Juice Fast Journal - Week 1 of 6
I have found that juice fasting is a longtime practice used to cleanse the body of toxins and to maintain a state of optimum health.
Toxins, you say? Yep - nasty little things that hibernate in your fat cells depleting your body of nutrition, rest, and vitality.
They don't just get to you by the food that you eat but by the air you breathe and things that come in contact with your skin.
Liquid is the only substance that will pass through the lining of your stomach.
When you juice, you are sending all those vitamins and nutrients directly into your bloodstream, and in turn they are flushing out the toxins that are laying in wait to sabotage your good health and forces them into your bloodstream to be removed through excrement, your lungs, and your skin.
I have ripped my attention away from my cookware for the time being and turned it to my fabulous juicer...
minus the dust it's collected from non-use (I know, I know...
slap my hand with a ruler).
The thing that makes my juicer different than all the rest is the patented motor that boasts consistent torque - no delayed reactions means more time for me to do other things.
I learned that when you juice live juices, it's best to always get organic fruits and veggies because what's the point of flushing the bad stuff out if you are doing it with more bad stuff, right? If you don't have organics available, then you would need to peel your fruits and veggies because the pesticides, etc are located on the surface.
Although, you should note that a lot of the nutrients and vitamins in fruits and veggies are in their skins - so, organics is worth it to me to keep those.
My juicer came with a book of recipes called "Juicing for Life" that has hundreds of recipes for every health need/condition imaginable and I've also pulled a lot of juicing recipes available all over the internet just by putting in "juice fast" into my search engine.
Of course, before starting a fast, especially if you take regular medications, you should always consult your doctor; I am not an expert, just a novice sharing my story.
If you are going to be fasting for longer than 7-10 days, you should infuse your juice with supplements.
In the morning, I add a tsp of flavorless Fiber to my juice to keep my digestive system healthy while it's inactive.
In the morning and evening, I also add a tsp or two of non-flavored, unsweetened Protein Powder to ward off any hunger pains throughout the day and keep me sleeping like a baby.
It's best to drink a gallon (128 oz) to 150 oz of water a day - the more water you drink, the quicker you will flush those toxins out.
I just carry around a gallon jug all day and when I'm done with it, I know any other water I drink will just be bonus.
Most experts say to juice as much as you would like or whenever you are hungry but a general rule of thumb is try and consume at least 64 oz of juice per day.
That's a lot of liquid intake, so, make sure you have a bathroom handy - you'll need it about every 20-30 minutes! Ready made juices (Bolthouse Farms, Odwalla, and Naked brands) are great for when you are on the run but make sure to incorporate live juices everyday too by juicing.
With the ready made juices, be sure to read the label carefully; not all of them are all juice/puree blends.
Make sure they are free of anything with milk, caffeine (such as Green Tea or Cocoa Beans), or sugar (even natural - like "cane juice / extract").
My favorites so far are "Odwalla: Orignial Superfood" and "Naked: Green Machine Superfood.
" The "Odwalla" brand gives you a big kick of super healthy stuff like Spirulina, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass, and Wheat Sprouts but you only taste the yummy Apple, Peach, Mango, Strawberry, and Banana fruit blend; the "Naked" brand is packed with the same as the "Odwalla" brand but even more, including, Broccoli, Spinach, Parsley, Chlorella, Blue Green Algea, Oderless Garlic, and Ginger.
You want to make sure to limit the fruit juice intake b/c the body has to work extra hard to break down the sugars in fruits and you may find yourself crashing by mid-afternoon.
Drinking naturally decaffeinated herbal tea once or twice a day can be beneficial also - I have found two that I really like by Yogi Tea - one is called "Fasting" and has a minty/jasmine flavor; the other is "Peach Detox".
I add a couple of teaspoons of local honey from the farmer's market and both are yummy and calming.
Now...
for the progress report...
the first day was fine, I didn't feel hungry at all.
I was excited and so ready for this.
But...
I'm not going to lie...
the second day I felt like I was dying - absolutely wretched! As the toxins are forced into your bloodstream, they cycle through your body to get out - it does not feel good.
I had the worst headache ever, I was nauseous and disoriented, had blurry vision and a fever, my whole body ached like I pushed way too hard at the gym, and my lymph nodes were really swollen in my neck.
Just think, all the things that made me feel that way, were already tucked away living inside my body! YUCK! Luckily, I had read that my reaction is completely normal and I was prepped for it - most don't make it past that second day - but if you could just hang on, I promise it's completely worth it! I just chugged away on my water but had to forgo lunch and a snack that day.
If I ever do this again - I would definitely double my water intake the first day just to get a jump start on the flushing.
I laid down for several hours at the end of the day and then found myself a juice recipe for migraine headache (spinach, apple, carrot, and fresh ginger) and felt much better by the end of the night.
I woke up on the third day with a headache still - though not as bad as the day before - but felt pretty good other than that.
By Friday, I was feeling great - and even better on Saturday! I was energized and "bouncy" feeling! My roommate and I super cleaned our house and purged all of our junk and reorganized our kitchen - it feels like a new home.
Yesterday, I still felt great, with lots of energy, but the food cravings, the real issue, started - pizza, peanut butter, and nachos to be exact! But - I know I am strong enough to resist and I'm not quite ready to let go of this complete state of well-being that I'm in now.
I weighed myself this morning, the morning of the beginning of my second week - and I'm proud to announce that I'm down 12.
4 lbs.
I crossed a weight line that I haven't been under since I was a teenager - I feel amazing.
Stay tuned every Tuesday for the next five Tuesdays to see the progress unfold and get your weekly juice fast tips.
Here's to the close of a week that has truly changed my life - Cheers!
Toxins, you say? Yep - nasty little things that hibernate in your fat cells depleting your body of nutrition, rest, and vitality.
They don't just get to you by the food that you eat but by the air you breathe and things that come in contact with your skin.
Liquid is the only substance that will pass through the lining of your stomach.
When you juice, you are sending all those vitamins and nutrients directly into your bloodstream, and in turn they are flushing out the toxins that are laying in wait to sabotage your good health and forces them into your bloodstream to be removed through excrement, your lungs, and your skin.
I have ripped my attention away from my cookware for the time being and turned it to my fabulous juicer...
minus the dust it's collected from non-use (I know, I know...
slap my hand with a ruler).
The thing that makes my juicer different than all the rest is the patented motor that boasts consistent torque - no delayed reactions means more time for me to do other things.
I learned that when you juice live juices, it's best to always get organic fruits and veggies because what's the point of flushing the bad stuff out if you are doing it with more bad stuff, right? If you don't have organics available, then you would need to peel your fruits and veggies because the pesticides, etc are located on the surface.
Although, you should note that a lot of the nutrients and vitamins in fruits and veggies are in their skins - so, organics is worth it to me to keep those.
My juicer came with a book of recipes called "Juicing for Life" that has hundreds of recipes for every health need/condition imaginable and I've also pulled a lot of juicing recipes available all over the internet just by putting in "juice fast" into my search engine.
Of course, before starting a fast, especially if you take regular medications, you should always consult your doctor; I am not an expert, just a novice sharing my story.
If you are going to be fasting for longer than 7-10 days, you should infuse your juice with supplements.
In the morning, I add a tsp of flavorless Fiber to my juice to keep my digestive system healthy while it's inactive.
In the morning and evening, I also add a tsp or two of non-flavored, unsweetened Protein Powder to ward off any hunger pains throughout the day and keep me sleeping like a baby.
It's best to drink a gallon (128 oz) to 150 oz of water a day - the more water you drink, the quicker you will flush those toxins out.
I just carry around a gallon jug all day and when I'm done with it, I know any other water I drink will just be bonus.
Most experts say to juice as much as you would like or whenever you are hungry but a general rule of thumb is try and consume at least 64 oz of juice per day.
That's a lot of liquid intake, so, make sure you have a bathroom handy - you'll need it about every 20-30 minutes! Ready made juices (Bolthouse Farms, Odwalla, and Naked brands) are great for when you are on the run but make sure to incorporate live juices everyday too by juicing.
With the ready made juices, be sure to read the label carefully; not all of them are all juice/puree blends.
Make sure they are free of anything with milk, caffeine (such as Green Tea or Cocoa Beans), or sugar (even natural - like "cane juice / extract").
My favorites so far are "Odwalla: Orignial Superfood" and "Naked: Green Machine Superfood.
" The "Odwalla" brand gives you a big kick of super healthy stuff like Spirulina, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass, and Wheat Sprouts but you only taste the yummy Apple, Peach, Mango, Strawberry, and Banana fruit blend; the "Naked" brand is packed with the same as the "Odwalla" brand but even more, including, Broccoli, Spinach, Parsley, Chlorella, Blue Green Algea, Oderless Garlic, and Ginger.
You want to make sure to limit the fruit juice intake b/c the body has to work extra hard to break down the sugars in fruits and you may find yourself crashing by mid-afternoon.
Drinking naturally decaffeinated herbal tea once or twice a day can be beneficial also - I have found two that I really like by Yogi Tea - one is called "Fasting" and has a minty/jasmine flavor; the other is "Peach Detox".
I add a couple of teaspoons of local honey from the farmer's market and both are yummy and calming.
Now...
for the progress report...
the first day was fine, I didn't feel hungry at all.
I was excited and so ready for this.
But...
I'm not going to lie...
the second day I felt like I was dying - absolutely wretched! As the toxins are forced into your bloodstream, they cycle through your body to get out - it does not feel good.
I had the worst headache ever, I was nauseous and disoriented, had blurry vision and a fever, my whole body ached like I pushed way too hard at the gym, and my lymph nodes were really swollen in my neck.
Just think, all the things that made me feel that way, were already tucked away living inside my body! YUCK! Luckily, I had read that my reaction is completely normal and I was prepped for it - most don't make it past that second day - but if you could just hang on, I promise it's completely worth it! I just chugged away on my water but had to forgo lunch and a snack that day.
If I ever do this again - I would definitely double my water intake the first day just to get a jump start on the flushing.
I laid down for several hours at the end of the day and then found myself a juice recipe for migraine headache (spinach, apple, carrot, and fresh ginger) and felt much better by the end of the night.
I woke up on the third day with a headache still - though not as bad as the day before - but felt pretty good other than that.
By Friday, I was feeling great - and even better on Saturday! I was energized and "bouncy" feeling! My roommate and I super cleaned our house and purged all of our junk and reorganized our kitchen - it feels like a new home.
Yesterday, I still felt great, with lots of energy, but the food cravings, the real issue, started - pizza, peanut butter, and nachos to be exact! But - I know I am strong enough to resist and I'm not quite ready to let go of this complete state of well-being that I'm in now.
I weighed myself this morning, the morning of the beginning of my second week - and I'm proud to announce that I'm down 12.
4 lbs.
I crossed a weight line that I haven't been under since I was a teenager - I feel amazing.
Stay tuned every Tuesday for the next five Tuesdays to see the progress unfold and get your weekly juice fast tips.
Here's to the close of a week that has truly changed my life - Cheers!
