Why juice, specifically
"I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency," Plato is supposed to have said, and it's as good a summary as any of why fasting has been practised, in one form or another, across nearly every culture and era. At Moinhos Velhos, we've built our entire programme around one particular version of it: juice fasting, rather than fasting on water alone.
For the body
With digestion given a proper rest, the body can direct its energy elsewhere, supporting the ordinary, constant work of repair and regeneration that everyday eating tends to compete with. Guests often notice a sense of lightness by the second half of a stay, along with clearer skin and, for many, some straightforward weight loss, though that's rarely the only reason people come. Juice fasting is generally considered a gentler route into this than food restriction alone, precisely because it doesn't ask the body to run on empty, the juices, broths and herbal teas keep a steady supply of vitamins, minerals and plant nutrients flowing throughout.
For the mind
With less energy spent on digestion, many guests describe a noticeable lift in mental clarity as a stay goes on, a natural side effect of giving the body one less demanding job to do. Fasting has always asked something of the mind too: a bit of discipline, a bit of patience with yourself, and for most people, a stronger sense of control over appetite and habit by the end of it.
For something more
Every major spiritual tradition has practised fasting in some form, and it's not hard to see why: a quieter body tends to produce a quieter mind, and a quieter mind is where people often say they do their clearest thinking, or feel most able to reconnect with something bigger than the everyday. We don't promise that experience to anyone, only that we've built the conditions, over more than three decades, that make it more likely to arrive.
