I've been helping people do juice fasts for over 15 years and I've done numerous juice fasts personally. Most people are fine with juice fasts unless they do a fruit juice-based or all fruit juice fast. This is probably related to the fact that most people don't know how to make a veggie combination juice recipe that tastes good, so fruit juice combos seem easier. That is an almost surefire way to get a Candida issue, especially if you have recently taken antibiotics (I have seen that happen).

The way you do a juice cleanse is to dilute any fruit juices with water, and use mainly greens (such as leafy greens, cucumber, zucchini) with just a little carrot, apple, beet, lemon as the sweet "accent". The most effective juice fast comes from making your own fresh-pressed juice with mainly vegetables. We generally say that if you're hungry, you should drink more juice. I've had a few Type II diabetics do this successfully without any adverse reactions. (always in this case self-monitoring the blood sugar often during the cleanse)

Then you HAVE to make sure you are having bowel movements (which typically stop when you stop consuming solid food), otherwise, your detox will make you feel pretty sick. So there are some simple herbs you can take to move the bowels during a juice fast to maximize the speed at which your body can eliminate as years of old accumulated toxins are being released from muscles, fat, organs and other tissues. There is an an amazing wisdom to the body design - toxins are usually released into the bowel for removal, so during a juice fast, there will be more toxins than usual in the colon. Maximize the intestinal transit time and give a soothing, mucilaginous absorptive formula to help absorb the toxins from the colon (before they are recirculated back to the liver), and you've got a great juice cleanse that can last anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks, or even longer, depending on the health issue.

The beauty of the juice fast is that if you are suffering from anything intestinal or digestive tract-related, the liquid diet allows the stomach and intestines to "rest" from their normal work, which can heal the stomach and intestinal lining quite rapidly. For things such as colitis, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, peptic ulcers, and other digestive problems, it can be a godsend. With the right herbal support, it can be life-changing and for many of my patients (as well as some personal friends), they have been able to avert surgery for these problems.

Lastly, brain fog, is kind of an overly vague term in "doctorspeak." It could be caused by anything from iron deficiency anemia to a weak heart, atherosclerosis, food allergy, medication reaction, infection of any kind, hypoglycemia, and various other disorders and diseases - it could even be a parasite. A diet high in refined sugar and flour can cause a reactive hypoglycemia leading to confusion and disorientation. Knowing your age, medical history, and family medical history can unlock many clues. So finding out the reason behind the brain fog is very important. In cases where the reason remains unknown and making the shift to a more whole foods diet didn't help, we can sometimes rely on Chinese medical theory which states that brain function is tied to liver function. Liver cleansing would be something you would attempt AFTER colon cleansing.

I've been helping people do juice fasts for over 15 years and I've done numerous juice fasts personally. Most people are fine with juice fasts unless they do a fruit juice-based or all fruit juice fast. This is probably related to the fact that most people don't know how to make a veggie combination juice recipe that tastes good, so fruit juice combos seem easier. That is an almost surefire way to get a Candida issue, especially if you have recently taken antibiotics (I have seen that happen).

The way you do a juice cleanse is to dilute any fruit juices with water, and use mainly greens (such as leafy greens, cucumber, zucchini) with just a little carrot, apple, beet, lemon as the sweet "accent". The most effective juice fast comes from making your own fresh-pressed juice with mainly vegetables. We generally say that if you're hungry, you should drink more juice. I've had a few Type II diabetics do this successfully without any adverse reactions. (always in this case self-monitoring the blood sugar often during the cleanse)

Then you HAVE to make sure you are having bowel movements (which typically stop when you stop consuming solid food), otherwise, your detox will make you feel pretty sick. So there are some simple herbs you can take to move the bowels during a juice fast to maximize the speed at which your body can eliminate as years of old accumulated toxins are being released from muscles, fat, organs and other tissues. There is an an amazing wisdom to the body design - toxins are usually released into the bowel for removal, so during a juice fast, there will be more toxins than usual in the colon. Maximize the intestinal transit time and give a soothing, mucilaginous absorptive formula to help absorb the toxins from the colon (before they are recirculated back to the liver), and you've got a great juice cleanse that can last anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks, or even longer, depending on the health issue.

The beauty of the juice fast is that if you are suffering from anything intestinal or digestive tract-related, the liquid diet allows the stomach and intestines to "rest" from their normal work, which can heal the stomach and intestinal lining quite rapidly. For things such as colitis, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, peptic ulcers, and other digestive problems, it can be a godsend. With the right herbal support, it can be life-changing and for many of my patients (as well as some personal friends), they have been able to avert surgery for these problems.

Lastly, brain fog, is kind of an overly vague term in "doctorspeak." It could be caused by anything from iron deficiency anemia to a weak heart, atherosclerosis, food allergy, medication reaction, infection of any kind, hypoglycemia, and various other disorders and diseases - it could even be a parasite. A diet high in refined sugar and flour can cause a reactive hypoglycemia leading to confusion and disorientation. Knowing your age, medical history, and family medical history can unlock many clues. So finding out the reason behind the brain fog is very important. In cases where the reason remains unknown and making the shift to a more whole foods diet didn't help, we can sometimes rely on Chinese medical theory which states that brain function is tied to liver function. Liver cleansing would be something you would attempt AFTER colon cleansing.

I would say that it is probably agreed by most healthcare practitioners that cleansing once or twice a year is very beneficial to your health. There are many ways to cleanse of which juicing is one of them. I personally am not a fan of the juice cleanse as I am of the opinion that the sugar comsumption while using a juice cleanse is too high. Again, this is one of those subjects where there are many different opinions and most of us based our opinions on experience.

The prepackaged cleanses are also an option but one must pay particular attention to the manufacturing of the products, what if any, other chemicals are used in the preparation of these packaged cleanses. A lot of nutraceutical companies have jumped on the bandwagon for packaged cleanses and while that is convenient, if you break down the word nutriceutical it means chemical nutrition which will continue to overburden the body.

At my clinic we only use products made from 100% natural sources like food, herbs, and essential oils. Those that use the cleanses that I recommend always have great results.

Orthomolecular Products makes the best 7 day detoxification kit. For about $65.00. It includes the detox mix, and two sets of pills to help with phase one and two liver detoxification. The most important part to any detox is the elimination diet (soy, dairy, peanuts, fish, etc) which helps to heal the gut, along with good probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Juice cleanses are always a great way to detox and get great concentrated nutrients in the body. Be sure to use organic vegetables. It is not so much a matter of calories. If you do liquid, you may be hungry. It would be good to include some beet juice to help the liver. It will be mind over matter at first, but you will be encouraged when you feel better.

"The Complete Master Cleanse" by Tom Woloshyn is a comprehensive, yet short guide for doing a 10 day fresh lemonade cleanse.

I have read the book and done the cleanse multiple times. It required me to exercise some self control and there were challenges along the way, but after completing each one it was clear there was a positive effect on my health.

The book answers all questions on how to do the cleanse, including what to expect and how to troubleshoot problems. Read all of it first and follow the instructions exactly as described. He touches on this, but worth emphasizing is to use the highest quality ingredients for the lemonades and make them from scratch fresh each time you are ready to consume one.

Detox is a very complex subject. Raw fruits and vegetables contain natural folates and vitamins which would support methylation, which is one of the body's many detox pathways. Brain fog can be from many causes, but natural folates and vitamins from fresh raw organic vegetables will be good for you. Use a blender or juicer and make them fresh yourself. Use non-sweet fruit such as frozen berries, use unsweetened coconut or almond milk for the liquid base, and add a tablespoon of coconut oil or MCTs, add organic vegetables and spices or herbs to your taste. Blend and enjoy.

You can certainly make your own home-made juice cleanse. It consists of drinking warm water mixed with a few drops of lemon juice and honey or a Grade B maple syrup. An good alternative is adding Vitamin C powder packets (1000mg) mixed with a pinch of the Indian spice turmeric. Drink this water every 10 to 15 minutes during the day. You can also alternate with a vegetable juice consisting of dark green leafy vegetables and beets with 1/2 piece of apple to sweet. Do a liquid cleanse for 3 to 5 days maximum especially if you feel very light. If you feel extremely cranky or tired, only do the vegetable juice for breakfast and the water formula for the rest of the day. Continue to have high intake of plant proteins without wheat, cow's milk, alcohol, caffeine, shellfish, red meat, refined sugar and processed foods for the rest of the day. Try this diet for at least 2 to 3 weeks. It will certainly detox your body of toxins.

I don't recommend juice cleassing and not consuming food. I do recommend a cleansing diet. Which is preservative free. No fast food and ect with a great detox juice you drink three times daily. You can contact me at drjoyedwards@gmail.com if you'd like the regime