Will Juicing Help You Lose Weight?

Whether it’s about accentuating your curves, becoming healthy, or getting that flat tummy that you always desired, several reasons may make you want to lose weight. There are umpteen options to choose from if you want to drop those extra kilos. However, have you ever thought of trying juicing? Well, supposedly this way of losing weight has become quite popular. If this is something new to you, we suggest that you take a quick look at this article and learn about juicing and how you can make use of this technique to lose weight.

What is Juicing?

The method of consuming only the juice of fruits and vegetables and discarding the solids is known as juicing. People are switching to this option because it not only helps in losing the extra weight but also helps in detoxifying the body. However, there is not enough scientific evidence that supports the same.

Should You Follow a Juice Diet for Weight Loss?

People can opt for a juice diet either for a few days or for several days. There is no denying that being on a juice diet helps your body get some essential micronutrients. However, if you solely depend upon this diet to lose weight, you should be prepared to face certain drawbacks.

What are the Benefits of a Juice Diet for Weight Loss?

Following are a few benefits of switching to a juice diet:

• One of the most prominent benefits of switching to a juice diet is providing your body with an additional dose of essential nutrients if you have not been eating a variety of fruits and vegetables regularly.
• It leads to substantial weight loss because you are cutting down on the consumption of any solid foods. This may help keep you motivated and focused.
• Another important feature is that when you resume, you will get used to consuming smaller food portions, and fewer calories even after your diet is over. This will help in further weight loss.
• A three-day juice diet has been scientifically proven to improve gut health by altering the intestinal microbiota.

Reasons Why a Juice Diet for Weight Loss Might Not Work

Sometimes, a juice diet can show immediate changes in your weight, within a couple of a few days. However, sometimes it may not work because of the following reasons:

1. Increased Calorie Intake

When people switch on to this diet, they assume that fruit juices are not loaded with calories. But that is a myth! Fruits like mango, banana and custard apple contain a high amount of calories, and thus sometimes in ignorance, you may pile on calories without even knowing about it. Under such circumstances, a juice diet may not work for you.

2. Increased Sugar Intake

Fruits and vegetables contain natural sugar called fructose. High amounts of fructose can be easily digested by the body, leaving you craving for more food. Piling on too much natural sugar can lead to obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, an increased amount of sugar can make your juice diet less effective or ineffective.

Can Juicing Be Harmful for Your Health?

Though fresh fruits and vegetables are considered to be a boon for our health, sometimes, they can turn into a bane. This is because when you consume fruits and vegetables in the form of juice, you might face the following:

1. It Can Make You Sluggish

When you are on a juice diet, you deprive your body of other essential nutrients. This, in turn, can make your body low on energy, cause headaches and make you feel exhausted.

2. It Can Lead to Food Intolerances

Just including juice in your diet means removing other food groups such as dairy, gluten, wheat etc. from your diet. When you reintroduce these foods to your body, your body may behave all weird and show signs of food intolerance.

3. It Can Slow Down Your Metabolism

When you deprive your body of its regular calorie intake, it may impact your metabolism. Also, sometimes cutting down calories does not always lead to weight loss; it might do just the opposite because the body can go on a conservation mode.

4. It Can Make You Lose Water Weight Only

You might get all excited to see a sudden weight loss, but in reality, due to the shortage of sufficient calories, the body may start using up the glycogen, the storage glucose in the body. Once the body is back on a regular diet, these glycogen stores are replenished, leading to weight gain.

5. It Can Make You Lightheaded

The high amount of sugar can increase the production of insulin in your body, which in turn may make your blood sugar drop considerably. This can make you dizzy or lightheaded.

6. It Can Make Your Skin Wrinkly and Dry

Because your body is using up the stored glycogen for energy, it can make your skin lose the water and essential fatty acids leading to more wrinkly and dry skin.

7. It Can Hamper The Growth of Your Hair And Nails

Not consuming a diet containing all the essential nutrients can take a toll on your hair and nails too. You may find a considerable difference in the way your hair and nails grow during the period of the diet.

8. It Can Cause Mood Swings

Because your body is deprived of certain food groups such as protein, fibre and fatty acids, your serotonin levels may go down, and you may feel depressed.

9. It Can Lead to Bad Breath

In the absence of a stable diet, the body reduces its saliva production. This may lead to bacteria build up in the mouth causing bad breath.

10. It Can Lead to Diarrhea

Liquids get digested much faster than solids, which can show up temporary diarrhoea symptoms, even when you are consuming fewer calories.

Tips to Do Juicing Right To Achieve Your Weight Loss Goal

Here are some tips that can help you achieve your weight loss goal:

1. Don’t Follow It Blindly

Keep your sanity intact because juicing does not make you lose weight instantly. Instead, making lifestyle changes and including some active workouts along with juicing can work better.

2. Include A Well-Balanced Diet

Fruit juicing for weight loss or green juicing for weight loss is a great option. Combining it with a well-balanced diet may help you fetch more benefits and better results.

3. Add Some Boosters

Adding boosters like flax seeds, chia seeds, nuts etc. are a great way of adding omega-3 fatty acids and fibre content in your juice. You can also add protein powder if you are aiming for lean muscle mass.

4. Research Well For Recipes

Do not go by hearsay because this is a matter of health. Therefore, make sure you opt for tried and tested juice recipes to obtain maximum weight loss benefits.

5. Stick to Vegetables Juices

You should include vegetable juices for weight loss with carrot, kale, spinach, cabbage, celery etc. rather than opting for fruit juices.

6. Be Active

Being on a juice diet does not mean that should not do anything else. It is important that you include workouts in your schedule to have more effective weight loss.

7. Limit Your Sugar Intake

Fruits are high in sugar, make sure you exclude the fruits that have a high sugar content because they might do just the opposite.

8. Include Seasonal Vegetables And Fruits

Our body responds well to seasonal fruits and vegetables. Also, this will be easier on your budget.

9. Go Organic

Organic foods are free of chemicals and pesticides and will provide your body with unadulterated nutrition and goodness.

10. Check Your Portion Sizes

Fruit and vegetable juices are laden with calories. Therefore, do not be ignorant or negligent about what you are consuming. Be careful about what you are sipping and how much you are sipping.

FAQs

Here is the answer to a frequently asked question about juicing:

Is It Safe for Pregnant Women and Breastfeeding Moms To Go On Juice Diet?

You can consume fruit juices and vegetables when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. However, going on juice diets is not recommended. This is because at both these stages your body requires all the nutrients in the right amount. However, juices fail to provide your body with all the essential nutrients.

If you are looking for easy ways to shed extra kilos, juicing is something that you could consider. However, remember that the probable drawbacks may outweigh the benefits; therefore, choose wisely, and consult a dietician to ideate a diet based on your body type and physical needs.

Also Read:

Healthy and Tasty Drinks for Weight Loss
Ways to Figure Out the Perfect Diet Plan for Weight Loss
Best Fruit and Vegetable Juices for Glowing Skin
Indian foods for Weight Loss!