Weight loss is a hot topic with a million and one “solutions”, yet the problem just keeps getting worse.
More and more people are seeking out long term functional solutions to their weight loss woes and the answer simply won’t come from a magic pill. If you want to lose weight and more importantly, feel healthy and balanced, then you need to get nourished.
Even modern people living in developed nations are suffering from malnutrition at astonishing rates thanks to poor food choices.
I’m sure you know the logistics, in order to lose weight, you have to eat less calories and/or burn more calories. In theory it’s incredibly simple, in practice, not so much.
We run into problems when we start to become nutrient deficient, our energy plummets and we basically can’t help but throw in the towel.
No one wants to suffer, yet when we adhere to strict calorie counting programs that offer little real nutrition, we create some real problems.
The principle behind juicing for weight loss is that your body will have everything it needs, yet you won’t have to consume an excess of calories to get it.
When we juice regularly we also get a myriad of other health benefits. Juicing is great for cleansing toxins from the body, it can be helpful for diseases like diabetes and cancer, and in its nature it is incredibly preventative against a host of other problems and illnesses.
The Science Behind Weight Loss
Researchers have found that the optimum way to lose weight fast is to restrict calorie intake and increase calorie burning.
They’ve seen positive results from popular diets like Paleo and Atkins, as both these programs cut out all forms of junk and empty calories and replace them with nourishing substitutes. Ample protein consumption is important for long term weight loss and keeping energy levels up.
As is adequate amounts of key vitamins, minerals and enzymes which are fundamental to sustained energy and satiation.
There is a multiplied effect on weight loss when you add in exercise and strength training which helps to burn more calories and speed up the metabolism.
How Juicing Helps Nourish Without Excessive Calories
Using these scientific findings as a baseline shows us that if we want to lose weight, yet not create an insufferable hell for ourselves then we need to do three things.
- Get lots of protein
- Exercise
- Get lots of nutrients with relatively low calories
Juicing is the answer to the latter, it is by far the best method for giving the body abundant, utilizable nutrients without excessive calories.
Of course, you can’t live on juice alone, so the majority of your calories will come from high quality protein sources like lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.
Raw juicing is pure fuel and will propel you with enough energy to live your normal life as well as add in some exercise without excessive strain.
Yum Yum Weight Loss Juice Recipe
6 celery stalks
1 cucumber
1 lemon
1 apple
Process all ingredients through juicer, stir and enjoy. This juice is high in diuretic foods which help the body to let go of water retention. If your feeling bloated and puffy, drinking this juice should help to release excess fluids.
The Power of Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Raw food is amazing, we humans only started to cook over fire 400,000 years ago. For thousands of years before fire humans ate predominantly raw food, and while fire is a paramount blessing, it’s still in our genes to require raw food for optimal health.
Many important vitamins are destroyed when treated with high heat. Enzymes, the activators of life, are destroyed and our bodies have to work harder to digest and assimilate foods.
When we incorporate raw fruits and vegetables through juicing we’re doing our systems a huge favor.
Not only is raw juice easy to digest and absorb, it’s also filled with key vitamins and minerals that wouldn’t be there if it were pasteurized.
These nutrients will make weight loss so much easier. When we get fewer calories and fewer nutrients our bodies actually go into starvation mode which cause us to hold on to fat stores.
However when all nutrient requirements are met, our bodies know that its okay to release fat stores.
Dr. Norman J. Walker was a pioneer in promoting juicing as a way of cleansing and rebuilding the bodily systems. He studied and wrote books on the topic for many years, before juicing was ever popular.
Weight Loss Allies
Along with juicing, there are some other powerful factors in achieving your weight loss goals. Sure you could probably lose weigh with juicing alone, but if you really want to get results fast try adding in some of these weight loss allies.
Protein
A high protein diet is the basis for many successful weight loss programs out there, such as the South Beach Diet, Atkins and Paleo. There’s something to it, the science shows that high levels of protein are more satiating and help with long term energy.
Exercise
Traditional diet programs leave you feeling depleted and lethargic, leaving little room for the additional calorie burning power of exercise and weight training. We know that this propels our weight loss, but it’s so hard when we aren’t getting the nutrients our bodies need. The energizing benefits of juicing extend into the happy hormone induced state that exercise brings. We want those happy hormones, they help us reach our goals faster and with less pain.
Exercise and strength training also helps to build muscle which in turn helps boost metabolism and speed weight loss. There are some great juicing recipes below that you can try to boost energy before a workout and to replenish electrolytes after.
Sleep
Insomnia is a modern problem mostly created by a stressful lifestyle. Often exercise and a healthy diet are the first steps to better sleep. Science has proven that sleep has a pertinent effect on our capacity for weight loss. Those who sleep longer, lose more weight, and have an easier time coping with stress and anxiety. Sleep loss is also conducive to changes in sugar metabolism and appetite.
Try drinking a close to bedtime. The magnesium helps the muscles to relax, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Recipes
Amazing Green Juice
2 green apples
4 celery stalks
1 cucumber
6 kale leaves
1 lemon
1 inch piece of ginger
pinch of cayenne
Process all ingredients through juicer, stir and enjoy. The ginger and cayenne in this drink have a thermogenic effect and can help to boost metabolism. The kale packs a nutritional punch and the lemon has a total body alkalizing effect.
Pre-workout Power
1 beet
3 carrots
3 red cabbage leaves
1 orange
1/4 pineapple
2 handfuls spinach
Process all ingredients through juicer, stir and enjoy. The natural fruit sugars will help fuel you through your workout and replenish electrolytes.
The Cleanser
1 head of lettuce
1 apple
1 beet
4 carrots
1 inch piece of ginger
Process all ingredients through juicer, stir and enjoy. High amounts of choline in beet juice help to detox the liver. Ginger stimulates blood flow and improves digestion.
Breakfast Juice
1 tomato
2 handfuls spinach
3 carrots
1 cucumber
1 pepper
2 apples
This juice is a super nutritious way to start the day. Process all ingredients through juicer, stir and enjoy.
Simply Green
4 kale leaves
1 handful parsley
1 handful spinach
1 cucumber
2 apples
1/2 lime or lemon
This green juice is simple but incredibly nourishing, a great drink to invigorate you when energy is low. Process all ingredients through juicer, stir and enjoy.
Post Workout Juice
1 C blueberries
1/2 C pomegranate seeds
3 celery stalks
1 C red grapes
Process all ingredients through juicer, stir and enjoy. This juice will help to rejuvenate your muscles and replenish lost electrolytes.
This article was originally published on rootandsprouts.com
*Image of “juice“ via Shutterstock
