The Juice Weight Loss Plan

Did you make a new resolution to lose weight? It’s that time of year again when many of us are motivated to shed the holiday pounds. But we don’t want to starve, struggle, or stop short because we get discouraged. And most of us want a plan that produces lasting results.

Recently, Oprah asked for stories of people who have lost weight and kept it off for at least five years. Why five? Most weight loss programs don’t produce lasting results. Shy on live foods that feed the body and curb the appetite, when the weight loss program ends, the weight packs back on. Additionally, most weight loss programs do nothing to detox the body; some even add to the toxicity. Toxins can actually cause us to gain weight. It’s true. And they can make it very difficult to lose weight.

Juicing fresh produce as part of a healthy lifestyle to lose weight can help us keep weight off for life! The juice plan works because freshly made juices feed the body an abundance of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients. The body can use everything-–it doesn’t need to store any of the juice in fat cells. Chock full of nutrients, the juice combinations in this diet send a signal to the brain that the body is well fed. No longer will hunger signals cause you to clean out the fridge after dinner because your body is still starving for nutrients. And because the juices are rich in antioxidants that bind to toxins and carry them out of the body, they help detoxify the stuff that is a major source of weight gain.

One of the most prevalent toxins is acid. The majority of the American diet is acidic or turns acidic in the system after we eat it. These foods include muscle meats, dairy, grains, trans fats, oxidized oils, sweets, some fruit, coffee, black tea, alcohol, and junk food. When we choose a high- alkaline diet, which is a diet dominated by vegetables and vegetable juices, we alkalinize the body. Achieving a 75/25 (alkaline to acid) balance in foods and beverages and regulating your body’s acid/alkaline chemistry through simple dietary changes can result in easy weight loss, increased energy, improved health, and a greater sense of well-being.

The body must maintain a healthy pH balance; in the blood between 7.35 and 7.45. To deal with excess acid, the body will store it in fat cells. It will even make more fat cells in which to store acids to keep them from damaging delicate tissues and organs. The same is true of toxins. Many people have noticed that when they increase alkaline foods such as vegetables, vegetable juices, sprouts, essential fats, and certain fruit, which are alkaline, their weight begins pouring off! The body can finally let go of fat cells containing the acid because there’s plenty of alkaline-buffer to neutralize and carry the acid out of the system. Acid levels may rise in the system at this time, which would indicate that fat is melting away with the acid it contains. This makes the juicing weight loss seem effortless.

To get started, see the Weight Loss chapter in The Juice Lady’s Guide to Juicing for Health. And if you need a good juicer, go to the Choosing a Juicer page.

Have a healthy, prosperous New Year!

Cherie Calbom, The Juice Lady