It's the season to eat, drink, be merry and get fat! It is also guaranteed that you will regret the overindulgence in the new year. Getting fat will "weigh" you down.
According to wellness consultant and nutritionist, Donovan Grant, "you will have a merry Christmas and a fat new year." However, starting a juice diet before pigging out during the holidays, will leave you some space to gain a little weight. Juice diets have recently become quite a fad among celebrities and everyone seems to be catching on. This type of diet like many others, takes a lot of discipline but is effective for losing pounds quickly.
Grant revealed that many people tend to gain weight during the Christmas season but, if they shed some pounds before they begin to eat many slices of Christmas cake and ham, they will have room for error. So, if you lose 10 pounds now and gain five pounds after the season, it would balance things out.
He notes that juice diets are very effective, and he gives his clients juice days as a part of their weight-loss programme. But, he says, the trick is not to shock your system. "Gradually introduce the diet, don't be drastic. Start with a three-day juice fast to see how your body reacts to it."
He also points out that before you go on a juice diet, detox cleansing can be helpful. Also, he stresses the importance of consulting with your physician or nutritionist before undertaking such a diet, especially if you have diabetes or blood pressure problems. He says juices do not have all the nutrients, so it is important to take additional supplements while you are on a juice diet.
Callaloo makes a great green juice. - Photo by Nashauna Drummond
How a three-day juice fast works
To start a juice diet, begin with drinking a glass of lime and water (squeeze half of a lime in a glass of water). This will boost your immune system and it is rich in Vitamin C. It helps to decrease grease and assist you with bowel movement and, most important, it will curb your appetite.
For breakfast, have a glass of green juice whether cucumber, pak choi, lettuce, celery, string beans or callaloo, using coconut water as the base or you can use a juicer to extract the juice. Grant notes that green juices have many good properties and allow you to lose water weight, flush the kidneys and bladder, and you will get a larger serving of vegetable because in juice form, you will drink more than you would eat. Also, a juice diet can be used as an opportunity to introduce more vegetables to your diet and it is good for the skin. Juices are also good detoxifiers.
By mid-morning (between 9 and 11 a.m.), have another green juice.
For lunch, have a 12-ounce bottle of carrot juice you can add beets, lime, and ginger to it. It is important not to destroy your stomach during the fast, so don't keep it empty.
Between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m., have another 12-ounce bottle of carrot juice, and for dinner, have 12 ounces of water or coconut water.
Grant told Flair that if this method is followed for three days, people can lose up to seven pounds. However, depending on your metabolic rate, you might lose more or less.