From Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead curing an autoimmune skin condition to internet testimonials about juice fasts curing rhumatoid arthritis, juicing seems to be one of the anecdotal cures for autoimmune disease (if by cure you mean totally new lifestyle that you maintain forever).
I have never done an actual juice fast. I started juicing simply because I was concerned about getting enough nutrition since I don’t digest food well every time I get “glutened” or “dairied” and because I think this is an area that may hold promise for all autoimmune diseases.
I don’t see a huge downside to juicing as an adjunct to treatment. If you decide to do this, know that we are talking veggies only. No wheatgrass, sprouts etc. Just roots, greens, flowers (broccoli), stems and enough apples to make it palatable.
You should probably work with a real doctor if you decide to try a juice fast for your condition. I just did gluten-free and dairy-free plus juicing. It did not make me skinny, but then again, I was still eating cupcakes.
So from a foodie perspective on juicing, what I found is this:
Herxheimer effects are real. I had a headache for a week when I started juicing. That scene in Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead where he goes to bed for a week can and does happen.
Green juice is an acquired taste
Six year olds don’t acquire it easily
Masticating juicers can be used without waking your family. Centrifugal juicers wake the neighbors.
Kale makes astonishingly bitter juice. You need at least one apple in there just to cut down on the gag factor.
Always juice the kale first.
Kale tends to jam the juicer.
There is something called Lacinato kale that jams the juicer less often.
Bok Choy makes a great green juice and does not jam the juicer
Cucumber and celery juices are surprisingly sweet.
If you juice beets and then you see red in the toilet that is just beets coming out the other end.
Live culture MSG free (not easy to find) Kim Chi makes a great addition to a green juice. It adds that spicy quality that is the difference between tomato juice and bloody mary mix. It also adds probiotics.
Carrots sweeten things up
Never juice citrus in a juicer. It is unbelievably bitter.
If you are using kale, use an apple and carrots and cucumber and beets if you have them. If you are using bok choy, swiss chard, or spinach you need fewer sweet veggies.
You can always filter out a little more pulp with a mesh filter
Clean the juicer as soon as you are done with it, even before you drink the juice.
Baking soda is a good abrasive on plastic juicer parts.
The part in FSND where they say the juice is filling is true. I kept waiting to get hungry and eventually found that a good glass of juice could indeed easily substitute for a meal.
Good luck and enjoy your juice!
