Juicing is a new trend in dieting that focuses on extracting juices from fruits and vegetables, using the juice as a meal replacement or as a supplement. Juicing provides a variety of health benefits, including weight loss and increased intake of vitamins and minerals. Plus, juicing is also a simple and delicious way to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet (especially for those who don't like fruits or vegetables or who don't have much time to prepare them each day). The diet program using the juice below can lose weight, especially when coupled with physical activity. Follow the steps below to create a safe and balanced juicing plan.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Starting a Juice Diet
Step 1. Buy a juicer
A juicer is a very important tool for a juice diet. You can purchase a cold-press juicer (also known as an Auger-style juicer) or a juice extractor. Juicers can vary in price (from $50 to $400 or around Rp. 600,000 to Rp. 5,000,000) and vary in size.
- Auger-style or cold-press juicers are usually more expensive. The way it works is by gently crushing and mashing fruits and vegetables to extract their juices. The benefit of this type of juicer is that it usually leaves more grain. The pulp comes from the skin and other parts of the fruit, which is high in fiber, which can add to the fiber content of your juice. The downside of this juicer is that it gets stuck easily if you use it for tougher fruits or vegetables.
- The juice extractor separates the juice from the pulp and filters the juice through a sieve so that no pulp remains. All fruits and vegetables should be cleaned and the skins should be removed because it can jam the machine. The disadvantage of this machine is that it is difficult to clean.
- Review different brands and types of juicers before buying. Look for features that can make it easier for you to use, store, and wash them. For example, find a juicer that has parts that can be washed in the dishwasher or one that has a large funnel for larger pieces of food.
- Also consider buying a blender. The shape and price of blenders also vary and a blender can make it easier for you to process fruits and vegetables. Unlike a juicer, you can consume the whole fruit or vegetable-including the fibrous pulp and skin-if you use a blender. If your juice is too thick, add water to thin it to your desired consistency.
Step 2. Buy juices that are 100% natural and fresh
Many juicers are expensive and unaffordable for most people. If you are still interested in going on a juice diet, try to buy juices that are 100% fresh instead of making your own.
- Don't buy frozen cider or fruit juice cocktails. These types of juices add sugar, flavor enhancers, and unhealthy preservatives.
- In addition to your groceries, there are several juice shops and markets selling a wide variety of freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices. This juice can be purchased per serving or in large quantities.
Step 3. Buy a variety of fruits and vegetables
Another important element of following a juice diet is having a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Buying frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables will give you a lot of variety and flexibility in your juices.
- As a rule, your juice should contain 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 fruit. Fruits in general have a lot of sugar which can cause your sugar levels to spike.
- You can stock up on several types of fruit and vegetables that are out of season by buying frozen fruits and vegetables. Plus, you can grab some frozen fruit and vegetables to eat without worrying that the rest will go stale.
- Mixing fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables can result in a thicker juice consistency like a smoothie so you can enjoy it more.
- Don't forget to buy frozen fruits and vegetables without added sugar. Read the ingredients table to make sure only fruits and vegetables are on the list.
Step 4. Prepare the juice samples
Before buying a lot of fruit and vegetables, try to make some juice mixtures in small portions. This can save you the ingredients you buy if you find you don't like the taste of the juice.
- When you buy a juicer or blender, the company that sells the product often gives you a small recipe book that you can use. These cookbooks can be a quick source of ideas for your juice recipes.
- Remember that when you're juicing yourself, you'll need a lot of fruits and vegetables to make enough juice. For example, it takes about 6-8 large carrots to make 1 cup of juice.
- First of all, make sure you wash all the fruits and vegetables. This is especially important if you want to include fruits and vegetables with their skins on in your juices.
- Follow the instructions in the juicer machine booklet. Most booklets recommend adding the crumbly ingredients first (like green leaves), followed by the softer ingredients (like bananas or tomatoes) and adding the tough stuff (like carrots or apples) last.
Step 5. Prepare only 1-2 servings of juice each time you make it
Freshly squeezed and processed juices are more susceptible to harmful bacteria that will bring you disease.
- Prepare your juices for the day only. Store your homemade juices in an airtight container if you want them to last more than 24 hours.
- Be sure to store all freshly processed juices in the refrigerator so they can stay below 4C.
- Buy a small, airtight water bottle or mason jar (a type of jam jar with an airtight lid) that will make it easier to store juice in the refrigerator. Mason jar can be a suitable container to carry everywhere.
Part 2 of 3: Designing Your Juice Diet
Step 1. Purchase reading resources for juicing
Going on a juice diet can be tricky. There are various diets, juices, and methods of juicing. Buying or researching recipes and diets can help you follow a diet program more easily.
- Take the time to look up different types of juice diets online. There are many different juice diets to consider, so taking the time to review the different types of juice diets can help you decide which one works best or you may want to mix different diets.
- Also consider buying a juicing book to have on hand. Having resources you can use at home can be very helpful.
- Some trusted sources on juicing diets are: Juicing for Health & Weight Loss from WebMD, How to Start Juicing: A 7 Day Meal Plan from EatingWell, Safe Juicing & Blending from the MayoClinic and Things You Need to Know About Juicing from NCHR.
Step 2. Write down your meal plan (meal plan)
After examining the various types of juice diets, you may realize that there are many options to choose from. If you're not following one particular diet plan, you can create your own meal plan to ensure you're maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.
- Find out how many foods to replace with juice and how much juice you want to consume each day. Some types of diet suggest consuming a certain amount of juice every day. For example, 1-2 servings of “green” or vegetable juices.
- Set a schedule to be able to consume various types of juice every day. Plan to eat a fruit and vegetable every day-not just one.
- Also plan to use a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. For example, maybe your morning juice consists of apples and cabbage. Meanwhile, for the afternoon, your juice consists of carrots, oranges, and ginger.
Step 3. Weigh your body
Measuring your weight in any type or diet program is very important. This can help you track your progress and see how effective this juice diet is for you.
- The ideal amount for weighing is 1-2 times a week. Your progress will not be seen if you weigh yourself every day. Daily weight fluctuations (either up or down) are perfectly normal and will not be accurate compared to weekly weighing.
- Buy a scale for your home so you can have the tools to maintain your weight.
- Write down your weekly scale. This can be a fun and supportive way for you to see the progress you've made over time.
Part 3 of 3: Planning a Healthy and Safe Diet
Step 1. Consult your doctor or dietitian
Talking to your doctor about starting a diet is a good idea. They may be able to provide additional instructions or suggest other methods that are more suitable for your health. A dietitian is a nutritionist who can give you a more effective diet.
- Talk to your trusted doctor. They may be able to advise, or introduce you to a dietitian to help you further.
- Visit the EatRight website and click the orange button with the words “Find an Expert” on the right of the page to find a dietitian in your area.
Step 2. Eat at least 1200 calories a day
Eating less than 1200 calories per day, especially over a few days, is not a safe and healthy way to diet. Make sure whatever type of juice diet you choose can be equivalent to the consumption of calories you need.
- Use a food journal or calorie counter app to see how much you eat each day.
- Try replacing only 1-2 meals with juices as opposed to going on a completely liquid juice diet. Eating 1-2 balanced meals will help ensure that the calories you need are met.
- Side effects of a low-calorie diet include: feeling tired, weak and hungry. More extreme side effects include nutritional deficiencies, such as anemia, loss of muscle mass, and heart problems.
Step 3. Eat enough protein
Although juicing makes you eat more fruits and vegetables, juicing contains very little protein. In order to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, it is very important to consume adequate protein each day.
- On average, adult women need to consume about 46g of protein daily and adult men need to consume about 56g of protein daily.
- Add protein powder to your juice, which will control the blood sugar level and won't affect the taste.
- Try making smoothies instead of just juicing. You can mix nuts, seeds, nut butter, milk, yogurt, or protein powder to increase protein levels.
- Juice only for 1-2 meals a day and make sure you eat lean protein meals or snacks at other times.
Step 4. Add a fiber source
Some juice diets and juicers (such as juice extractors) remove all the pulp from the fruits and vegetables you juice. The grains contain several nutrients and most of the fiber from fruits and vegetables. A low-fiber diet can cause constipation, fluctuating blood sugar, and weight gain.
- Many juicers separate the juice from the pulp. You can add some of these grains back to your juice or you can use them in other recipes. For example, you can add leftover vegetables to soups, stews, and pasta sauces or mix them into casseroles or other savory dishes. Try adding fruit pulp to cakes such as muffins, pastries, or pancakes.
- You can also add a fiber supplement every day. Fiber supplements can be chewable tablets, capsules, or powders. Add 1-2 doses a day.
- Regardless of how you get it, fiber is an important part of a healthy diet. Make sure you don't eliminate them in your juice diet.
Step 5. Limit your time when you consume only drinks
All juice or liquid or cleansing diets are not for the long term. Don't follow a diet plan that advises you to only consume juices or fluids for more than a few days.
Body cleansing or diets using juices are usually low in calories, low in protein, and low in nutrients that the body needs, so in the long term it can be harmful
Step 6. Get regular physical activity
Being physically active is very important in any type of diet. Exercise can burn additional calories to support your diet efforts.
- Aim for about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio and at least 2 days of moderate-intensity weight training each week.
- Be careful not to overdo it when exercising if following a low-calorie diet. Physical activity requires a lot of energy. When you're on a juice-only diet or a low-calorie liquid diet, you may not be consuming enough calories for fuel when you exercise.
Tips
- Avoid fruit juice cocktails (example: cranberry juice cocktail); Cocktails are high in sugar.
- If you don't like fruits or vegetables, adding juice to your diet can help you consume more vitamins and minerals. However, if you can, you better eat fruits and vegetables directly to get more benefits.
- Research a juice diet program carefully before choosing to purchase an expensive machine or source.
Warning
- Pregnant women and people who have a weak immune system or heart, liver or kidney disease should not follow this juice diet.
- Some drugs will have certain reactions to certain types of juice. Always talk to your doctor before starting a juice diet program to make sure it is safe and whether it is suitable for you to consume different types of juice.
- Always consult your doctor before starting any diet or making drastic changes to your diet.
- Some diet programs suggest a diet low in calories, fat, and protein that will not be safe in the long term and may not be suitable for some people. Again, talk to your doctor before starting.
- Do not drink tea or laxatives while on a juice diet program. Laxatives can increase the risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
