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Holiday Season Juice Fast/Feast

Today is the first day of my juice fast. It could also be the only day - but I hope not! I'm leaving for two weeks in Mexico next Saturday and wanted to give my body a break from all the holiday food and wine excess and maybe look just that little bit better in my new bikini.

Anyone want to join me? ;)

Today I made three liters of fresh organic juice before work (and also made my boyfriend's coffee & toast breakfast and packed him a salad for lunch...sigh...I'm a good girlfriend)

1) Green Juice: 1 head celery, 1 large head rainbow chard, 2.5 pink lady apples, 2 meyer lemons, about .5 inch fresh ginger

2) Pineapple Delight: 1 large pineapple, including rind, .5 apple, because it was laying there.

3) "Beauty Juice": 3 cucumbers, couple sticks celery, 3 pink lady apples.

I also plan on doing bikram yoga each night (I typically go 5 times a week - so this is not an increase, just status quo).

Wish me luck, please! Right now I'm sipping warm water with lemon and looking forward to the first juice of the day.

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Comments

  • No one wants to juice fast with me? Fine - I don't need any of you! ;)

    4pm on Day 1, and I just had my first real intense hunger pang. I know it will pass. I drank the pineapple juice and am about 1/2 way through my 32 oz of green juice - but i've been sipping it for a couple of hours and it's not going down too easily. Here's hoping I don't vomit during yoga...that would be embarrassing.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    Mmmm. I love pink lady apples. Hope you don't vomit during yoga too. LOL.

    Hats off to you Honey, doing a juice fest during the holidays. Go Girl.

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    I'll be juicing after New Years again... i might just end up doing a master cleanse - my husband actually asked if we had time to do it before Christmas! I couldn't believe he wanted to do it!!! I drink the same variation of green juice and it actually grows on you :) Good luck to you! you won't vomit at yoga, trust me!!!

  • Aaw, I would love to juice fast with you, but I don't have a juicer, yet. :( Maybe i'll do a smoothie fast? I've never fasted. I've only done a couple of smoothie fasts that lasted one day. Ha. I'm a newbie.

  • There's the GoneRaw support I was begging for. Thanks, ladies!

    Carrie, have you done a master cleanse before? I did it for 3 days before and stopped because my body was having terrible reactions. I feel like it is too harsh for my system - I'm better off with juices.

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    You might take a look around www.fastingconnection.com... the forums there if you have a chance. People there do like 20 day water fasts no problem! They might be able to give you some support. There is also a doctor there who answers questions if you have any. Good luck on your fast. I'm sure it's great for your body. It's better to let go of the toxins than have them stay in your body! I might join you where I not in the middle of finals.

    Good luck!

  • PamPam

    Wow... Bikram Yoga on juice?!? I really couldn't hang! Are you going through the 27th or do you mean this Saturday? I had thought about doing another Master Cleanse through the end of the year. Juice feasting is so hard for me. Juice and green smoothies make me want to eat! I don't know why.

  • blueyzblueyz Raw Newbie

    Not joining in on this one but I will cheer from the sidelines :) Oh, and jealous of going to Mexico!!

    My goal the next 2 weeks is keep it as natural and whole foods as I can, eat nothing I didn't make at home(well for work anyways - that is my worst place now for getting off track to be honest). Both parties I have next weekend are usually ones I have plenty of options at or can bring, and I'm not so worried about Christmas this year.

    I have been trying to get back to high raw, and well even the stuff that isn't(Ok, it's raw but dairy) my body is dealing well with at the moment. I just need to stay on track. I think Jan will be the time for me to do a fast/cleanse.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    DAGNEY - If you do a Master Cleanse or a water fast, after the 3rd day is normally when you turn the curve and start feeling better. I have done 2 Master Cleanses and a water fast and the 4th day was the jewel in both.

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    Dagney - i've done a few master cleanses. Try doing it with Agave instead of the Maple Syrup. The last time i did this cleanse, i had been raw for about a year, and i felt absolutely horrible. I knew something was wrong and i figured there was too much sugar... sure enough! I changed over to Agave (eventhough it doesn't have the same minerals as the maple syrup) and i felt so much better - i felt so good that i wanted to keep going on the cleanse... but, we had prior commitments that i had to go to... I hope you do well with your juicing. I just recieved my blend-tech today in the mail and there's a whole juice button on it.... i'll be juicing or smoothie-ing until Christmas Even anyway :) Then, again after New Years. I feel so much better when i juice or just do smoothies for a while. My body feels better and so does my mind! Have a wonderful time in Mexico and wear that bikini wth pride :)

  • hi dagny,

    i've been attempting only juice since saturday, and i've done fine every day, but every night, i've broken down and eaten! but maybe i should have gotten on here and asked for support and that might have helped! so starting now, i'll join you, but i'm ducking out this saturday for a potluck. i don't do yoga, either. :( but i do work out, this is my first attempt at fasting ever! good luck.

    i've been doing apple-orange-beet-ginger, carrot-cucumber-spinach-parsley, and carrot-apple-celery-ginger combinations along with natalia rose's recipe for green lemonade in my NEW omega juicer. i love them, but for some reason, once the sun goes down, i lose my cool!

    s

  • Thanks for all of the wonderful comments! Bikram went really well last night - my backbends were super deep and I was able to stay in each posture.

    I was only able to get through two of my 32 oz jars of juice yesterday - my green juice and the pineapple. For some reason, the though of my cucumber apple juice kept making me feel sick, even though I have had and liked that combination before. I am going to try to drink it today. I drank a lot of warm water with lemon yesterday - 3 big glasses after bikram, several mugs full at work, and two medium size bottles of fresh water.

    Aside from my leftover cuke/apple, I made two other liters today - a green lemonade (though I forgot to add the ginger and only remembered after i had cleaned my juicer), and a delicious looking pear and pomegrante. I've never made pomegrante juice before - I seeded two large poms and ran them through my juicer and then ran the pulp through two more times - a lot more juice came out. I don't usually run pulp through again, but there just looked like there was a lot of juice left in those seeds.

    I was also able this morning to make my boyfriend's breakfast and lunch salad without coveting any of it. I was perfectly happy last night drinking my water while he drank wine next to me. I think that's a good sign that my body is digging this. I'm curious to see how my energy holds up through work and bikram today. Also, we have a holiday luncheon/group meeting at work today - I plan to bring my lovely pink pom/pear juice and convince myself that everyone is jealous of it while they eat their crap holiday fare.

    Pam, Meditating, and Carrie - I hear what you are saying about the Master Cleanse, and maybe one day I will try it again. However, when I did it last time, it was one of several things I was doing to try to heal myself during a pretty bad ulcerative colitis flare. During my three days on the cleanse, the bleeding got a lot worse (sorry to be graphic). My instincts started shouting at me that I was doing the wrong thing for my body - it was just too harsh. Oddly, I found the lemonade with cayenne to be delicious. ;)

    Samesofam - your juice combos sound awesome! I'm afraid I might be a little heavy on the sweet fruit today. Good luck keeping the fast tonight - but don't be hard on yourself if you decide to eat something healthy for dinner.

    Thanks for listening to me! I really appreciate all of you.

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    The lemon juice could have done it for you. I have ibs and I wouldn't touch citrus with a long pole. Also, I heard the maple syrup is not necessarily great for detoxing because it's a dense concentration of calories, so the body never really switches full gear into sucking out toxins in the fat.

    Good luck and stay strong! Follow your heart :)

    Also Dagny- Do you have any yoga books you particularly like? I am thinking of getting one or joining a class... I

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    that's a good point about the maple syrup. i know it has a high caloric content, but i never thought about the fat toxins.

    does anyone have juicer recommendations? i really want to buy one and want a reliable one. i've had too many crappy appliances in the past.

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    Get an electric one. manual ones are too inefficient. and get a masticating one. it preserves the nutrients and enzymes much better (rather than a centrifugal one).

    can you buy me a juicer too? jk. i really need one thoooo gaaah. juicers are reaaaally helpful. they help with not overeating and green juices and carrots are mildly laxitive in nature.

  • Dagny - Good luck with your juice fast and have a fantastic trip to Mexico. I can not join you on your fast because I just came off of my own 7 day juice fast which went quite well.

    Joanna - I have a Green Star juicer and I love it. It is easy, I find it to be easy to clean, and it works very well. The juice even holds up well if not consumed immediately. I purchased it from www.discountjuicers.com. They have a lot of information that compares the different types of juicers, what each juicer is best suited for, and several possible price ranges. I really recommend exploring their site for information before you make your decision.

    The first three days were extremely challenging, by evening I would have a moderate nagging headache as well. Having suffered from migraines most of my life I was able to endure that without too much difficulty. After that it became much simpler. The 6th day however I was just about crawling the walls wanting food, 90% of that was mental, I cannot say I experienced true hunger pangs after the third day passed. Green lemonade fixed it, I might have gone too long between juices.

    I drank a lot of green lemonade to which I would add a full organic cucumber, with the skin. I maintained a pretty steady level of activity between running, yoga, rebounding, and tons of walking and tried to time my juice with my activities. Dry skin brushing is typically a part of my day and I made sure I did not forget it.

    My favorite juice was a blend of 4 stalks of celery - 2 cucumbers - and 1 apple (typically granny smith). It made me gassy as heck the first time and that passed (no pun intended) after the 3rd time I'd made and consumed that version. It must have kicked up some cleansing reaction for me, which was why I persisted with it. Another favorite was a beet-celery-apple mixture, really satisfying.

    I tried to avoid too much fruit juice but at some points I did make fresh orange juice that I strained for sheer quick and easy factor, tasted great. I made a couple of pineapple based juices as well, because I found I was craving the flavor.

    One thing that pleased me was that the foods I wanted most while juice fasting were fresh watermelon and fresh papaya.

    This was my first real fast, except for a handful of 24 hour water fasts, which I aim to do once a week but my life won't always permit. What I found was by night I was exhausted and ready for bed and nothing could keep me awake. I slept soundly and woke up feeling refreshed and like a million dollars, alert and full of energy. I looked forward to the first juice but did not crave it and was happy with water for several hours. I was able to fix my husband's lunches and dinners with no problems (other than the fatigue at night). My teeth experienced a dramatic change. They were smoother, cleaner, the taste in my mouth was pleasant and it basically looks like I just went for a dental cleaning. That was a surprise. I lost about 6 pounds, which surprised me as well. My skin became radiant and smooth. Blemishes disappeared and I was expecting the exact opposite.

    That is all I can think of right now, though there are probably some things I am forgetting. I plan to do this every 3 months and I am sure it will get easier as I go. It was a great experience and well worth the discipline it took to accomplish.

  • Aubbie - it's helpful to hear your experience.

    So far today I've had a ton of water - mostly warm with fresh lemon juice - and 32 oz of cucumber/apple. I'm about to have the pomegrante pear juice, but I don't think I'll be able to do the whole thing at once. maybe half.

    I just went for a colonic - thinking might as well help this detox along. It wasn't the most pleasant experience - there was a lot of air in my stomach (could it be from that morning juice), so I don't know if we really got that much 'stuff' out of me. (sorry to overshare).

    I have bikram in 3 hours - we'll see how that goes - and then a stop at the market to get more juiceable produce and real food for boyfriend.

    Zin - I am really into bikram yoga, so I have the beginning bikram book and used to have the big iyengar book (someone borrowed it and never gave it back...the dangers of being a big book loaner). Honestly, I have never found yoga books helpful as a guide, only as a reference for reading more about the fine points or benefits of different postures. I think you need to have your focus (physically) in the right direction and have someone point out adjustments to you - looking at a book isn't too conducive here. You should treat yourself to some professional classes - most studios have beginner specials (my bikram studio has a month unlimited yoga for $29 for first time students) - learn a routine and the poses, then maybe practice at home with the book.

    Joanna - I have the Green Star and the Breville Juice Fountain. First is twin gear, second is centrifugal. I have never used the Green Star. It sits there like a big intimidating monster on my counter - but I know it's the best and one day I will take the time to figure it out! (I know this is really stupid of me...). I used the Breville all the time. I love the big chute - I can stick smaller apples in it whole.

    Wow - Drinking the pomegrante pear juice now and it is delicious!!

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    AUBBIE - One of my favorite juices is celery, cucumber and apple too, preceded only by honedew juice or pear juice.

    I hear you about the sleep while fasting. When I did the Master Cleanse, I didn't notice too much difference in the say I slept but when I did a water fast I slept like a rock on the second night. I often wake up several times a night but not then or since (only went off less than a week ago). It was so great to be able to sleep soundly and wake up refreshed and energized. I admit a nice bump of energy since eating much more raw, but fasting really upped my energy level too. I don't feel like death come 3pm anymore and, even more miraculously, I will clean my house now.

  • Bikram was really hard tonight!! I think I'm not drinking enough juice/calories. For some reason, I keep craving water with lemon more than my juice. Also, I think the colonic kind of wiped me out. That said, I really don't feel hungry. We'll see about tomorrow - the dreaded 'day 3!'

    CDrake - I went to Dominican in June - I love it there. I hope you get your next vacation soon.

    I think the most helpful thing you can do to prepare for your juice feast is read all that you can first. It gets you psyched up and prepares you for what your body will be doing and how you might feel. Steve Meyerwitz (sp?) has a book on juice fasting - not really thorough, but it is something. Angela Stokes has some downloadable stuff that is very helpful (she's the one who did the 92 (or 93?) day juice feast and wrote a lot about it. Most of all, keep logging on here to take advantage of your raw community - like I am!

  • whoohoo! day two (of consistency), and i have my first colonic this afternoon. i'm starving.

    s

  • Good for you for making it through last night!

    Day 3 has begun, and I'm sipping lemon water. For today, I have 1/2 of my pomegrante pear juice from yesterday, and I made 32 oz of cucumber, celery, and apple and 32 ounces of pineapple, apple, and pomegrante. I know I am woefully lacking on the dark green juice. My fast will be 4-5 days at the longest, so I'm not really worried about long-term nutrient needs, as I would be on a longer fast.

    My mood is a bit irritable! Boyfriend felt I was not listening to him last night, and I went to bed without saying goodnight. Very weird for me. Also, I slept like hell again - was awake much of the night and had stress dreams (at airport for flight with no ID, that kind of stuff).

    I might make it a 3 day fast and eat light tomorrow, but I would like to fast through tomorrow if I can.

    I'm not hungry. ;)

  • hooray! you are almost there.

    i caved this morning. two days is enough for my first time, i think. plus i'm not even 100% raw, so the discipline thing is a challenge! but i did feel pretty light and good by the end, especially after my FIRST-EVER colonic!

    BUT i do have a question: last night was the second night in a row that i juiced a grapefruit (the whole thing) and was laid up for an hour afterward. i felt so nauseous and tried to puke but couldn't muster anything. am i allergic? i used to drink pasteurized grapefruit juice with no problem... has anyone else experienced this?

    s

  • Hmm - weird about the grapefruit juice. did you juice the peel also? that can cause a reaction in some. maybe it was just too acidic for your fasting stomach?

    I'm on day 4! Today I've been feeling the first little waves of hunger. I plan to make it through tonight and eat lightly tomorrow (I am traveling on Saturday, so I don't want any stomach surprises then, so I have to break it tomorrow), but if the urge gets too strong tonight, I will break it then and not be down on myself.

    Last night I skipped bikram - I just could not do it. Once I got past being hard on myself, it felt nice to just relax.

    Today I have:

    32 oz of pomegrante/apple/pineapple (left from yesterday - never drank it)

    32 oz of green - 1 head rainbow chard, 2 large cucumbers, 2 meyer lemons, 2 pink lady apples, 1/2 bunch parsley, 1/2 bunch dill, and inch of ginger.

    Really, my constant craving and companion has been hot water with fresh lemon. I crave it much more than my juice.

    Thanks all for indulging me this week and letting me rattle on.

  • good for you. i think i'll follow your example and do the water with lemon much more often next time.

    and maybe it was the peel as i juiced the entire thing. i searched for information on it being toxic but couldn't find anything. thanks!

    s

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    Dagny- Did you get any white fuzzies on your tongue? It interests me that this often seems to go hand in hand with detoxing. Mine are yellow sometimes. Really crazy. I will get a juicer soon and maybe join you on your next juice fast :) Have fun on your trip.

  • Hi DagNY - it sounds like you are doing well :) I will try the hot water with lemon duing my next juice fast. It sounds very pleasant. I drank a bit of chamomile / lavendar tea during mine.

    Samesofam - Juicing the peel is more than likely what gave you that nausea. I believe you can only juice the peel / rind for limes and lemons. Other citrus fruits need to be peeled, their rinds are not edible.

  • ahh! thanks, good to know. but i wish i would have known that before! :) i didn't get any bad effects with orange rind, though.

    s

  • Great job Dagny! I can not wait to begin my juice feast. I wish I had my juicer now. Question for you though. I was reading that you had a pear/pomegranate juice. How did you make this? Do you juice the whole pomegrante seed? What ratio of pear/pomegranate did you use? I simply love pomegranate and pear and can not wait to try a combination of the two.

    Oh and have fun on your trip!!!!

  • Kudos Dagny!! I don't know many people who would juice feast through the holidays. Oh and I am very jealous that you are going to mexico. I went to the Dominican Republic in September and I am already ready for another vacation! Anyways I am thinking about going on a juice feast to help myself transition into being raw again. I have never done a juice feast/fast before so I would love any tips you have!!! I am getting a juicer for Christmas and I am soooo excited to make fresh, healthy juice!

  • Hi All!

    Cdrake - I'm sorry to be so late in responding, and now you are not likely to see this.

    Regarding my delay - on December 19, the Friday after my Monday - Thursday fast, my apartment was robbed. Some horribly person stole my laptop (with everything I have written for the past two years, plus tons of photos) and almost all of my jewellery - including the pearls my grandmother gave me when I turned 13 (which her mother had given her...) and a lot of other family stuff that grandma and my mom gave to me over the years. It is a horrible feeling to have lost all of that. On the bright side, the bastard didn't hurt my cats or ransack the place, no people were injured, and he did not see or take my passport which was sitting on the table by the computer under some papers. If he had taken the passport, the trip to Mexico that I was leaving for 12 hours later would have been taken away from me as well. So, I had an amazing time in Mexico, really came along with my windsurfing, and was even more disconnected than planned due to my loss of the laptop which I had planned to bring along.

    Now, back to your question, since I'm done bitching about my relatively good life - for the pomegrante/pear juice, I took the seeds out of 2 - 3 pomegrantes and ran them through the juicer. I then took the pulp and ran it through two more times, finding that there was a lot of juice missed the first and second time. By the third time through, the pulp was fairly dry - just crushed seed shells. The output of juice was not much, but the flavor was really strong when I then added about 4 or 5 pears. The outcome was a bright pink juice that tasted like a tart candy - the pear was just mellow enough to make it delicious and not overly sweet. Yum... I think I just added some items to tonights market shopping list!

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