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:
- minimization of incoming toxins.
- specific nutrients to support the detox pathways.
- 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 :)
