Exploring the Sweet Path to Detoxification

What is the Fruit Fast Diet | Fruit Fasting Benefits | Types of Fruit Fasting | What Foods to Eat While Fruit Fasting | What Foods to Avoid While Fruit Fasting | Risks of a Fruit Fast | Tips for Fruit Fasting | Who Should Do Fruit Fasting

Fasting is a deliberate shunning of food for a specified period. The practice of fasting has been allied with several health advantages like improved metabolism, better cognition, enhanced immunity, and so on. However, one of the main goals of fasting is to lose weight.

In the contemporary world, there are various methods of fasting followed for weight loss. But out of all these methods, one form of fasting is fruit fasting which can be a beneficial option. A fruit fast meal plan is a type of modified diet that lets you eat whole fruits while thoroughly detoxifying and healing your body naturally.

When you are on a fruit fast, your metabolism remains unharmed rather than slowing down as it happens with liquid-only fasts. But the question arises – is fruit fasting an effective way for detoxification and weight loss?

In this article, we will discuss what fruit fasting is, what its benefits are, how it works, and what food you can eat on a fruit fast.

What Exactly is the Fruit Fast Diet?

The fruit fast is a modified fasting diet that involves consuming raw fruits primarily for a specific period. It is considered a natural healing method as it intensively detoxifies your body by eliminating the accumulation of waste and toxins from your digestive tract.

You can eat solid foods in a fruit fast unlike water and juice fast. However, the intake of food is extremely restricting and focuses on eating only fresh fruits and vegetables. In some cases, you may be allowed to have some nuts.  Weight loss and detoxification are the primary purposes of a fruit fast.

In a fruit fast you can enjoy three to five portions of fruits and vegetables raw or lightly steamed in a day. This helps purify your body by eliminating toxins lessening the pressure on the organs and aids in the regeneration and recovery of your body. Fruit fasting also controls the pH balance of the body, encourages metabolism, helps in antibody production, and strengthens immunity.

How Does it Work?

Eating only raw fruits can considerably reduce your calorie intake. When you fast, your body’s primary energy source glucose reserve starts to eliminate. Therefore, your body’s cells search for other alternative sources such as fat stores to get energy. This helps lose weight and modulates the body’s ability to store and burn body fat.

However, the fruit diet is not suggested for an extended period since fruits do not have all the essential nutrients that are required for a person to maintain good health. Proponents of the fruit fast diet may stick to a particular detox day, while experienced people may choose to fast for longer such as a period of three weeks.

Fruit Fasting Benefits

There are various fruit-fast benefits. Some of them are mentioned below.

• A fruit diet benefits people by losing weight. Eating only fruits and vegetables significantly reduces the number of calories. Hence, leads to weight loss.
• Besides, high-fibrous fruits meet the requirements of your body by promoting easy satiety and lesser energy intake. This in return helps you refrain from eating more and causes weight loss.
• Since a fruit-based fasting diet can encourage weight loss, losing excess weight can reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure levels. It also reduces the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
• Losing weight may enhance your energy levels, improve respiratory activities, and positively impact your physical activity levels.
• Fruit-based fasting can help detoxify your body along with promoting better digestion.
• The high fiber content in fruits helps eliminate toxins from the body along with encouraging regular bowel movement.
• Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which can help protect against the risk of developing diseases like cancer or heart disease.
• They are also less in calories and have high water content which makes them an ideal option for weight management.
• Fruits fast diet can help improve energy levels and improve mental health.
• Fruits that have low glycemic index including cherries, grapefruit, pears, dried apricots, apples, oranges, plums, strawberries, peaches, and grapes improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes.
• Consuming different types of fruits regularly can help improve skin health and collagen production.

Types of Fruit Fasting

There are two types of Fruit fasting which are discussed below in detail. This will help you decide which fast is ideal for you.

The One-fruit Fast

Also called mono-fruit fasting, this is a fasting method that entails consuming only one single fruit during the fasting duration. It is wise to select fruits that have cleansing properties such as melons, apples, or grapes. 

However, it is still vital to observe how much fruit you should eat so that you do not go beyond the daily calorie intake limit. For example, you can take 3 to 4 apples a day or 1-2 oranges per meal. The one-fruit fast is simple to follow because it requires almost no preparation.

The Any-fruit Fast

It is just the reverse of one-fruit fast. Instead of just one fruit, you can choose to have many types of fruits in this type of fruit fasting. However, it is recommended to choose the fruit having cleansing properties such as apples, grapes, and citrus fruits.

While following this fruit fast method you must be aware of the fact that not all fruit combinations can work well. For example, you should avoid eating a combination of sweet and sour fruits such as melons with any citrus fruits because they cannot be digested properly.

Further, to avoid overeating you keep a check on your consumption of fruits and eat slowly. This will enable you to feel satiated early and will not let you continue eating beyond that. Avoid dry fruits which have excessive calories and sugar.

While doing a fruit fast you must understand that fruit fasting does not provide a balanced diet. Although fresh fruits are packed with varied nutrients, replacing all major meals with fruits will exclude many essential nutrients that are required for the body from other food sources.

What Foods to Eat While Fruit Fasting

The fruit diet is very stringent on what to and what not to eat. Since you are giving out the key macronutrients that you would get from a healthy meal and solely depending on the fruits, it is best to choose fresh fruits to augment the intake of vitamins and minerals. Never opt for canned fruits as they often lose micronutrients while going through the manufacturing process and also contain high sugar sometimes.

Here are some recommended foods that you can eat while fruit fasting based on your health conditions or preferences.

Melons: Melons have minimal calories. They not only have essential nutrients, but they also help improve your digestive system, detoxify your body, and keep your body hydrated. Examples include watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe.

Grapes: These are a good source of potassium that helps balance the fluids in your body and keep you hydrated throughout. The compound anthocyanins found in grapes may have an anti-obesity effect that may inhibit weight gain.

Blueberries: These are high in antioxidant levels which is beneficial for heart health, blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and smooth brain function.

Pomegranate: This hydrating fruit is packed with vitamins fiber, and natural sugar and can keep you satiated for a long duration. It is also beneficial for kidney stones.

Apples: Rich in soluble fibers apples are good for intestinal flora. Although it is 80-89% filled with water, it can still make you feel full for a long duration.

Vegetables: You can incorporate vegetables into your fruit fasting regimen as well. Some examples of good veggies to include in your diet are tomatoes, courgettes, and leafy green vegetables. Avoid veggies that are high in insoluble fiber such as corn, eggplant, green beans, broccoli, spinach, kale, and legumes (chickpeas, lentils, etc.)

You can carry on with your fruit fast by consuming any one fruit of your choice or by consuming a mixture of all these fruits.

Foods to Avoid During Fruit Fasting

You must avoid eating anything besides fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. These may include processed food, packed foods, dairy, meat, eggs, cooked foods, grains, etc. Unlike intermittent fasting, this fasting method does not allow having zero-calorie beverages such as black coffee, green tea, or diet soda.

However, you can consume a sufficient amount of water to keep your body hydrated all the time while fruit fasting.

Risks of a Fruit Fast to Consider

Any diet that has restrictions has possible disadvantages. Hence we recommend speaking to your doctor once before incorporating a fruit fast, even if you are planning to follow for a few days just to detoxify your body. The potential drawbacks of fruit fasting include:

Increased food cravings: When you eliminate essential dietary foods from your plate and strictly restrict yourself on your calorie intake, you may feel hungry or may have acute cravings for certain foods.

Very restrictive: It is different from other forms of fasting as it is very restrictive and does not allow you to consume most of the foods.

Can cause nutrient deficiencies: As a fruit fasting diet does not allow you to include all types of food into your regimen, you may very likely encounter nutritional deficiency. Since the fruit diet restricts the consumption of vital nutrients including fats and proteins, it may cause an imbalance in both macro and micronutrients.

Weight loss is temporary: After discontinuing this diet plan you may likely regain weight. When you go back to your regular diet, your body’s metabolism may start to adapt to the usual diet.

Unsustainable: Following a fruit fast for a prolonged time is not sensible, as it provides a short-term solution for weight loss rather than a long-term lifestyle choice.

Tips to do a Fruit Fasting

Here are some essential tips to make the fruit fast work.

• Try eating fruits and veggies raw or lightly steamed only. Studies state that foods lose certain essential nutrients when cooked or boiled. However, raw fruits can be digested easily.
• Choose fruits having a lower glycemic index because low GI fruits can keep your blood sugar levels under control. Fruits having high GI can rapidly increase your blood sugar levels. They may put unnecessary strain on your body which may hamper detoxification.
• Try buying organic or locally grown fruits or vegetables as they are a much healthier option.
• Try eating the whole fruit. If you don’t like eating the entire fruit then make smoothies from them but not juice. Because juices lose their fiber content and possibly some nutrients upon straining.
• Eat a fruit at its right stage. Do not consume under-ripe or overly-ripe fruits as you may have to face adverse consequences.
• Keep yourself busy as hunger stays in the mind. By keeping your mind occupied, you will be able to manage the hunger pangs more effectively.
• Stay hydrated. Hydration is crucial to maintain water levels in the body. It helps to keep you vitalized and restores electrolyte imbalance.
• Practice mindful eating. It not only helps manage hunger cravings but also prevents you from overindulging in eating.
• Stay physically active. Staying active helps you burn calories and regulates overall health. However, it is important to do light exercise rather than high-intensity workouts during fruit fasting as your energy levels may drop as you are not getting enough nutrients.

Who Should Do Fruit Fasting?

Fruit fasting is not for everyone as it involves restricting calories up to a great extent. It is always recommended to consult with your doctor before entering into fruit fasting. You should avoid doing fruit fasting if you have any of the below conditions such as:

• Food allergies
• Fructose intolerance
• Eating disorder
• Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding

Frequently Asked Questions

What is fruit fasting?

Fruit fasting is a modified fasting diet that involves consuming fruits and vegetables in raw or lightly steamed form for a specified duration. It is a natural healing process as it detoxifies your body by eliminating the accumulation of waste and toxins from your digestive tract.

Can I eat fruit while fasting?

Fruits are important for any kind of fasting. Fruits are packed with essential minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, and fiber, which make them indispensable in nourishing your health while fasting.

What happens if I do a 72-hour fruit fast?

Following a 72-hour fruit fast will make you feel more energetic. Fruits are packed with essential vitamins and antioxidants which will boost your immunity. A 72-hour fruit fast will detoxify your body by eliminating toxins and give you a digestive break. This will lead to more energy, clearer skin, and anti-aging effects.

The Final Words

Fruit fasting is a modified type of fasting that gives your digestive system a break and detoxifies your body from unnecessary accumulated toxins. It is a detox method that may give you many health benefits like better digestion, regular bowel movement, improved mental health, enhanced energy, along weight loss.

However, fruit fast can be beneficial if it is observed within the limits. A prolonged period of fruit fasts can lead to health problems. If you have any existing health condition, make sure to talk to your doctor first before planning to go for fruit fasting. Because your doctor can only help you decide what is suitable for you.