Good morning, Juice Heads! (name commonly used for weird people who juice their own fruits and veggies)
Today's day 1 of our 10 day Juice fast challenge. To bring you up to speed, the next 10 days are the last 10 days for my 60 day juice fast, and I'm super excited to have you joining me on this journey toward better health.
There are some of you who've never juiced before, while others, have juiced for up to 40 days or longer. The key to juicing, that I've found, is to stay focused on your mission. When you fast, you feel like an outsider in society, because everywhere you go, there it is, FOOD. So remember, you have a goal of better health. Losing weight, feeling better, detoxing your body, and improving your quality of life are just a few of the benefits you're going to experience over the next 10 days, so keep that in mind!
So who's on the juice fast with us? Here's who I know for sure are doing some form of fasting over the next 10 days, so please encourage one another, pray for one another, and know you're not alone. Fasting with us are:
- Mike
- Al
- Susie
- Janai
- Steve
- Rhonda
- Maury
- Tony
- Mignon
- Arabah
- Cocosmommie..... (Blogger profile name....I think!)
- June
- Ravi
Congratulations to each and every one of you for your decision to take this vital step toward better health!
Where to go for information about fasting, recipes, etc.: Reboot Your Life
Movie to watch for motivation, inspiration, and encouragement: "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead"
(Available on Netflix, or you can rent on Amazon.com and stream!)
What to expect when you fast....
- Day 1 - Weird.... You're not doing what you've done every day of your life for as long as you remember. You'll feel a little cut off from the world, and you might even wonder if it's worth it. Also, you may feel nauseous, light headed, lethargic, and maybe have a headache if you're coffee drinker. Don't worry, all this is normal and it's actually a GOOD sign. It means your body had begun to detoxify itself, and clears up around day 3 or 4 for most people.
- Day 2 - Weirder.... You're still not doing what you're used to and your body doesn't like it! But hang it there, the end result is well worth the momentary discomfort. You might wonder if you can make it without eating. You, or people around you, might question your sanity for not eating. Good hearted and well intentioned people might tell you that you have to eat food. Trust me, if you're not on prescription medication, you don't!
- Day 3 - Not as bad as the first two. You're growing more confident in your ability to do this, and your body's beginning to understand what your telling it. You and your juicer have been getting to know each other and now the relationship seems more natural.
- Day 4 - A day of breakthrough! You'll notice some slight changes in your body. Your pants are just a tad looser, you've probably dropped about 4-5 pounds, and you notice your skin getting tighter. The symptoms experienced in the fist two days are usually gone, and you're starting to have better focus and more energy. See, I told you it would get better!
- Day 5- You're on a roll and no one's stopping you. If you're juicing enough, and the right stuff, you shouldn't be hungry. By this time, the flood of micro-nutrients your body's ingesting are beginning to reverse the years of bad eating and you're starting to rebuild your body from the inside out!
- Day 6-10 - Much like day 5. The weight really starts falling off and your clothes fits much nicer. You look in the mirror and like what you see. Your energy level is up and you find yourself getting more accomplished each day. You might even begin telling others that they should fast!
- Drink plenty of fresh juice. Typically, I drink about 50-60 ounces of fruit and vegetable juice a day, along with about a 1/2 gallon of water.
- Find a good GREEN juice you like and drink it daily. Your body needs the nutrients found in green juice. The Reboot Your Life website mentioned above has plenty of good recipes for you to try. My staple Green drink is:
- 1/2 bunch kale
- 1/2 bunch spinach
- 1/2 bunch turnip greens
- 1/2 bunch dandelion
- 1 cucumber
- 4 celery stalks
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime (peeled)
- 1" size piece of ginger
- And I like to throw in about 10-12 strands of cilantro
This recipe will yield me my full days' supply of nutrients, and the reason I make it all at once is because I can't juice at work, so I juice at home, and take it with me!)
For Breakfast, I like to have any the following items:
- 1 pineapple (peeled of course)
- 4-5 apples (green or red, or both together)
- 8 kiwis
- 3 apples and 4 carrots
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Be sure and let us know how things are going for you during your fast. You can leave comments here, or you can write on the wall of The Male Domain at our Facebook fan page. Either way you choose, just let us know how you're doing!
