food grade plastic or glass bottles. You will be drinking lots of water as part of your fast. If you are careful about what you put into your body and focus on a healthy diet, you can have good digestion. The USDA has a great food pyramid. Take the recommended calories. Those calories should come from healthy sources. Plants, fruits, and vegetables probably should make up half, a quarter of starches, and then another quarter of proteins. People usually consume pre-packaged food that is excessively processed. Fast consumable foods are a detriment because they contain a lot of additives.
Buying a new juicer can be a big expense, but it will be worth the investment, especially if you plan on making regular juice fasts a part of your lifestyle. You will probably need to spend at least $150 to get a decent juicer, but this should last you 15-20 years. [2] X Research source It is not possible to substitute a juicer for a blender when performing a juice fast. If you use a blender, you will end up with a smoothie rather than a juice. A smoothie still contains fibers from the fruit and veg - and although this is normally a good thing - you do not want any fiber in your diet while on a juice fast. This is because your body uses up too much energy when digesting fiber - energy which your body needs to rid itself of toxins. [3] X Research source
Some fasters suffer from headaches and low energy when completing a fast (though others claim to have higher energy levels than normal) and you may find yourself needing to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon to conserve energy. [4] X Research source You should also be aware that as the juice fast stimulates the flushing out of toxins from the body, your body will need to eliminate this waste frequently. For this reason, it may be best to stay in close proximity to a toilet for the duration of your fast.
Some fasters also advise cleansing the system with a purgative (a natural laxative) or an enema before beginning the fast, although this is optional.
Experiment with different fruit and veg combinations to get tasty and unusual combinations. Really put some thought into what flavors will work well together - that way drinking your juice will be a pleasure rather than a chore. When doing a juice fast, you should try to keep the ratio of fruit juice to vegetable juice at 20:80. Fruit juices can contain a lot of sugars which are harder for your body to process, so perhaps limit the fruit juices to the morning and stick to vegetable juices for lunch and dinner. [6] X Research source
If you are doing the juice fast to lose weight, you should not try to limit your juice intake either. Your body is being deprived of enough calories as it is, and limiting your juice intake will only send your body into survival mode and cause it to retain any extra weight. So stick to a minimum of 4 glasses a day. [7] X Research source
Drinking herbal tea is another great way to drink more water - just try to stick with green, decaffeinated versions.
Some people enjoy the fasting process and claim to experience a surge, rather than a drain, of energy. Hopefully you will be one of these lucky people! Try to take your mind off the fast by engaging in relaxing and restorative activities such as meditation, reading, stretching and craft projects. Without having to plan your day around mealtimes, you will have a lot more time on your hands.
Eating pizza or other processed foods immediately after finishing your cleanse is not a good idea, and may even leave you feeling ill.
Be warned, however. With longer fasts, your body will start eliminating toxins through the skin and lungs and you may notice a funny or unpleasant smell emanating from your body. [10] X Research source With longer fasts, you may want to include protein and iron supplements in your juices, to give you more energy and prevent yourself from becoming anemic. These supplements can be found at health food stores. [11] X Research source
