07 Aug The Difference Between Juice Cleansing and Water Fasting
Juice bars are very prevalent these days, and so many people are talking about different types of cleanses and detoxes. Let’s discuss the difference between juice cleansing and water fasting. What are the potential health benefits, and do they really work?
Let’s have a look.
Overview
With the number of artificial additives in foods, and the pollutants that are ever-present, it is very important and highly recommended that we cleanse and detox our bodies regularly. A normal healthy body usually needs close to four hours to eliminate toxins and waste products of normal metabolism from itself. Today there are so many diet trends that call for the use of diet pills, laxatives, vitamins, and other minerals that promote weight loss.
Water Fasting
Two forms of fasting are very beneficial when it comes to both detoxing the body and weight loss. With water fasting, the water is used to filter through fat cells and other cellular parts of the body, while washing away unwanted toxins. This form of fasting helps lose weight faster and can reduce your chances of developing heart-related illnesses as well as diabetes.
Juicing
Juicing or juice cleansing is similar to water fasting in the sense that we are giving our bodies a break from normal food intake, however with this process, we are cleansing in the form of detox where we ingest only juice, water, and teas for a number of days. Your body is still getting calories, unlike water fast, allowing the juice fast to go on for much longer. The body now receives nourishment through the juices, including vitamins, iron, nutrients, and calories it needs to detox the body.
The type of juice you drink matters! Ensuring that you are ingesting quality ingredients will elevate the experience, and you will get the most benefit from the process. Pure juice, therefore, allows for you to get more phytonutrients, minerals, and vitamins compared to buying juice off grocery store shelves.
Differences Between the Two
As described above, the primary difference is that with a juice cleanse, you are intaking calories, while none are consumed while on a water fast, as water contains no calories. With a juice fast, you are consuming calories, and one must watch the sugar content of juices, which contain sugar.
The next major difference is ketosis. Unlike in juice fasts, the process of ketosis kicks in during a water fast. Ketosis is the most differentiating factor other than calorie intake. Once a body reaches ketosis it is relying on using the body’s stored fats for energy meaning we are “burning fat”. Once in this burning fat mode most inflammatory disease progression will slow if not stop altogether during the fast.
The last major difference is the length of both fasts. Water fasts go on rarely for more than a few days. Our bodies need calories for energy. Juice cleanses can go on for longer, as we are in-taking calories from the juice.
Benefits of these Fasts
The benefits of water fasting are firstly the shedding of excess weight. If you aren’t consuming calories over several days, you will inevitably lose weight.
Besides weight loss, detox is another major factor. Your body will begin to filter the cells, pushing impurities out with the water. This is known as autophagy, the cleaning out of damaged cells.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) has published several studies supporting water fasts, and how they could lessen your chances of developing diabetes, heart disease, and even certain cancers.
Regarding juice fasts, they are also beneficial. Again, weight loss is a likely benefit, especially when choosing natural juices, and not sugary store-bought alternatives. Detox is occurring, as the fluids are cycled through your body. Additionally, we see a healthy improvement in the immune system, from the vitamins and nutrients received from the juices.
Cleansing/detoxing the body promotes a healthier immune system gives you energy, filtrates and helps purify your internal organs, cleanses your skin, as well as clears up brain fog, and improves your thinking. Take time to take care of you. Being good to yourself will allow you to be beneficial to others.