Juice Fasting and Detoxification: Use the Healing Power of Fresh Juice to Feel Young and Look Great

Review Update: Feb 14, 2011 If I had to choose one book to introduce people to fasting this would have to be it. It took watching a movie about fasting to really get me interested. Before reading this book I also had a juicer but had stopped using it for some reason. I guess I was lacking in motivation until I gained what seemed like five pounds in one week. I suddenly felt a sense of panic at the loss of control over my own weight and I wasn't eating differently from normal. Maybe you want to lose weight or release toxins or rejuvenate and refresh your body. Fasting might be for you. But I wouldn't try it without reading up on it online and also reading a few books. There are methods for easing into a fast and also things you should eat when stopping a fast. There are dangers involved if you don't know what you are doing. And I mean dangers like a heart attack! You don't want to suddenly stop a fast and go out for dinner that same night. The body can't handle the abrupt changes. So what will this book teach you? First it explains who should fast and who should not. It also explains various types of fasts. While discussing "Breatharianism" he doesn't indicate how many days the body can survive without water and only air. I assume such a drastic fast is only for one day. I have chosen the "liquitarian regime" and have been able to lose a pound a day. This might seem too fast but it sure feels freeing. There is nothing like the instant gratification of stepping on the scale and seeing you have actually lost another pound in a day. On this fast you can have broth which seems to satisfy my hunger and I have four juice drinks a day. I can also have soy protein shakes if I wish and have chosen to have one a day at night. It is really a lot easier to be on this fast than to think up things to cook each day! It also only costs about $14 a day for the fruits and vegetables you need. This book seems to have a little of everything and the section on how to choose a juicer is very helpful. However, I found most of the juicers were fairly expensive. You can get a juicer much more cheaply and I'd recommend Black & Decker Fruit & Vegetable Juicer Extractor . Most of the books I've read on juicing say that you can't keep juice fresh and that you should drink it immediately. This book gave some ideas for how you can store juice effectively in a thermos. This is helpful for people who are fasting and still need to go to work. The only thing this book really lacks is set plans for juice fasting. For that I'd recommend reading The Juice Fasting Bible: Discover the Power of an All-Juice Diet to Restore Good Health, Lose Weight and Increase Vitality . There are also just a few recipes and they are mostly carrot based. I tried one of the recipes and did like the combination of carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, parsley and beet. The truth is you really don't need many recipes at all. You can just buy whatever fruits and vegetables appeal to you and then go crazy with all sorts of combinations. Of course some things will taste better than others but I've found most juices I've made have turned out to be quite good. I will say that the green juices are really a little more difficult to drink than the fruit juices which are deliciously sweet. But if you just think of your health first they are easy to drink. If you are looking for books with lots of delicious juice recipe I've reviewed quite a few. Here are my favorites: The Big Book of Juices: More Than 400 Natural Blends for Health and Vitality Every Day Juiceman's Power of Juicing The Juicing Bible - has a small section on fasting Juicing for Health The Juice Lady's Juicing for High Level Wellness and Vibrant Good Looks Ultimate Juicing: Delicious Recipes for Over 125 of the Best Fruit & Vegetable Juice Combinations ~The Rebecca Review

This is my single favorite book about fasting using fruit/vegetable juice and detoxification. Meyerowitz takes you through the steps of what fasting is, how to begin, choices in juice/liquid fasting, what to expect during a fast and how to properly end a fast. This book is very easy to read, I love the charts and the pictures. If you are familiar with fasting you can skip around (thank goodness for an index) to the parts that you need to refresh your memory or if you are new to fasting it is not difficult to read the book straight through and you will definitely be well informed by the end. The other nice thing about this book is that he provides lots of alternatives. If you are looking for a book with just recipes for a fast this is not it, instead he tells you what different fruits and vegetables do for the body during a fast and gives a few suggested recipes. I also like that he does not force the idea of raw food diets or threatens the reader about disease and disaster. As always if you are taking medication or have medical conditions I would hope that you would seek out the advice of an alternative health practitioner. For people who just want to feel better and maybe loose a few pounds in the process this is a great introduction to fasting.

An easy read, Meyerowitz provides a general understanding and explanation of water, juice, liquitarianism, breatharianism fasting. The benefits of each and suggested lengths for fasting. This allows the reader to fast at a rate and with the method (such as drinking only water during the fast vs drinking highly nutritional juices during the fast for example)that is comfortable to them. Although the author considers water fasting the "true fast", he presents options for readers who may not feel comfortable with ingesting only water during their fasting time. I am a raw foodist and have fasted many times. I refer to my usual fast as a juice "feast" as I drink green juices throughout the fasting period and at a level of comfort knowing that I am nutritionally fed. That "feast" normally runs between 7 and 21 days depending on the season and my tasks at hand. I do however fast for shorter 3-7 day periods drinking only water. The water fast does as Meyerowitz guides, require some scheduling, quiet, lower activity and compassion for one's process of detoxification that occurs. This book is probably not as appropriately titled as it could be as it reads more about different cleasing options in fasting as well as the benefits of "juicing", colon therapy, and the accessibility of high quality methods of extracting nutrition from vegetables and fruits with juice extraction machines. I thought the author did a solid job of presenting the basics of cleansing and detoxification. This is not the book for someone who desires an indepth study or discussion of any one of these areas. This book is a quick educational guide for the fasting novice and a confirmation of alternative options available to the experienced fast participant. The book's main strength is the clarification and offering of considerations that the reader can pick and choose to make that fasting period effective, beneficial and comfortable to them. With varied lifestyle demands, any reader can find at least one of these methods that will fit their schedule and pace demands. As always in health, take it slowly, learn about your body and allow your fasting regimen to evolve at a pace that is beneficial, cleansing and compassionate to your entire wellness.

This is a great little book...it gives you all the information you will need to begin your own juice fast, including a juicer recommendation. I bought the mastification juicer it recommends from the mfr's website and got a wheat grass kit included. Just this one (kinda' expensive, but not too bad) juicer will replace my old centrifugal juice extractor (which was a pain to clean) and my food processor (also a pain to clean) for an extremely easy to clean new unit, as well as my entire approach to nutrition in the future. I was looking for something to use the Gerson Therapy approach with and the machine they recommend costs $2500 (since I don't have cancer, I'll pass on that one). The mastification juicer is mentioned by the Gerson people as "not bad...and better than centrifugal" from the standpoint of not destroying the nutrients of the foods processed. What's great is you can juice anything: cabbage, wheat grass, spinach...etc. and then I use what's left to add to soups to add natural fiber to something I'm already eating. I haven't even tried to make almond butter and desserts yet...this is great fun and an entirely new approach for me to gaining the nutrition I've been missing in processed foods...all of a sudden, I can do the processing myself without adding hazardous chemicals. My recommendation: buy the Gerson videos, the Food, Inc video and this little book and digest them ASAP for a healthier approach to longevity.

I can not even begin to explain how much I loved this book. It's easy to read and extremely informative. I have never done a fast before and I'm very glad I read this before starting mine. It explains pretty much everything you need to know to have a successful fast. It explains how to start a fast (what to eat, how to prepare mentally), what to juice (best juices to use and for specific health conditions), extra things you can do on your fast (epson salt baths, yoga, etc.), what to expect during your fast (side effects both positive and negative), and how to end the fast. And that's not even everything in the book! I would highly recommend this for a first time juicer. An experienced juice faster would probably know most of the information in there, but it is extremely informative. I felt like it included EVERYTHING I needed to know before starting and I've even reread it during my fast to keep my motivated. But yes, overall, an excellent book, very well written and easy to read quickly, and extremely informative.

If you're looking for a reference type book for juice recipes and their individual benefits to your body, this is NOT the book. If, however, you're looking for a more spiritual guide through the whole process of juice fasting then, this is the book. Steve Meyerowitz, a.k.a. Sprout Man, has written close to a bible for juice fasting which includes a wealth of information pertaining to all things in life which might lead one to fast. A lot of it, in my opinion, is worthless as I don't see juice fasting as a religious ordeal but more a physical ordeal. There are many religious type overtones to his work and this, again in my opinion, will alienate some people. There are chapters devoted to enemas which, I feel, don't fit in this book. Obviously sprout man is 100% devoted to his health in an obsessive way. One would have to seriously arrange one's lifestyle to adopt this book as a compass for health and, most of us can't or aren't motivated enough to do that. Interested in fasting with juice, I was looking for a reference book that I could use to create tasty, health oriented juice drinks not a road map to euphoria via juice and enemas. If you feel you want to adopt a lifestyle devoted purely to your health this might be the book as it does cover spiritual, physical and mental health. It's not for me and, I'd assume, not for the majority.

This book has all the information you need to start either a juice fast or a water fast. Usually when I fast, I dont tell anyone because most people dont understand and just tell me how crazy I am. This author made so many good and healthy points on fasting, now I can repeat them to people when they ridicule me for fasting. This book gave fabulous reasons on why to fast and for how long. Also, at what points in the fast your body goes through different changes. It tells you exactly what to expect. The author also told in great detail how to come off a fast the proper way. If you have been thinking of fasting but were afraid, PLEASE read this book! Oh, I also LOVED the juice machine reviews at the end. I havent bought a juicer, I have always been a water faster, but now after reading specific details about juicers, I am ready to purchase a juicer and start juicing my own vegetables!

Juice Fasting and Detoxification: Use the Healing Power of Fresh Juice to Feel Young and Look Great : The Fastest Way to Restore Your Health This book is simply marvelous! I have been struggling for years with my weight, acne, hair loss, and lack of energy. I decided to start fasting in order to cleanse my body from the toxic build up. Meyerowitz gave wonderful juice combinations that have helped me to stick to my fasting routine. This book contains a lot of beneficial information on how to begin fasting, what is fasting, and the various types of fasts. The author also talks about a healing event verses a healing crisis. This was very helpful to me--because without it I would have been convinced that I was dying. If you want to get your health back...if you want to lose weight...if you need more energy then you should consider going on a fast. And this book is the ultimate guide in finding and maintaining your health though natural means. Michelle J. Dyett-Welcome is a copywriter and reviewer for Smart-at-Home dot com.

Worth a buy

A very sensible and informative introduction to fasting. Very useful if you want to improve your health or just lose weight.

After years of steak, bacon and eggs, I decided to try a new lift-style, health wise that is. Sure is a lot of great information here folks, and the recipes are super, enjoy!!!

Great book to have for those interested in juicing.

Very informative, a good read lots of different fasting types, could have done with some colour photos just for aesthetics but not needed I guess