Juice Fasting, Water Fasting or Colon Cleansing? Breaking a Fast on Fruit or Salad?

Which is better?

Fasting Once A Year or Every Six Months?

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Many people wonder what the best type of cleanse is and how often one should cleanse. It’s a difficult question to answer since every person has a different ‘re-tox’ level in between their cleanses. But, on average, every 6 months is actually considered ideal. If you don’t have the time or resources for that, consider doing a ‘mini-cleanse’ on the 6-month mark and doing a full 7-day program yearly. For your ‘mini-cleanse,’ you can do 3 days of 100% raw food or 5 days of the Master Cleanse or even 7 days of 100% Green Smoothies.

Anything you do will be better than nothing!

Juice Fast Bliss

A lot of you may have done colon cleansing for your 7-day program, but did you know there are other types of fasting as well? Juice fasting is when one only takes juices and usually no supplements or detox drinks of any kind. In this fast, there can be daily enemas or not – it depends on the type of cleanse.

People can juice fast, or ‘Juice Feast’ for anywhere from 40 to 60 days. Remember, your body is still getting all the nutrients it needs from the juices!

Water fasting is much more intensive and involves only ingesting water with no supplements, juice or detox drinks. With water fasting, the main focus during the fast should be to rest as much as possible. This type of fasting is extremely effective at cleaning the tissues and cells very quickly. People can safely fast on only water for up to 40 days. But, this type of fasting is not to be taken lightly. Going into and coming out of a water fast needs to be done very carefully. If you have never done this before, I advise you to do a guided program. I personally have done 40 days of only water and I can tell you that it is an amazing experience. My eBook, 40-Day Water Fast: Comprehensive Guide & Personal Journal, details my experience and explains how to do a long water fast.

Green Smoothie Break-Fast

So, when breaking a fast, what is the best meal? Well, there are many different opinions out there. For a water fast, the breaking of the fast is much more strict, but for juice or colon cleansing, you have a few options. I usually suggest breaking a fast on fresh fruit with high-water content, such as watermelon or papaya.

You can also break a fast with a Green Smoothie. Because the smoothie is already blended, it is actually a great transition from liquids (juices) to solids (food).

Some people break their cleanse with a green salad and I would say this is also ok, but be sure to chew your food very slowly and avoid nuts and high fats, such as avocado, in the first few days after the cleanse.

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Jennifer Betesh has been working with raw food, juices, smoothies and detox for over two decades to help people heal. Today, she shares her expertise worldwide, offering lectures, workshops, training and one-on-one consultations at various health and detox retreat centers. She provides Iridology Readings & Health Coaching via Skype and Phone to clients and continues to educate, motivate and inspire others on their journey of healing. When she’s not working, you’ll find her hiking in the mountains, power-walking along the sea or globe-trotting to a new and exotic health destination.
11 replies
  1. Jennifer
    Jennifer says:

    Hi, I am currently doing a parasite cleanse from a company called Humaworm. I’ve been sick for about 16 years and every doctor I went to said no it can’t be parasites. Well about three weeks ago I had a BM and wiped a rope worm on my toilet paper. I’m trying to change my diet and I’ve also been ready the importance of colon cleansing and enemas after a parasite cleanse. My question is when should I do a colon cleanse? And how do I do a colon cleanse?

    Reply
    • Jennifer Thompson
      Jennifer Thompson says:

      Hi Miranda,

      Fiber is very important to eat when breaking a fast in order to gently wake up the stomach and bowels and ensure a good bowel movement. The problem with eggs is that they contain 0 grams of fiber; for that reason I would not recommend breaking a fast with eggs. If you do that, you run the risk of constipation and that’s probably the worst way to kill a good fasting high. I recommend to only eat fruits until you have your first bowel movement. It’s a good formula to eat only fruits and/or raw veggies for 1/2 the # of days you fasted, in your case 1/2 of 4 days is 2 days. Then slowly add more fats and proteins. I hope that helps!

      To your health,

      Jennifer

      Reply
  2. Zach
    Zach says:

    Hi, I’m considering a 21-day water fast for religious purposes. I am a pretty skinny guy (I’m 6’2″ and weigh 144). Would it be better to do a juice fast? since ketosis just might deplete all my fat in about 2 days…

    Reply
    • Jennifer Thompson
      Jennifer Thompson says:

      Hi Zach,

      I know a couple who are naturally skinny people (45-50kg). They do a 3-week water fast every year. Because they prepare properly and are nutrient sufficient when they go into the fast, they each only lose about 2kg each and they their weight stabilizes for the rest of the fast. That said, if you feel unsure…why not start on juices and see how you feel? You can achieve a deep sense of spiritual connection through juice fasting too.

      Blessings to your health,

      Jennifer

      Reply
  3. Sally
    Sally says:

    I fasted for only 4 days on water alone and it was very powerful – I became much more spiritually sensitive and intuitive. I can see why you would need to ‘remove’ yourself from disturbances – have a place to go – because it is very intense.

    Reply
  4. Carrie- young living oil lady
    Carrie- young living oil lady says:

    Loved your article! I am very fond of juicing and detoxing your body! I use essential oils topically and internally daily to help cleanse my body. I agree with you a little is better than nothing. Water fasting is definitely the hardest.. but it can be done! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Natalie
    Natalie says:

    Awesome important article! I can’t wait to try a guided water fast. I also love to encourage people to experience the joy of living clean…and learning the art of how your lattes fit in…. 🙂

    Reply

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