Seeing the hand on the scale’s go down is the desire of 90% of the people who come to see me in my practice. And there are plenty of solutions that most patients bring to me: green juice diets for weight loss, detox diets, non-carbohydrate diets, intermittent fasting, super foods.
I’m sorry to disappoint those who put so much expectation around these apparent solutions. But the reality is that there is no shortcut to fast weight loss, so I insist so much for people to change the way they relate to food.
With regard to green juice diets for weight loss, specifically, I can’t deny that they have their merits. They are natural after all!
However, I have said and I’m going to repeat, there is no food in the world that makes you bigger or makes you slimmer. There is no villain or good guy when it comes to food. There is only moderation and respect for hunger and satiety. Even fast food and chocolate are allowed inside a balanced diet.
That being said, it’s easy to see that it’s not only the exchanging of soda for juice that will make a difference on your waist, but, your food intake in general.
Of course it’s always better to ingest something natural rather than processed, but too much juice is not so newsworthy.
When it comes to liquids, I think it’s important to talk again about the concept of satiety (the signal that tells you to stop eating). Drinking food can actually fool hunger. But it doesn’t convey the same sense of satiety as chewing. With that, there is the risk of over-consuming – much more than the body really needs.
In general, green juice diets for weight loss also have a lower amount of fiber than if the ingredients used for their preparation were consumed in their solid state.
Therefore, in general: drink water. And prefer to eat your food. Don’t process it and consume it in liquid form: Don’t drink your food. If you’re going to drink juice, prioritize those which are taken from fresh foods, avoid excess sugar and try to vary the choice of ingredients to give your body a richer supply of nutrients.
Green Juice Diets for Weight Loss: Reprogram Your Taste Buds
Another tip I would like to give you is the gradual reprogramming of your taste buds. If you’re very accustomed to drinking soda every day, for example, then start paying attention and decrease your consumption of soda. Start by drinking it every other day, for example, 1 day yes, 1 day no. In a short time you’ll have reduced your consumption to “occasionally”.
The same happens with excessive use of salt and sugar. So what about green juice diets to lose weight? Yes, because a lot of people see it as a “mission” to drink this type of drink every day for breakfast, or after a heavy meal.
Take this kind of obligation out of your life. Get used to drinking more water and, over time, your body will start to get rid of its desire for excess sugar, such as the one coming from the soft drinks and juices you drink “on auto-pilot”, without wondering if you’re really in the mood or because you believe they’ll help you to lose weight.
The human body is smart. Don’t try to fool it!
Another thing I usually tell my patients is that the body has a wonderful ability to adapt. Trust it and listen to it carefully.
People who get obsessed with green juice diets for weight loss, restrictive diets, supplements that promise to “cheat” hunger or whatever, forget to listen to what their body really wants.
They forget to hear their own hunger. Sometimes, they think a juice can replace a meal, but the body will understand it as a state of alert: “There’s not enough food, I’m not getting what I need!,” and you’ll end up feeling stress. The desired effect – weight loss – may not necessarily happen. In fact, the opposite may occur; the deceleration of your metabolism and the resulting risk of gaining weight.
I am not saying that juices, when consumed in moderation, are bad for your health. I’m only reinforcing, once again, that they don’t perform miracles if they’re not accompanied by a complete alimentary conscience. Beware of excesses!
If you’re connected with your body, it will adapt depending on what you’re eating and you’ll have a calmer relationship with your cravings for sweets, fats and other foods considered “villains”. In this scenario, you should think of green juice diets for weight loss as complementary, not as a magic slimming potion or as a daily obligation.
It’s worth noting that foods are not just calories, although nutrition has simplified them in this way for many, many years. Food is information: it contains nutrients and bioactive compounds that play a key role in our metabolism.
If you want to make peace with your body and especially with food, start looking more broadly for food.
Can you drink green juice diets for weight loss? You can! But you also need to eat food! That is, give preference to natural foods in their solid form – full of fiber!
Reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods and drinks, whenever possible, prefer water in place of other beverages. This is the only “miracle” that can make your body function at its best.
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Hi there, thanks for sharing the helpful post. I think weight loss is not a hard job if you are following proper diet and exercise.
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