Just remember..........
Less leaves = less energy being made = less growth.
Leave the leaves would be my advice, if the plant would not need them, it would not grow them in the first place!
Cutting off perfectly healthy, green, energy producing leaves and forcing the plant to grow new leaves to replace the ones it lost, seems rather counter productive to me....and no doubt, to the plant as well!
Or to put it another way.........
Maximum amount of leaves = maximum amount of energy production = maximum amount of growth.