One serving of Nopalea Juice is so chock full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, that you are bound to start your day off right with a glass full.

What I've found in my efforts to lose weight is the most effective weight loss occurs not when you deprive yourself, but when you replace. Let me explain, instead of starving your body, instead replace any food that is low on the nutritional pyramid with something that is all-natural and good for you.

For instance, if you cut out snacks and nutritionally deficient foods, such as chips and crackers and cookies, and replace them with filling, but healthy foods such as carrots, salads, and other fruits and vegetables, you will almost automatically lose weight.

There is a general rule of thumb that two-thirds of your plate should be comprised of vegetables. This is a great guide. You can do it for every meal without even thinking about it and as a result you will never be hungry and will just naturally lose weight.

I've also found that starting the day out right, making sure you are ingesting a ton of nutrients, will automatically set the stage for the rest of your day. You will want to continue the healthy trajectory that you began in the morming.

In addition, if you eat a nutritious, filling and healthy breakfast supplemented by juice, you will not feel the need to snack between meals. Your body will be satisfied and cravings will naturally disappear. If you skimp on breakfast - or any other meal really - then you will want to snack and fill yourself up wth junk food.

And the problem with eating foods that have no nutritional value is that you will never be satisfied. You will never feel like you've had enough. It won't, in fact, be enough, and your body will still crave and look for something else.

People who have taken the Nopalea Wellness Challenge where they embark on a regular regimen of ingesting the drink, have found that often weight loss is just an added and bonus side effect. They often have started drinking the juice to find relief from chronic pain or joints that hurt or to help reduce swelling and lose weight on top of it all.

Testimonials gathered by Trivita (the company that makes Nopalea Juice) range the gamut as far as what types of benefits the juice provides. However, everyone agrees that there are almost always surprising and welcome side benefits.

Nopalea Juice is comprised mostly of water and the Prickly Pear Cactus. The cactus, a native of the Sonoran desert, is a natural anti-inflammatory and natural anti-oxidant and has been called one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

The esteemed Dr. Mehmet Oz called it that on one episode of his television program. He did a demonstration showing how eating the fibrous plant can help people who suffer from diabetes. He showed how the plant can filter foods and sugars and naturally regulate blood sugar levels in the body.