Juicing and weight loss | 3 questions and answers | Recipes

Not necessarily. The body loses weight only when it takes in less calories than it consumes. If you consume less calories from just drinking juice, then you will lose weight.  But in the long run, juice fasting isn't suitable for long-term weight loss because it shouldn't be done long-term. The body needs other nutrients that you cannot get from juice, such as fats, proteins, and insoluble fiber to maintain muscle mass and metabolic levels.

Juice fasting can restore energy and help you lose weight for a short period of time, but shouldn't be done for more than a few days. As always, it should be done in consultation with your doctor.

Fresh fruits and vegetables should make up about half of your total caloric intake each day. Juicing makes it much easier to reach this goal, as it's much easier to drink a glass of fresh-pressed juice than to eat a kilo of fruits and vegetables. It can help with weight loss and improve mood and energy levels.

The body absorbs up to four times more nutrients from fresh juice than from whole fruits and vegetables, if it is consumed on an empty stomach.  You should drink it 30 minutes before eating anything, or at least two hours after eating for optimal absorbtion of nutrients.

Fresh juice provides soluble fiber.  But it's important to eat some whole fruits and vegetables as they provide valuable insoluble fiber.

Fresh juices contain almost the same calories as whole fruits and vegetable, as the juicer is mainly separating the insoluble fiber.  Slow speed juicers will do a much better job keeping the nutrients than high-speed centrifugal juicers, which have a lower juice yield and can cause foaming and oxidation.

When choosing produce with weight loss in mind, try to focus mainly on vegetables and leafy greens, which are much lower in calories than high-sugar fruits.  You can add some fruit for sweetness. We recommend lemons, limes, strawberries, watermelon, Granny Smith apples, oranges, or pineapple. Some vegetables such as carrots and beets are naturally sweet.  A little ginger also helps spice things up, and adds important nutrients.

These recipes are designed to help with weight loss. Like all juices, they will help hydrate and energize the body.  But they have some other benefits specific for weight loss.For example, grapefruit contains narigenin, which promotes fat burning. Cucumber and celery can reduce swelling in abdominal tissue. Ginger is a natural metabolic accelerator.  Cabbage is densely packed with nutrients. And pineapple contains bromelain, whcih promotes the excretion of fats.