juicing vs fasting

juicing vs fasting.

fasting question – what about juicing versus fasting?

if one of the things we’re looking to accomplish from fasting is “detoxing,” why not just go and do some kind of juice cleanse? is a juice cleanse ok?

• short answer – NO.  it does NOT accomplish what we are trying to accomplish.
• longer answer – HELL NO. we don’t advocate juicing in general. we advocate eating real food.

as an SHT community, many of us are embarking on a 3-week fasting progression. we call our fasting protocols Strategic Fasting.  this is a term we’ve been using for years. our fasting is strategic and has specific goals:

• fasting mimics the evolutionary template of feast and famine.
• fasting is a hormetic stressor that in small amounts is beneficial.
• fasting gives the body a chance to rest and heal from digestion.
• fasting forces insulin levels low and allows the body to tap into body-fat for fuel.
• fasting enhances brain function, energy levels, and muscle preservation.
• fasting facilitates healing and autophagy, which could be considered as detox, but it’s better.

on detoxification. . .

detoxification happens all the time.  not when you grab a juice or do a master cleanse. detoxification requires 3 things:

1. minimization of incoming toxins.
2. specific nutrients to support the detox pathways.
3. rest = not eating = fasting.

therefore the best thing you can do for your body always is:

• don’t eat processed foods. don’t eat crap.
• eat 100% fresh real food all the time, INCLUDING and ESPECIALLY animal meats. why? because animal meats are THE most nutrient-dense of all of our macro nutrients.  animal meats give the body everything the body needs to contribute to structure, form, and function.
• nurture natural space (no eating) anywhere and everywhere you can.

nutrients needed for phase I detox?

• magnesium
• vitamin A
• B vitamins
• folate

all found in animal meats in a very bio-available form.

nutrients needed for phase II detox?

• glycine
• glutamine
• cysteine
• methionine
• taurine

all found in animal meats, in a very bio-available form.

so why not a juicing cleanse or juicing in general?

most people turn to juicing as a silver bullet, to “clean things up,” and to lose weight. when what most people really need to do is focus on eating real food for a lifetime.

• juicing is not natural.
• juicing potentially floods the body with higher amounts of sugar. our goal is to train the body how to be self-sufficient, metabolically flexible, and fat burning. we understand you can green juice and minimize this, but. . .
• juicing bypasses digestion. our bodies need the processes of preparing, cooking, seeing, smelling, and masticating food to have strong digestion.
• juicing floods the body with plant-based anti-nutrients and stressors.
• a juicing cleanse is focused on consuming. during our Strategic Fasts, we are focused on NOT consuming.
• when we do eat, most of us would rather eat a steak than have a juice :)