Fasting of course is an age old tradition, which has been practiced in most (if not all) of the world’s religions. Gandhi was well known as a proponent of fasting, which he believed improved the clarity of his mental processes – a benefit repeatedly claimed for this form of physical “housekeeping”.

Whether it’s the spiritual, mental or purely physical benefits that attract you to this particular family of detox recipes, you need to be careful, and only undertake a juice fast if you are healthy and strong. Furthermore, certain people should never try a juice fast. For a start, it should go without saying that pregnant or nursing women should absolutely never engage in a juice fast – in fact it would be a good rule for these women not to engage in any kind of detox recipe. You and your baby need too much nutrition. Consult your doctor before making any major dietary changes.

Other conditions also rule out a juice fast as your choice of detox recipe. If you have low blood sugar or diabetes, low blood pressure, immunity problems or infection, kidney or liver problems, eating disorders, anemia or underweight, or any major illness like cancer or epilepsy, you will need close medical supervision before attempting a fast or any other detox recipe. People with serious or chronic illnesses should not significantly alter their diet except on a doctor’s orders. Better safe than sorry.

If you are sufficiently healthy, and want to give it a try, keep in mind that there may be temporary side effects to this particular type of detox recipe. Lightheadedness, headaches, fatigue, dizziness and other symptoms can occur. If they re troublesome or begin to worsen, stop the detox immediately and seek emergency medical attention promptly. An additional warning: grapefruit and pomegranate juices should not be used in a juice fast, as they can interfere with medications.

Additional tips: eat a raw food diet for about a week before using a juice fast detox recipe. Try to scale back or eliminate meats and toxins like caffeine during this period.

When you’re ready, begin drinking 32 to 64 ounces or fruit and or vegetable juice per day, with plenty of water. Using a power juicer can considerably expand your options, and is highly recommended.  If an all-juice diet is too difficult, an altered version includes taking one meal a day. When you’re finished, go back to a regular diet gradually, not all at once.

Good luck, be careful, and enjoy your detox recipe!