I don't know why they call them "fasts"; time seems to go awfully slow
whenever I'm on one. Your average juice fast should last no more than
one to five days. Most plans call for 100% fruit and vegetable juices
which may be diluted with a bit of distilled water. Your best bet is to
spring for the organic juices or squeeze your own from organically grown fruits and vegetables. A big gulp of your kid's "Juice-A-Roo", laden with chemicals, salt, corn syrup and additives that I can't even spell is not going to reach your goal of cleaning the toxins and pollutants from your body. Juice fasts require real juice and NO CAFFINE!

The goal of every juice fast is to allow your body to heal and
rejuvenate itself by purging the hundreds of toxins that accumulate in
our systems due to our food, water, air, and other environmental
factors. As an added benefit you are likely to shed a few pounds along
the way thanks to the low calorie intake. You should never make weight loss the reason for your juice fasts however. There are better ways that produce long-term and sustainable results.

You should be careful and stay alert to changes in your metabolism while you are on juice fasts. The effects of greatly reduced caloric intake, coupled with no protein, enhanced carbohydrates and a great deal of (good) fat makes most people feel weak and disoriented. If you're an airline pilot you might want to take a week's vacation before starting your juice fast!

Once your fast is over, you should ease yourself back onto solid foods.
Your body may need a few days to adjust to the new food regime just like it needed time to adjust to the juice fast it just went through. Start out light and get back to your normal regime over the next few days.

If you are like the average person, you are going to feel great during
the first one or two days of your juice fast. By day three you'll begin
feeling light-headed and may experience cramping or cathartic
disturbances as the toxins really begin flowing from your body. Hang in
there. It gets worse before it gets better. just remember -- you're
doing this for a noble cause!

Many people choose to go on mini juice fasts for 24 -36 hours once per
week. This regiment is based upon ancient Oriental medicine and is very popular in many parts of the world. You may want to try this approach before diving head-long into a full five-day juice fast.

Keep in mind that juice fasts result in your body receiving minimal
calories and protein. As a result you definitely want to avoid a juice
fast if your are pregnant or nursing.

If you have diabetes or hypoglycemia then you need to eat food along
with your juice.  SInce eating sort of offsets the basic premise of a
juice fast, you're better off finding an alternative method of achieving
your desired results.

Juice fasts may or may not be right before you.  As with anything that
affects your body you should consult with a physician before embarking
on a juice fast.

Disclaimer:  Neither the author or publisher of this article are
licensed medical or dietary professionals.  The material provided in
this article is for your information only.  Always consult with a
licensed health professional before beginning a juice fast.