after much research and many chats with people have attempted a juice fast, i have decided to try it out. i am for sure going to finish out a ten-day fast, then, depending on how i feel, i will continue to 21 days. if i still haven't died, i will attempt to push through to 30 days. the idea is simple: drink as much juice from fresh vegetables and fruits as you want. i have averaged about 5 large glasses a day. it's really fun for me to make up new recipes to see what i like.
instead of buying a juicer, i borrowed one from my mom and one from my sister. that way i can leave one at work and one at home instead of lugging one back and forth. and i didn't buy one because i was not sure i was even going to make it through the first day. i will invest in one when i am done because i love the juice! love it!
i am on day four and in the first three days i lost 7.4 pounds. weight loss is not the main goal here (the cleanse and re-boot is goal #1), but it's a great added bonus. i think 7.4 pounds is a LOT for 3 days but i think that will slow down.
i have recieved a ton of questions about this so here is a little FAQ for anyone interested:
you aren't eating any food? nope, just drinking juice.
what's the difference between eating the fruits & vegetables and drinking them? drinking them is part of the clense. your body does not have to break the juice down nearly as much as when you eat them.
is this healthy? from what i have read, any person, regardless of health or condition is safe to do a 10 day cleanse, any longer and i would suggest consulting a doctor before and during to make sure you are safe.
is there weird stuff going on..you know, in the bathroom? nope, not yet, anyway. but i have been a vegetairan for 9 years on the 13th of this month so maybe that's why there isn't, um, crazy stuff happening.
this is silly, the best way to stay healthy is through diet and exercise, why don't you just do that instead? i am. i have been since april 10th and i have lost 31 pounds before i started this. i have been looking for a cleanse for a while, i did my homework and in my opinion this is healthier than a master cleanse.
can you still exercise? i am not sure you are supposed to, but i know you can if you feel ok. just light activity. i have not incorperated any exercise in yet but i plan on doing some low impact stuff like swimming asap.
are you crazy? maybe
are you drinking alcohol? nope.
what kind of juicer are you using? i borrowed a waring pro from my sister and a juice man jr. from my mom. they are both fairly easy to clean, especially if you have a high powered sprayer on your sink for the filter.
can you juice in the morning and drink it all day? yes and no. there is so much back and forth on this on the internet. i try to juice per order and drink it right away but at least once a day i make a second glass, put it in an air tight container and drink it within 3 hours. when i make a juice for later, i make it a citrus blend because they last longer. i have heard they are still good anywhere from 8-24 hours later but you get the most nutrients right away. and anything with apple will start to get kinda gross right away. the only reason i make at least one for later is because it's not really that fun to clean the juicer 5-6 times a day.
are you cranky or weak without food? i think the first and second day were the hardest to adjust. i do get hungry when i am at work looking at all the food but today i am off and i don't feel hungry. i don't feel weak or tired. i read that the first three days were the worst. but i made an effort not to complain because it's all mental. i am just pushing through.
what vegetables and fruits are you juicing? spinach, kale, beets, ginger, oranges, green apples, carrots, celery, strawberries, cucumber, lemon, lime, grapes, blueberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, mint, bell peppers, onion. (i plan on trying more stuff like cabbage, broccoli and cauloflower...actually i will probably juice everything possible before i'm done.)
how much is this costing you? so far, i have it figured out to about $6-$8 a day. i am on a serious budget right now so i cannot use all organic stuff. but if you make the bulk of your juice carrot or celery or cucumber, those things are dirt cheap. i go to the store daily.
wont this cause your body harm? i hear it can slow your metabolism, but mine was messed up before and i fixed it quickly so if i have to do it again i will. i am ok with it. it's a short-term thing so i will be fine. any nutrients or protien i might be lacking right now...well, it's not forever. i will be fine.
won't you just gain back all the weight afterward? maybe a few pounds, but i am not doing this as a quick-fix. i have been eating right for months so i will not backslide and eat everything in sight, so i doubt it. and i have not heard from anyone who has done this first hand that they gained back weight.
what about after the fast? for a couple weeks after the fast i will be eating only nuts, beans, vegetables and fruits to slowly re-adjust my body back to eating. and that is that.
some of my favorite recipes so far:
4 large kale leaves, 1.5 cups spinach, small chunk of ginger, two lemon wedges (no peel), 1/2 cup red grapes, 2 large carrots, 2 green apples, 6 small strawberries
1 large cucumber, 3 green apples, 3 mint leaves, half lime (no peel)
3 carrots, 3 oranges, chunk of ginger
i have had some failures too, but they are usually easy to fix. i attempted to make a v-8 tasting one but put way too much tomato and it was kinda gross but i added some lemon and some more greens and it balanced out. i am keeping a note pad in my iphone with the recipes and i rate them and describe them so i can remember which ones i like the best.
well, that's it. if anyone has any questions that i didn't cover, please feel free to leave me a comment. and i will update in a week or so to let you all know how it's going.
xo, emily
