What About Protein and Fat?
What About Protein and Fat?
When you think of protein, the image that might come to your mind may be a big juicy steak—but many vegetables actually contain substantial amounts of protein. For example, broccoli contains roughly 4 to 5 grams of protein per cup. Spinach contains 5 to 6 grams, and kale, watercress, collard, and turnip greens have respectable amounts of protein as well.
So during a juice fast when you are drinking juices all day long, you could easily be consuming 20 to 30 grams of protein or more from your juices alone. If you're doing a short fast—a few days, for example—chances are you're going to get plenty of protein from the juices.
If you were to try an extended juice fast (as in the film), you might want to consider adding a source of high-quality protein, such as whey, especially if you're exercising heavily. You could augment your fats by blending healthy fats into your juice, such as avocado, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil, as well as raw seeds (flax, chia, etc.).
It's important to remember that juice is not a beverage—it's a liquid food. The way to get substantial protein from veggies is to consume them in high volume, and the way to consume a high volume of veggies is by juicing! I recommend getting into the habit of juicing daily. But even if you don't, a three- to seven-day monthly juice fast is a great detox that can give your health a considerable boost.