Many Americans are overweight, and experts say that 40 percent of them are clinically obese.
That’s led to a $66.3 billion diet industry with a lot of diet programs claiming they will help you lose the weight fast.
And losing weight is important as studies show:
Obesity causes more preventable deaths than smoking. But some suggest that you may be able to skip all the expensive diet programs and begin juicing for weight loss.
Ever since the release of Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, a documentary that highlights the health and weight loss benefits of juicing for weight loss, Americans have been hooked.
Juicing Is...
By now, you may be wondering about the magic of juicing for weight loss. Just what is juicing and how will it help you shed weight?
The concept of juicing is easy:
It is the process of extracting all the vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables into a liquefied form. During the process, the solids, like fiber, peels, and skin get separated from the produce. And all that is left are the nutrients in liquid form.
When juicing for weight loss, you only drink the liquid nutrients of fresh fruit and vegetables.
And here's the great part:
It allows your body to absorb all that nutrition without having to eat the entire food.
Juicing Facts:
When juicing apples, be sure to leave the skin on because they contain a lot of phytonutrients.
The History of Juicing
Although juicing is recently getting a lot of attention, it’s been around since 150 B.C..
In fact:
The first historical mention of juicing is in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There, researchers found references to the act of mashing figs and pomegranate which resulted in “great strength and a subtle form.”
Then, in the 1950s Dr. Norman W. Walker was convalescing in France after a breakdown and watched a man peel a carrot. He was intrigued by the liquid inside of the carrot’s skin.
So, here's what he did:
Realizing there was nutrition in this liquid, he used a borrowed feed grinder to make carrot juice.
After some time, he realized that he was only getting a small portion of the available nutrients from the carrots and he invented the first mechanical juicer.
It was called the Norwalk 280 and is still available today if you want to pay more than $2,500 for juicing for weight loss equipment.
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Why Do People Juice?
People grind up their fruits and vegetables to turn them into juice for a variety of reasons, including juicing for weight loss.
Here are the mains reasons people start a juicing diet.
It’s easier to get your daily intake of fruits and vegetables
According to the USDA’s dietary guidelines, we’re supposed to eat 4 1/2 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
But if you’re like most Americans:
That’s just not going to happen.
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But the great thing about juicing for weight loss and health is:
You can get all those servings in one glass of juice. Because juicing takes out all the fiber, you can easily get your daily requirements by drinking one glass of juice.
You will absorb more nutrients
When you practice juicing for weight loss, your body will automatically become healthier because when you condense all those nutrients into a single glass of juice, your body can absorb them more easily.
Here’s how it works:
The juicer pre-digests the fruits and vegetables, which means the juice goes straight to your cells. Then those cells absorb the digestive enzymes, micronutrients, and phytonutrients.
Juicing for weight loss strengthens your immune system
People who juice consistently experience glowing skin and one of the reasons for that is an improved immune system. When you drink your fruits and vegetables, you deliver a powerful punch of nutrients to your body, and that positively impacts your immune system.
Juicing Facts:
Carrot greens, rhubarb greens, and the peels of oranges are grapefruits contain toxic substances, so you should never juice them.
Image by Pixabay
It helps with weight loss
And finally, juicing for weight loss can break the yoyo dieting cycle and allow you to lose weight naturally.
And here’s the thing:
People say that after juicing for weight loss, they lose their taste for the calorie-rich foods. They continue juicing for weight loss, and they begin adding other healthy foods to their diets and keep off the weight.
“The Many Benefits of Juicing”
What Kinds of Foods Can You Juice?
The truth is:
You can juice just about any fruit and vegetable that you want. But some of them contain more nutrients or can help you achieve certain goals when juicing for weight loss.
Here is a list of the top 15 fruits and vegetables that are perfect for juicing.
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If you are juicing for weight loss, these fruits and vegetables will help you achieve your goals faster:
Juicing vs. Blending
Many people think juicing and blending are the same thing, but they’re not. While they both use machines to get a greater amount of fruits and vegetables in your body, they do it very differently.
As we’ve discussed, a juicer breaks down the produce by separating the fiber, skin, and seeds from the juice. You end up with a glass of pure nutrition.
Gifer
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Blending, on the other hand, doesn’t separate the juice from the pulp but blends it all into a thicker drink. The result is a smoothie — something that is also nutritious but has fiber.
And people differ on which one is better for weight loss. Some say juicing for weight loss is better because you’re only getting the nutrients and not the bulk of the produce. Also, others say that when you blend your fruits and vegetables, the fiber will cause you to feel fuller.
Here’s a visual that helps you see all the differences between juicing and blending:
What Are the Differences in Juicing and Blending?
Juicing
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Use only fresh fruits and vegetables but no bananas or avocados. Produces straight nutrition peel of the fruits and vegetables that is instantly absorbed in your bloodstream
Blending
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Use fresh fruits and vegetables and seeds, nut butters, bananas, avocados, dairy products, and oils. Produces a thick smoothie that contains all the nutrients plus the fiber and nutrients from the skin.
Juicing for Weight Loss
As you can see, there are some distinct benefits to juicing for weight loss. Your body will absorb nutrients faster and give you an energy boost that you won’t get from blending.
On the other hand:
When you blend your fruits and vegetables, the fiber will make you feel fuller, and that could also lead to weight loss.
But since you’re wondering about juicing for weight loss, what do you say we get into the details of how juicing can help you lose weight.
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Does Juicing for Weight Loss Really Work?
Opinions are mixed about whether or not juicing for weight loss is the right path. Some people have had great success while juicing for weight loss and love to tell their stories.
Others worry that juicing could harm your body if done in excess.
Benefits for juicing for weight loss
There are some definite benefits to juicing for weight loss.
Here are a few:
Digestive system reset
When you are juicing for weight loss, your digestive system isn’t working overtime to digest solid foods, and that allows it to reset and recharge.
Image by clipart-library
Energy boost
Juicing for weight loss also results in increased energy after about two days. That’s because the juice floods your body with nutrients, and it responds with energy and vitality.
Juicing Facts:
When juicing green leafy vegetables, roll them into a ball before putting them down the chute and then use the plunger to push them down gently. This will prevent them from getting stuck.
Image by PxHere
Reduces inflammation
When the only thing you put in your body is clean, healthy fruit and vegetable juice, your body will rid itself of the toxins, and that will cause a reduction in inflammation.
While you can lose weight while on a juice fast, you may gain it back as soon as you begin to eat regular food.
But people who continue on a healthy diet tend to keep the weight off.
Weight loss
It hydrates your body
When you’re drinking juice all day, your body becomes hydrated.
And if you continue to drink water all day as your juicing...
your skin will glow with health as your entire system becomes hydrated.
Cons of juicing for weight loss
Juicing for weight loss sounds like a healthy plan, right?
The bad news is:
There are some health concerns you need to be aware of.
Juicing Facts:
Soft fruit such as strawberries, melons, and peaches produce thicker juice. To prevent your juice from being too thick, add some harder vegetables such as carrots and apples.
Image by Pixabay
Drug interactions
Some fruits and vegetables interact with medications that render them useless or worse, could hurt you.
For example:
Kale and other leafy greens have a lot of vitamin K, which is normally a good thing. But if you’re taking blood thinning medications, it could cause a blood clot to form.
Bottom line:
Grapefruit also blocks the effectiveness of certain drugs, so ask your doctor if juicing for weight loss could interfere with any of the medications you’re taking before starting a juice fast.
Diabetes
If you are a pre-diabetic, you should definitely speak to your doctor before juicing.
Here's why:
When fruit juices contain a lot of sugar, if you drink enough of them, it could push you from pre-diabetic to full-blown diabetes.
Kidney damage
If your kidneys are weak, you can’t get too much potassium, or it could cause serious damage. Both bananas and kale have high enough levels of potassium to damage weak kidneys.
Juice Facts:
Fresh juice begins to lose its nutrients after 24 hours, so drink it right away or don’t store it for longer than that.
Image by Pixabay
Thyroid issues
Juicing for weight loss can also cause problems with your thyroid gland if you juice too much kale, cauliflower, bok choy, spinach, and collards.
That’s because:
These vegetables have a lot of glucosinolates which forms goitrin. This compound is connected to hypothyroidism.
Beware of the calories
When you make a juice from 10 oranges, 4 carrots, and some apples, you’re consuming a lot of sugar -- and all that sugar adds up to a lot of calories.
And if you buy your juice from a shop, chances are it has added ingredients that make it taste yummy, but aren’t necessarily good for your diet.
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Watch your nutrient intake
You can’t get enough protein when on a juice fast, so you will need to supplement in order to get enough so that your cells can reproduce themselves. And that lack of protein could result in a loss of muscle mass.
And here's more to consider:
You’re likely to lack vitamin D, iron, calcium, B12, and zinc when juicing for weight loss. Be sure to supplement.
No fiber
Juicing for weight loss and eliminates fiber from your diet, which you need for a healthy colon.
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Cons
Tips and Tricks for Juicing for Weight Loss
If you want to be successful when juicing for weight loss, you need to employ all the tricks and tips you can find. Here are a few that will make your weight loss journey a little easier.
Use organic fruits and vegetables
Remember, whatever you put in the juice comes out on the other end. And you don’t want to drink glass after glass of juiced pesticides.
With that in mind:
Buy organic and keep it clean.
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Juice in season
Juicing for weight loss can be expensive unless you’re careful how you buy the produce. Shop at your local farmers market and look for deals.
Not only that:
If you juice what’s in season, you won’t pay as much for out-of-season produce.
Juice Facts:
Apple seeds contain amygdalin, which converts to cyanide when chewed. While you would have to eat many apple seeds to suffer side effects, most experts recommend coring your apples before you juice them.
Image by Pixabay
Don’t forget to exercise
Although it is possible to lose weight when juicing for weight loss without exercising, it’s not recommended.
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Remember:
You can lose muscle mass when drinking only fruit and vegetable juice, so you should counter that with muscle building exercises.
Juicing Supplies and Equipment
Here’s the thing:
All you really need to start juicing for weight loss is a juicer and some fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sure, you can get all fancy and plant an indoor herb garden or arrange for home delivery of your fresh produce, but do you really need to?
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But what you do need to know is what type of juicer to buy. Here are your options.
The two types of juicers
When juicing for weight loss at home, you can choose between two types of juicers.
Centrifugal juicers
When you go to the grocery store or other big box stores, this is the most common type of juicer you will see. That’s because it’s the least expensive juicer and so more people buy it.
But that doesn’t mean it’s the best.
A centrifugal juicer operates by using a metal blade that spins rapidly against a mesh filter and separates the produce flesh from the juice. They are poured into separate containers so you can easily drink the juice immediately after juicing.
But there's a downside:
The blade spins so rapidly, it generates heat. The heat destroys the enzymes in the fresh produce you’re about to drink.
Not only that:
It also oxidizes the nutrients in the drink making it less nutritious than juice produced from your other option.
Masticating juicers
These juicers crush and press fruits and vegetables to get the highest amount of juice from them. Because they don’t generate heat in the process, you will get more nutrients when you drink this juice.
You might know these as...
cold press juicers. This type will cost more but delivers more nutrient-dense juice.
How to Juice for Weight Loss
Some people assume that the only way to use juicing for weight loss is to deny yourself all foods and only drink juices until you lose the weight.
Luckily, that’s not true.
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You can mix juicing for weight loss with some foods.
In fact, you should.
Pay attention to your body (and speak to your doctor) about the best plan for you.
Here are five juicing for weight loss plans to choose from:
5 Juicing for Weight Loss Plans to Choose From
Six juices a day:
On this plan, you only drink a juice every two to three hours. This is the fastest way to lose weight.
Image by Pixabay
Image by pixabay
Six juices a day plus fruits and veggies:
Drink a juice every two to three hours, plus eat some light fruits and veggies whenever you get too hungry.
Juice until dinner:
Drink four juices a day, and eat a protein-packed healthy dinner.
Image by Pixabay
Image by Pixabay
Two juices a day, plus lunch and dinner:
With this plan, you should drink a juice first thing in the morning and in the late afternoon. Eat a light lunch and dinner.
One juice a day plus clean eating. Eliminate all gluten, sugar, dairy, processed, and fried foods from your diet. Then drink a juice first thing in the morning and eat clean and healthy for the rest of the day.
Image by Pixabay
Common results
If you’ve decided to try juicing for weight loss, you probably want to know how much weight you can expect to lose. While it will depend on which of the five plans you follow, some people can lose up to a pound a day when juicing for weight loss.
Keep in mind:
A lot of the weight you lose in the beginning will be water weight. And unless you continue a healthy eating plan once the juice fast is over, you run the risk of gaining back the weight.
Juice Recipes for Weight Loss
Are you ready to get started on your juice for weight loss program? We’ve included a few weight loss juice recipes below to get you off on the right tracks.
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BB USA Green Lemonade Blitz
This recipe uses the power of lemon to help you burn calories
Ingredients:
2 cups of spinach
1 lemon
4 leaves of kale
1 cucumber
2 medium apples
Instructions:
Chop the vegetables into small to medium pieces so that they fit into the chute on your juicer. Then juice them all. Serve with a lot of ice.
Morning Glory Juice
Wake up your metabolism with this juice first thing in the morning.
Spinach Juice
Ingredients:
1 beet
2 medium carrots
2 oranges
Instructions:
Peel the orange and split it into pieces small enough to fit through your juicer’s chute. Then cut up the beet and carrots into similarly small pieces. Feed them all through the chute and enjoy!
If you plan to eat food on your juicing for weight loss days, be sure to incorporate this pure spinach juice recipe. It contains thylakoids, which help you feel fuller.
Green Juice for Weight Loss
Ingredients:
1-2 bunches of freshly washed spinach.
1 apple (optional)
Instructions:
Juice the spinach until it’s gone. If you need to make the juice a little sweet, cut up the apple and add it to the juice. Stir before drinking.
This recipe was created by Joe Cross, the creator of Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.
Weight Loss Juice
Ingredients:
1/4 pineapple
4 kale leaves
2 stalks of celery
4 large lettuce leaves
1 handful of flat parsley
A handful of curly parsley
1 lemon
Piece of ginger -- 1-inch
1-inch piece of turmeric
1-2 chili’s
Instructions:
Start off by washing all the produce. Then peel the lemon and pineapple and chop into small pieces. Cut up the rest of the produce into pieces the same size. Put them all through the blender and enjoy your weight loss juice!
Dr. Axe says this is his favorite recipe when juicing for weight loss.
Ingredients:
A whole grapefruit
An entire cucumber
1 apple
1/2 cup of peppermint leaves or 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil
Instructions:
Chop up all ingredients and then add them to your juicer. Mix when done, then drink and enjoy!
Or you can watch someone make the recipe:
Juicing for Weight Loss Resources
Sometimes you need more instruction, a way to communicate with others who are using juicing for weight loss or want to read about other’s juicing for weight loss experiences.
When you want some support, here are some resources you might find handy:
Start Juicing for Weight Loss to Feel Great!
Juicing for weight loss provides a lot of benefits, the biggest being an ability to lose weight quickly.
Are you ready to get started on the new you? If so, why not start today?
Maybe you’ve already started and want to talk about your experience so far. We would love to hear about your juicing for weight loss journey in the comments below!
