Juice fast

chattertess

Not sure if theres a previous post about this, so sorry if you guys have heard this before!

I've been considering doing a 7 day juice fast to detox and give my stomach a rest. I have crohns disease and the people in that community seem to think its a good idea every so often. Basically I would be taking in the nutrients of the fruit and veg, but not the fibre that causes me stomach upsets.

Has anyone had any experience of this? Any advice?

Constructive comments please

haroon_awan

If you want to "detox" then try removing lactose and gluten from your diet to see whether you have any allergies or intolerances; or go to a nutritionist who can test for any allergies.

And a juice fast without the fibre? That makes no sense, unless you mean you are going to buy processed juice and not make the juice yourself.

In almost all cases, a juice fast is not a good idea. What health and fitness related qualifications do these people have who are suggesting it? Lactose and gluten are known to cause inflammations in some people, and this may be profound if you have Crohn's disease. Fruit and veg contain neither lactose nor gluten so it may be that the "good idea" is actually removing certain items, eg dairy, wheat, oats etc and not actually the juice.

Just by looking at your profile and diary I know you aren't enough calories for someone of your current stats. At 200+lbs you should not be eating less than ~1600-1700 calories per day based on your BMR and it would suggest you are not using the website's tools correctly. From MFP's website:
"Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating."

Secondly the weight loss attributed to juice fasts is because of the significant reduction is caloric intake during this so called "fasting" phase. But this weight will be from a number of tissue, both fat and muscle, which is not what weight loss should be about. Focusing on fat loss, healthy eating patterns and increasing physical activity related to your goals should be your short- and long-term goals. Finally, two points that are of most importance in my opinion: the weight you lost from the aggressive caloric reduction may cause issues with your metabolism that may take a much longer time to fix; and the weight you lose you will put back on.

I would suggest you slowly start increasing your calories each week by ~100 until you reach 1800 and keep going until you reach an intake which prevents you losing weight, which will be around 2100-2200 based on your current states and then reduce you intake 10-20%. Set your macronutrients to:
Protein about 150g
Fats about 80g
Remainder with carbs
Then eliminate lactose and gluten from your diet and see how you feel for 1-2 weeks

There you go. I've just provided you a service that a personal trainer and/or nutritionist would've charge you hundreds of GBPs. It's up to you whether you want to use it. That said, as you are in the UK, go and see you local GP first about your dietary health.

SteveJWatson

I had ulcerative colitis until my ileostomy when I was 22 - I cam imagine juice fasting having some very unpleasant side-effects.

You could, however, try things like cutting out gluten etc to see if they lessen your symptoms - but I wouldn't juice fast, its just a gimmick that essentially has you on a very low calorie diet.

nomeejerome

Not sure if theres a previous post about this, so sorry if you guys have heard this before!

I've been considering doing a 7 day juice fast to detox and give my stomach a rest. I have crohns disease and the people in that community seem to think its a good idea every so often. Basically I would be taking in the nutrients of the fruit and veg, but not the fibre that causes me stomach upsets.

Has anyone had any experience of this? Any advice?

Constructive comments please

The body does a fantastic job of "detoxing" itself, which is why we poop and pee. There is no need for juice fasts, detox pills or whatever.......See your doctor about your medical condition, ask questions and go forward from there.

shadus

Quick fixes and non-sustainable dietary restrictions aren't really worth doing.

Cleanses in general are not in anyway supported by any hard science.

nomeejerome

I have done almost 200 days of juice cleansing! It's fantastic.

no.

Way to go self promote...

sa11yjane

Funnily enough I have just seen a fab programme about this today called 'Fat, sick and nearly dead' about a man's discovery of juicing. It worked so well for him that he encouraged others to do it too and the results were really positive. Maybe look up the programme and see if it helps you decide.

Good luck xxx

Binkie1955

some good advice here, most of it dismissive of juice fasts. your own food diary should tell you or give you some insight what foods bother you. I don't have the disorder so am not an expert. There is some research relating this disorder to the peculiar make up of the glutens in Dwarf 14 Wheat which is in most bread products. I'd be inclined to heed the advice of others here and get off gluten if you've not done that already but overall I can't recommend grain products of any kind. if you must eat cereals consider quinoa. Since I'm a carb restriction enthusiast, I don't see any need for fruits and only a modest need for vegetables of any kind.

Fiber as it happens is highly overrated and adds no value to the diet. you certainly are persuaded of that. so why not consider becoming a carnivore? start with a 100% meat diet. High Fat, High Protein and see how your body responds? Our bodies are engineered to be carnivorous in the first place, lots of research on that, maybe it's the food of the last 10,000 years or so that you are not engineered for. Try the Paleo way and see how you feel.

quirkytizzy

I have done almost 200 days of juice cleansing! It's fantastic.

Every post of yours is exactly the same. Reported.

OP: They unnecessary. Your digestive system doesn't need a break anymore than your lungs do. (Think about it. Would you give your lungs a break from breathing to clear it out? No? Then why your digestive system?) Side effects of long term juicing (which can wind up being a form of starvation, gone on long enough) are weakness, nausea, hair loss, shaking, etc etc.

No cleanse has been able to verify even one toxin that the cleanse expels that your body does not already do naturally.

In short - eat food. Eat good food. You'll be fuller, happier, and less likely to be in the bathroom from the runs.

IronSmasher

You're in the UK. I'm guessing you've just watched the 1-2hr advert for juicers?

Ask your doctor, check out the NHS choices website.

busywaterbending

I was diagnosed with chrohn's at 21 years old and dying. I had horrible allergies and sicknesses my whole life but then my entire digestive tract became ulcerated and shut down. later I discovered that I am full blown celiac sprue due to being native American and genetically unable to digest wheat, rye, barley and any gluten found in processed foods like sodas, carmel coloring, veg. proteins, malto dextrin, msg.... which all lead to poisoning my body and destroying my digestive tract completely.

instead of dying or allowing my gastroenterologist to remove my colon (ewww!) I found a doctor who said I could be healed:
6 months juice fast; raw and steamed foods and chlorophyll with no fiber to allow my body to absorb minerals and carbs, heal the digestive tract. This is doctor prescribed. Finally was able to move, reduce all pain andinflamaiton, an go from 90 lbs to 110 lbs,
with only 8 hours of sleep. I was practically in a coma from being so aneimic prior to and sleeping 18 hours a day.
3 years of gluten free and steamed, low fiber eating followed, then, the rest of my life: primal eating NO gluten.

My doctor always wanted to make sure I get my nutrients and prescribed a low fat diet in 2004. 5 years later I was skinnyfat, then addicted to sugar because gluten free processed foods are so high in carbs and sugars. Exercise was not helping me at all and by 2008 I was diagnosed hypoglycemic.
Jan 2011 I diagnosed with diabetes 2, and knew that my diet was the culprit, did the zone diet, then
since Oct 2011 I've been on a high fat diet, mineral supplements, and feeling great. NO gluten! I've been pranoid about gluten ever since finding out about my genetic predisposition. I have discovered more than any doctor or nutritionist taught me about this... *sigh*

EFAs and a gluten free diet have kept me healthy and full of energy and lean. I can not digest fiber well at all, my digestive tract is full of scars and decades of eating like a white person pretty much destroyed it. I ate a mostly native American diet (what white people call paleo), but the occasional frito, Dorito, cake, frozen dinner or canned tuna left me sick for weeks.

Juicing is great when done right to heal the gut, but without adding flax or olive oil it is a high glycemic diet and can lead to anemia because once the digestive tract is healed it wants protein and specific fibers. Do it, educate yourself, get a great nutritionist and then slowly add real food (cooked at first) back to your diet.

God bless you, I know how awful digestive problems are.

AFPA CPT, AFPA Advanced CPT, NESTA sport yoga....
but all nutrition I learned were from specialized doctors, not my training certs!

The juicing worked only because it was dr. prescribed, and my digestive tract shut down and needed the rest. pm me if you have any questions.

SurfyFriend

If you want to go vegan, and need to kicm start your new way of eating, juice fasting can help you get accostomed to the taste sensations and vitamins and sugars.
However, if you are just going to go back to eating dairy, red meat, gluten, chemical sweeteners, caffeine, processed sugars...
Really. Whats the point?


Its not a sustainable diet, so it won't give you sustainable results.

vienna_h

This is a question for your gastroenterologist, not random people on an internet message board.

whierd

Have fun. Be careful sneezing.

CrankMeUp