Juicing diet vs regular diet, this a very long time conflict to evaluate whichever diet is best. Juicing diet is very popular for weight loss which includes only juices extracted from fresh fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, the regular diet contains all whole fruits and vegetables and there is no definite food restriction on this form of diet. There is lots of debate on these two types of diets to get a conclusion like whichever is healthier and superior to others.
Both juicing and regular diet come with some pros and cons which makes it individual-specific based on their health condition, special goal requirement, and other factors. On one had juicing diet seems great for people who are struggling through certain health issues that require them to adopt this type of diet plan but it is also important to mention here that by following this diet plan your body cannot get all kind of nutrients as much healthy fiber lost during the juicing process which remains well preserved when you eat regular diets.
Whereas regular diet contains healthy foods variations from all the food groups which anyone can eat freely unless they are suffering from any health issue that requires a special diet plan to follow. So whichever diet is superior and when and how you can get benefited out of these diets you will understand by going through our below detail discussion on these two popular diets.
Juicing Diet
Table of Contents
Is the Juicing Diet Healthy for You
Juicing diets are healthier if you make your own instead of purchasing them from the market which contains preservatives that may affect your health instead of nourishing it. However, this risk doesnât remain when you blend your juice by own using only fresh fruits and vegetables. This self-prepared fresh ingredientâs juice remains rich in different vital micronutrients that it derives from its ingredients. Some common vital nutrients that your body can get through the juicing diets include a range of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.
As these nutrients are specific to different fruits and vegetables so whichever nutrient is your current priority you can use that specific fruit and vegetable known for containing special nutrient content. For example oranges, blueberries, etc are the rich source of Vitamin C and some other vitamins so you can prepare a juice with these fruits to get this essential vitamin which is great for your skin health as well as for overall health boost.
Some other sources of healthy vitamins include mangoes for Vitamin A and B6, spinach for Vitamin A, C, E, protein, dietary fiber and low level of calories. The juicing diet is really great option for those who do not like to eat different varieties of fruits and vegetables in their regular diet. As with the juicing diet, their body can easily obtain all necessary nutrients existing in these whole fruits and vegetables.
However, you may deprive of some nutrient which only a whole fruit and vegetable intake can provide you. Also if you plan to lose weight depending upon the juicing diet only then also you have to face some of its drawbacks in the long run.
Role of Juicing Diet for Weight Loss
There are people who choose a juicing diet in order to lose their unwanted or excess body weight and they also get benefited out of it. It is possible to rely on this diet for five to ten days and this much period is enough to shed a noticeable amount of weight. The juicing diet for weight loss is really beneficial for those who donât consume different varieties of fruits and vegetables, sources of different nutrients. However, with the juicing diet, these choosy people can easily benefit from different nutrients existing in a variety of ingredients used in preparing the juices.
With a juicing diet, you will notice weight loss from water. Your body will excrete water when the level of starch reduces from your meal. Hence you can monitor your weight loss on the weight measuring machine which works as an effective boost in your mind when you see the remarkable results in the return for your hard effort.
Once you manage to attain your desired bodyweight you can then start eating the whole food however by the time your body will be accustom to eat fewer calories so you will automatically reduce your portion size necessary for maintaining the reduced body weight level. Also, this diet plan improves gut health and overall well being.
Drawbacks for Weight Loss
Initially where people find the juicing diet very effective for weight loss but as time passes they face immense difficulty to remain stick on it. The reason for this is very simple. No one can feel comfortable to live their life completely depending upon only different juices as a staple meal. This curbs the pleasure of whole meals that you chew long and feel its full taste and pleasure not in your mouth but the satisfaction level is felt by your brain also which couldnât be possible with a juicing diet plan.
This is the reason why initially it feels easy to follow to achieve the goal of weight loss but after one or two weeks the dieter loses their patience and their cravings for whole foods and all restricted foods get intense. As a result of this when the dieter gets back to their old diet plan after the achievement of the desired level of body weight instead of following the diet plan on a restricted manner, due to the long term suppressant of cravings for whole foods or regular foods they start increasing their portion size for all foods groups. Hence the risk of recovering loosed weight increases to a great extent.
Apart from this the denial of whole foods after a point becomes the matter of stress which is quite obvious as well when someone has to have their calories by drinking juices which no way feel satisfying after few days. This is the reason many dieters loses their spirit for maintaining the juicing diet for the long run. The diet-related stress not only affects the current health goal but it also hampers the overall productivity of the concerned person affecting their overall wellbeing.
Also, it is seen in studies that people who though somehow manage to control their sensory experience and diet-related stress still this diet plan for weight loss doesnât work for many the way it should be due to the appearance of some unforeseen contingencies that may appear in their journey.
Juicing Diet May Contain Too Much Sugar
Even though someone does not add extra sugar while preparing the juice drink chances remain that these drinks may remain loaded of excess sugar or too much sugar that can affect your health. This excess sugar content comes from some juicing ingredients used in its preparation. This high sugar content remains in the form of fructose. When this fructose is separated from the flesh of fruits the obtained sugar remains very easily digestible in nature.
Hence its excessive consumption may increase the risk of insulin resistance which is the root cause of type 2 diabetes disease as well as obesity. Also, excess sugar intake by sole dependency on the juicing diet may keep you hungry even if two or three glasses of juice drink intake. Resulting in you will feel hungry even after a very short duration of the previous meal that you had in the form of a drink.
Juicing Diet May Contain Excess Calories
People who incorporate juicing diet plan they think that they are consuming very few amounts of calories than before when they were taking the regular diet in the form of whole foods and all different varieties of meals. However, this is not fully true. In fact, a juice made up of lots of stuff remains rich at a very high level of calories that it derives from different components used in the food processor for preparing this drink.
When a juicing diet is a replacement for a whole meal then it should provide you with at least 400 to 500 calories in a day. However, in many cases, it is seen that this calorie limit crosses far beyond its boundary and even some time it crosses the calorie level that you usually consumed with your regular diet. This excess calorie intake may end you up with gaining some more weight instead o losing it.
Whole Foods are Healthier
Whole foods such as fruits and vegetables are healthier for the human body. However, when someone had only a juicing diet then their body remain deprives of those benefits that only a whole food consumption can provide. The whole foods are rich in fiber which plays an important role in speedy weight loss however this vital nutrient doesnât exist in the juicing diet.
Apart from these, whole foods take a long time to chew and digest so the fear of craving for the next meal remains very low. On the other hand in the cases of juicing diet in the lack of satisfaction you end up drinking one more extra glass of juice leading to increase your daily calorie limit.
Also in spite of extra drink consumption at a time due to easily digesting this diet you get a craving for another meal quickly than the cases of whole foods intake. To avoid the excess calorie intake it is essential that you know the calorie content of your prepared drink based on their ingredients for avoiding the excess intake of calories while following this diet plan.
Regular Diet
What is a Regular Diet Plan?
A regular diet plan is the one that includes all food groups in it. So it is also known as a healthy meal plan as by following this diet plan your body can easily avail all forms of nutrients needed for overall health improvement and wellbeing. This diet plan is best for the people who are not diagnosed with any health issue that requires following a recommended or specific diet menu.
This healthy diet plan is low in added sugar, salt and unhealthy fats whose excessive doses are harmful to anyoneâs health. So it makes this diet plan healthy enough to follow by all in general. By following this diet routine one can easily reduce their risk of developing different heart diseases, osteoporosis and some types of cancer disease.
What does a healthy meal plan contain?
A plate of healthy meals contains fresh fruits and vegetables (raw or cooked) which consist of half of the whole plate. The remaining portion of the plate remains full of grains and protein. This should also contain a small serving of dairy products like curd etc. This is the ideal menu of a healthy meal plate.
As per the serving size and calorie limit concerned it depends on individual age, weight, height, and gender. Following is the list of healthy foods that you can include in your meal plate to make it a healthy menu for you.
- Different Variety of Fruits- You can eat different varieties of fresh fruits, frozen fruits, dried fruits, and canned fruit in 100% pure juice.
- Different Variety of Vegetables- Different vegetable varieties that you can include in your healthy meal includes dark green, leafy, orange and red vegetables. Canned vegetables can also be consumed if it is low in sodium, and frozen vegetables without adding sauces or butter in it.
- Different Variety of Protein Foods- Some healthy protein food sources include lean meat such as beef round, tenderloin, sirloin, and pork shoulder, leg, and tenderloin, seafood such as fish and shellfish, poultry without skin such as chicken and turkey. Other protein food sources include eggs and egg substitutes, soy products, peas, beans, nuts, and seeds.
- Whole Grains- Whole grains should include at least half of your total grains intake. Some good sources of whole grains foods include wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals (like oatmeal) and brown rice.
- Low Fat Dairy Products- Dairy products are an important source of calcium and vitamin D. However low-fat dairy are healthier than the full cream dairy products so this should be chosen to fulfill oneâs daily requirement of dairy foods. Some low-fat dairy products include skim or 1% milk, cheese, cottage cheese, and low-fat yogurt.
What foods should be avoided or consumed in a limited quantity?
While following a regular diet plan also known as a healthy meal plan one need to avoid or limit their intake of following foods-
- Fruits with Added Sugar- Avoid consuming canned fruits dipped in heavy syrup or frozen fruits with added sugar content.
- Vegetables with Added Fat- Limit your intake of vegetables with an added amount of fat such as vegetables topped with cheese or with cream sauces, French fries, etc.
- Full Cream Dairy Products- Full cream dairy products are loaded with fat which is not healthy such as whole or 2% milk, regular hard cheese, cream cheese, and premium ice cream.
- Unhealthy Fats- Avoid consuming unhealthy fat-rich foods such as hard margarine, butter, and shortening.
- High-fat Protein Foods- Limit your intake of high-fat protein foods such as sausage, hot dogs, chicken or turkey with skin, and t-bone steaks.
- Protein Foods along with Added Fat- Avoid the intake of protein foods with added fat such as any protein food with added sauces and high-fat gravies, seafood, poultry, and fried meats.
- Carbohydrates High in Sugar and Fat- Avoid or limit your intake of carbohydrates that are rich in fat and sugar such as donuts, cookies, croissants, muffins purchased from the store and any other high-fat bread.
- Limit The Alcohol Intake- Men should limit their alcohol doses to 2 glass in a day and whereas this limit is one glass in a day for women. A glass of alcohol drink should contain 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer and 1 ½ ounce of liquor.
Is Juicing Diet Healthier Than Regular Diets?
After going through detailing of both these two popular diets such as juicing diets vs regular diets we come to the conclusion that juicing is no way healthier than the regular diet which is a very old and ideal form of diet. Juicing diets are accompanied by lots of drawbacks or pitfalls even in regard to its effectiveness for weight loss.
It may give short term benefits by reducing weight or can prove helpful if someone has to rely on it due to some specific health problem. However, this will not work in the long run not with respect to physical health level but it also lacks in providing mental satisfaction which one desires for after having food.
[expand title=”View Article Sources“]
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/juicing/faq-20058020
- https://www.verywellfit.com/juice-diets-for-weight-loss-3495297
- http://theconversation.com/health-check-the-low-down-on-eating-vs-juicing-fruit-and-veg-18054
- https://www.drugs.com/cg/regular-diet.html
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Hi Maushmi,
Thanks for this best comparison between juicing and regular diet.
It sounds good that the regular diet is more effective than the juicing diet. But the critical part is that following the regular diet without missing out. Anyway gonna work hard to enjoy better benefits.
I really loved reading this post.
Thanks:-)