The Complete Idiot's Guide to Juice Fasting

by Steven Prussack, Bo Rinaldi

Juice fasting can be a powerful, transformative undertaking that does wonders for the body.

From detoxifying and cleansing, to weight loss, to increased energy and a reinvigorated digestive system, a juice fast can transform the body in a matter of weeks, or even days.

However, maintaining a fast can also be a difficult undertaking without proper instruction and an understanding of the nutritional components of the fast -- so clear guidance and recipes that satisfy the palate are essential to success.
The benefits and much more.

The authors of The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Juice Fasting take readers through a number of different fasts and help them choose the right fast to lose the pounds, cleanse their systems of undesirable waste and toxins, and be on their way to feeling renewed and recharged.

The authors arm readers with over 75 fantastically delicious and powerful juice recipes that will not only give readers what they crave in taste, but will help them fully recognize the transformational benefits of the juice fast.

214 pages, Paperback

First published November 6, 2012

Reviews

[JeneralDisarray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite having some good information about juicing - including some very appealing recipes - this book is overly dramatic, alarmist, and scientifically dubious. It encourages you, over and over, to have enemas and colonics, which I find ridiculous and excessive. Further, the authors’ opinion of non-organic produce is laughably elitist: “‘(C)onventionally’ produced produce (is) a good way to create toxicity in your body. You’d basically be pumping nutrient-rich poison into your body.” Puh-lease.
I pity the poor idiot who picks up this book and follows it to the letter. There are more approachable, practical, and empathetic books about juicing out there, including Reboot With Joe (Joe Cross) and Detox Juicing (Morena Escardo & Morena Cuarda).

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My trusty librarian put ALL the juicing books in the system on hold for me. 2013 is going to be juicy.

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This book arbitrates four juice categories: all-fruit juices, veggie(+fruit) juices, green juices (like the veggie juices, but including leafy veggies), and elixirs (fruits+veggies and tinctures or extracts). I'm not interested in a long juice fast, but this (sans vegan focus) seems a reasonable reference for one who is.

yay:
• It doesn't pretend that juicing all by itself is a panacea. It suggests adjuvant detox therapies.
• It's easy to navigate: there's a glossary and a fairly good index*, there are chapter headings on top of each page, and the recipes are simple to scan.
• I am a sucker for the fanciful elixir names... "Emerald Lemonade", "Druid's Detox" (though I'm not sure what makes it druidic — the burdock root?).

* it's not a great index because it only lists pages for a particular ingredient if that ingredient is in the title of the juice — e.g. I was looking for all recipes with burdock but only found one page number, and that's not the only juice containing burdock in the book.

nay:
• No pictures.
• Lots of focus on weight loss and — when not juice fasting — eating a raw vegan diet. (Best evidence suggests that anyone wanting to lose weight or detox is ill served by a raw vegan diet.)
• I'm looking for a way to get palatable juices with minimal fruits. Most recipes are heavy on fruits and there are juices that call for nectars or syrups.

hey?
• The authors generally do a good job casting a wide net for a diverse audience, but occasionally they slip and reveal their profile for the quintessential juicer: Overweight Female.

Line for 2013-Books found poem:
- "Avocados do not ripen on the tree."