Juicing has become a popular option for weight loss; either as a way to detoxify the body and prep it for a weight loss diet or as a way to lose weight. It can be successful because the body is consuming enormous amounts of nutrition which often staves off cravings.
However, with the sudden popularity of intermittent fasting, some dieters are combining both approaches to achieve even better results.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Fasting is nothing new, it’s been used in religious and spiritual practices for centuries. Intermittent fasting or IF for short, is simply eating during a specific time frame or “window” instead of having the traditional three meals per day plus snacks.
For example, many intermittent fasters opt for a 16/8 protocol. This means that they abstain from eating (or fast) for 16 hours per day, and eat only during an 8-hour period. One of the great benefits of IF is that you can adjust your window to fit your lifestyle. You can “open your window” and start eating at 7 am, and “close your window” at 3 pm. If you aren’t a morning person and start your day later, you can start eating at 2 pm and stop at 10 pm. The flexibility of the plan is key to its success.
What Makes Intermittent Fasting So Effective?
Even without restricting calories, many people find that they can lose weight simply by eating during a limited number of hours. This seems impossible but the way IF works is based on how your body burns calories.
Normally, when you eat a meal, your body starts digesting it and burning what it can as energy. Your body is using this immediately available energy instead of the fat you have stored.
When your body has fasted, it can’t rely on a recently consumed meal, so it has to use energy stored in your body.
What Are the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting?
There are several benefits to intermittent fasting:
- Fewer meals simplify your life. There is a certain amount of prepping you have to do when you are juicing. The benefits are greatest when you are consuming freshly made juices, so you have to go through the whole process for every meal. By juicing during a shorter time frame, you are reducing the amount of time spent on prepping which will make it more likely that you’ll stay the course.
- It creates mindfulness around your meal preparation and consumption. Knowing that you can only eat during a certain period of time, creates a sense of expectation which allows you to really enjoy your meals. You’ll be mindful of the types of juices you prepare, and you’ll enjoy them much more.
This enhances the process enormously and makes your weight loss efforts actually enjoyable!
Are There Any Drawbacks to combining Juicing with Intermittent Fasting?
The biggest pitfall with intermittent fasting is that some people mistakenly believe that they can consume as many calories as they want during their feasting window. That’s simply not the case. While some people do lose weight eating more calories than they would normally eat while on a weight loss plan, this isn’t a panacea. Calories still count.
However, the main drawback with combining juicing with intermittent fasting is quite the opposite, some people do not consume enough calories! Certain juice blends are extremely low calorie so it’s important to do your research and ensure that you are getting enough calories and nutrients while juicing.
Juicing is an excellent way to regain control of your health and reach your ideal weight. Adding intermittent fasting to your juicing program will further enhance the benefits and help you achieve your goals even faster.
