The day I ended my first juice fast rests in my brain as a bookmark of a sort of holistic rebirth that redefined my perception of my body and health. Although my diet has certainly gone through many growing pains and changes since this initial fast, I look back on my action of buying a juicer and beginning a fast as a crucial turning point in my outlook on the importance of nutrition.
So does juice fasting help psoriasis? Out of all the great health habits I’ve picked up over the years, juicing may be the most medicinal of them all. If your skin is breaking out, the first thing you should turn to is fresh vegetable juice. The role that juice fasting can play in healing your psoriasis and rebuilding your health is irreplaceable.
What a juicer does, is it extracts pure juice from the ingredients that are fed into it while depositing their fibers or “pulp” into a separate container. By consuming vegetables in this way, you are allowing your digestive system to be free of virtually any work in terms of breaking down food.
The efficiency with which you can absorb the vital micronutrients of fruits and vegetables in juice form is unmatched. This kind of nutrient absorption is exactly what your body needs if you want to clear your skin of psoriasis, dermatitis, or eczema. If you pair that kind of efficiency with a fasted state, you have a powerful gut health remedy that will transform your skin.
By beginning a juice fast and staying away from all other calories besides juice, you’re allowing your gut to do nothing but relax and repair. You can fast for as short as 12 hours or for as long as 60+ days. While I have experience with some fairly long fasts, I think that introducing juice as a consistent part of your lifestyle is the real key. One long fast is not going to fix your problems. But making juice a staple in your diet will give you skin healing results quicker than anything.
WHAT VEGETABLES/FRUITS SHOULD I JUICE?
Although there are exceptions both ways, I always inform people to juice your vegetables and blend your fruits. While a green apple can make a sweet addition to your green juice or a handful of spinach can boost your smoothie, the majority of your juices should consist of mostly vegetables and the majority of your smoothies should consist of mostly fruits.
There are so many options when it comes to what vegetables to juice. Some of the common vegetables that I juice are celery, cucumbers, carrots, beats, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, cilantro, basil, dill, watercress, ginger…. The list goes on. Do some research and look up some recipes to get started. Also, keep in mind that while variety is great, you can also keep it basic at times and go with a simple celery or carrot juice.
As I mentioned, I believe juicing is best suited for vegetables, but fruits like oranges, apples, grapes, grapefruits, and watermelons are great to juice on their own. Also, green apples in a green juice or oranges in a carrot based juice have been staples in my juices for years.
SIMPLE GREEN JUICE RECIPE
-Half a cucumber
-5-6 stalks of celery
-2 carrots
-Bundle of kale
-1 Green apple
-Thumb sized piece of ginger
SIMPLE CARROT AND ORANGE JUICE RECIPE
-3-4 medium carrots
-1-2 whole oranges
-Half of a lemon
-Thumb sized piece of ginger and/or turmeric root
HOW MUCH JUICE SHOULD I DRINK?
Drink as much as you want. Juice is so nourishing and easy to digest that you really can’t overdo it. Although there is certainly a hunger aspect to juice fasting, starving yourself is not the goal here. The goal is to first put your body in a state of healing and then supply it with an abundance of gut health reforming nutrients.
When I juice fast, I typically consume 3-4 32 ounce juices a day. You can drink less or more than that, but be sure to be consuming plenty of water between juices. Water is a crucial part of any kind of fast and you may even want to consider combining water fasting with juice fasting. For instance, drink nothing but water for the first few hours of the day and then drink juice for the rest of the day.
SHOULD I DO AN EXTENDED JUICE FAST?
If you are willing to take the leap, I think just about every person could benefit from entering into an extended juice fast. The deep cleansing that is associated with a longer fast is something that cannot be replicated. With that said, long fasts are by no means absolutely essential. Learning to consistently incorporate shorter juice fasts into your regimen is much more powerful than any one juice fast could be.
One approach you can take, is to pick one or two days every week or every other week where you consume nothing but juice for an entire day. This method allows your body to set aside some detox time on a consistent basis. Above all else, consistency is your best friend when it comes to healing.
BREAKING THE FAST
Whether you realize it or not, you break a fast every day when you wake up (hence ”breakfast”). If you have dinner at 7pm and then have breakfast at 8 am the following morning, you have effectively fasted for 13 hours. When your digestive system is in this fasted state, it is in prime condition for nutrient retention. So feed yourself foods that are going to nourish and energize during this crucial time.
Breaking your fast is arguably the most important part of the process, especially in longer fasts. After going X amount of days without consuming any food other than juice, the last thing that you want to do is eat a big meal that is going to be taxing on your digestive system. You want to break your fast with very simple foods that are easy to digest.
Fruits are a perfect food choice for breaking your fast. Have a couple of smaller fruit “meals” before you begin to reintroduce other foods back into your diet. As you add things like healthy fats, and proteins, be sure to do this slowly as you do not want to overwhelm your system.
ALTERNATIVES/OTHER THINGS TO CONSUME WHILE JUICE FASTING?
If you really can’t see yourself buying a juicer and using it frequently, there are other types of fasts that you can play around with that will give you similar results. Water fasts and grape fasts are two other types of fasts that I have used over the years that have proven to be very effective.
You can also do modified types of fasts where you water/juice fast for most of the day but also throw in a smoothie or a veggie or fruit meal from time to time. Do what you’re comfortable with, especially to start. Ultimately, your relationship with fasting is what you make it and you have to do what works for you.
There are some other gut cleansing beverages that you can incorporate into your fast to optimize healing and detoxification. Herbal teas such as chamomile, peppermint, and green tea can play a major role in rounding out your fast and are a perfect morning option to begin your day. Also, including organic apple cider vinegar into your routine is another great idea. 1-2 tsp of apple cider vinegar in 12 oz of warm water also makes for a great fasting beverage that can do wonders for your gut lining and nutrient retention.
WHAT JUICER SHOULD I GET? (centrifugal vs. masticating)
CENTRIFUGAL
Centrifugal juicers contain a filter/ extracting mechanism which extracts juice from ingredients by revolving at high speeds. These types of juicers are generally fairly low in price and can be a great option for someone who is new to juicing and is looking for an affordable and reliable option. In my experience, many of the juicers on the lower end of that price range are not very durable and will break after limited use. Investing the extra $50-60 in a superior product is definitely worth it in this case.
MASTICATING
Masticating juicers are what are referred to as “cold press” juicers as they quite literally press the juice out of their ingredients. They are a more expensive option, but will undoubtedly give you results that justify their higher prices. Masticating juicers are just more efficient machines in general and will give you a higher juice yield than centrifugal juicers. This is especially true when it comes to leafy greens like kale and spinach. This efficiency will also save you money as you will get more juice from less vegetables. Click here to head to my recommended juicers page and start juicing.
CONCLUSION
Juice fasting is without a doubt one of the most powerful tools you can use to combat and ultimately reverse your skin disease. While there are certainly many other methods of detox that can give you similar results, I have yet to find anything that can live up to the high healing standard set by fresh vegetable juice. The more juice you incorporate into your diet, the better chance you have of ultimately making your skin disease a thing of the past.
When you introduce juicing into your life, you soon realize that the benefits of such a habit extend far beyond your skin. I was completely sold on juicing after the first juice I ever consumed. Aside from the delicious and electric taste, I could feel the live enzymes and vital micronutrients entering my body leaving me with a sudden jolt of energy and sense of mental clarity. This sensation is merely a small-scale reflection of the long term impact that juicing can have on your body. By making the decision to start juicing, you are making a huge step in achieving your goal of becoming psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis free.
If you are looking for an in-depth skin healing formula that you can use to build your perfect healing plan, click here to download my free skin healing protocol. This document will give you an understanding of how you should go about formulating your healing plan/diet and can be used as a point of reference as you feel your way through the process.
