Juice fasting

awandell

Problems with being over-weight and under-nourished can also have a WHOLE LOT to do with the other people in our lives.

Totally agree. I am realizing how I coddle my children and allow them to eat way more processed food than they need in an effort to please their taste buds. I am only now learning the volume of good fruits and vegetables we really need to sustain a healthy lifestyle. But you're right, as wives and mothers, we are often hugely affected by our loved ones.

I'm not fond of the idea of just juicing every meal (for me), but would love to know some recipes for something similar to V-8 (without the high sodium or sugar content of store-bought) to replace a meal or two a day.

There are some recipes out there. You can google V8 juicer recipes, and then also there's a recipe I'm very fond of that actually tastes similar to V8 (to me, at least). It comes from freedomyou.com's website. I haven't added the yeast or hot sauce and limited the worcestershire, but I really liked it!

Super Duper Spicy Tomato

3 ripe tomatoes
1/2 green or red pepper
1 celery stock
1 apple
1 Tbs. Good Tasting Yeast
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 Tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
3 drops Louisiana Hot Sauce (optional for the real man)

toots99

I'm just starting wheatgrass, someone hold me...

Try and focus on what seems like hunger pangs, to us, is, well, normal stomach. We are so used to being full or eating. It took me awhile before I could feel hungry without feeling anxious and to realize that anxious was what I was feeling in the first place. it's no different then quitting smoking if you eat to self medicate. This is why some GBS have issues, they take away the 'medicine' and don't address the issues.

Figure out how you got here and why. It's not normal for us to be this way and I have a hard time believing there are many happy fat people. I had to come to terms with what I was avoiding my eating a box of Frosted Flakes. When I stopped drinking the eating really got crazy.

SOme of it is mouth hunger, chew gum, if it helps, the juice police will never know....

But in all seriousness unless we deal with what got us here, nothing will work, not fasting, surgery, whatever. Not eating is hard because I don't think how much time we realize is taken up by eating, thing about what to eat, feeling ****ty for eating, and on and on an on.

Edited to add.

If you are gonna throw a banana in a blender, you can eat it, you know,lol. Give yourself a healthy option. I only juice hard fruits, the rest goes in the blender, spinach, even. This may make you fuller because it's the whole fruit/veg.

those hunger pangs are from the glycemic load and stress juice fasters experience. basically, juice fasting is a liquid carbohydrate diet.

Again. Vegetables. Have. Protein.

While Vegans have more variety, they seem to live, look and feel really well. This is because Vegetables. Have. Protein. One of my juice mixes has 11 grams of protein. From. A. Vegetable.

My vegan protein powder (non soy) is 20 grams per serving of protein. From vegetables.

So what you're saying is that there is protein in vegetables? :huh:

CarolTempleton

So what you're saying is that there is protein in vegetables? :huh:

Yes some small amounts other larger, but yes there is some protein in veggies

cmriverside

I can relate to everything you said, there are a lot of juice recipes out there, just google it, thats what I have been doing. Trying different things, i actually made one up today and it was actually good, i was suprised, it was 2 apples, almost 2 cups of spinach and kale, a quarter of a beet and some fresh parsley. all in all it was good, i was surprised. Juicing is fun and you get a lot more food into u all at once. Have fun juicing

dakota!! Could it be that you are already changing your tastes??!! Good for you!!

Stumbleine

This is so inspiring! I too saw the documentary recently and found it really eye opening. I'm very interested in doing the juice fast, although I do find it intimidating! I'm going to plan for it though, and I will do it.

As for those criticizing it and lumping it into the "fad diet" category, the impression I got from the documentary, and the people that have tried it and found it successful is that it is not a diet at all, and the primary purpose isn't even to lose weight (albeit a great benefit). It is really to give your body the nutrients it's been lacking, get rid of the bad stuff you've been feeding it, and really change what your body craves. Essentially, to "reboot your life."

Keep up the good work guys!

melleyd

So I'm not going to do a full on juice fast, more like a 7 day raw food diet. (I've been craving / eating too many sweets recently, so figured I'd try it) I'm starting next monday, and will do it during a "rest week" for P90X.

For those of you that purely juice, do you still count calories? How many calories per day do you aim for?

Carrot / Apple / Ginger is my favorite by the way.

Amy: A raw food diet is a good way to prep for a juice fast if you find you're still interested. When you're done with your 7 days, you might try 2-3 days on the juices. You will feel SOOOOO good!

melleyd

My husband and I started on Day 1 of our 40 day juice fast today. We get a CSA (community supported agriculture) box on Wednesdays then we stopped at the local farmer's market to get some more stuff. Last night we made two juices for today (he leaves at 4:30am).

grapes/blackberries/green apple/watermelon

and

kale (lots of kale) / cucumber / green apple / a little leftover watermelon.

I have done long juice fasts (not truly a fast, more like a cleanse) but my husband hasn't. I want to get some lemons, celery and ginger but we didn't want to go to the grocery store last night.

He thinks he will just drink it down really fast to get it over with but I will likely more sip on it throughout the day. I haven't really done green juices before but the apple and cucumber make it palatable.

melleyd

Ok, crap like this pisses me off. It pisses me off because its a TERRIBLE IDEA. Its not sustainable! Sure, you go 60 days, you lose a TON of weight, and what then?

You still haven't learned portion control, and you still haven't learned healthy eating. You've learned how to make a single shake. The same thing. Every day. (actually, they mix it up a little, but its still very structured, you eat only what they say)

Honestly, who could do that their whole life? Statistically, people that go on these diets and stick through the whole program DO lose weight. But they don't keep it off! They balloon right back up!

So you know whats changed when that's done? NOTHING except your starting weight. NOT A DARN THING. So in less than 2 years, you'll gain it all back!

Yeah, don't listen to this. This is obviously this person's experience or they are just uninformed. I used juice fasting intermittently over a period of 3 years to lose 120 pounds and KEEP IT OFF. I learned to eat healthy and felt so great during the juice fasting times. You are not really fasting but giving yourself megadoses of nutrition. I did gain about 35 pounds back after I got married but it had nothing to do with the juicing but my abandonment of the healthy lifestyle I had become accustomed to.

Sigh, please don't say things like "He is uninformed". I have done my research, I've looked at MEDICAL STUDIES and Double blind peer reviews.

This is the truth. It might not be YOUR experience, but a single persons experience is not statistically significant. I'm not going to hate on the people juicing, there is much worse "diets" out there, like HCG, but it statistically does not work long term.

Some people can't take the facts and have to learn for themselves - Thats fine. It's their life. Hopefully it works for them.

I don't want anyone to fail at their goals. I'm not saying these things to put anyone down, or make them fail. I am telling them the statistical truth, according to medical studies. I want them to have the best chance possible of living a healthy, fit life.

And as far as the statement "you aren't really fasting", true. You aren't. You're on a diet. Statistically, a "diet" doesn't work long term.

Just stating the facts supported by research, you don't need to take personal offense.

I'm not offended at all. I just didn't want someone to be swayed from trying this when the benefits are so amazing. Have you actually tried a juice cleanse? I don't use it like a diet at all but more for healing purposes. Your body was designed by a magnificent Creator to heal itself. Anyway, it's all good, just read your post today so that's the reason for the late reply.

swinginchandra

So I'm not going to do a full on juice fast, more like a 7 day raw food diet. (I've been craving / eating too many sweets recently, so figured I'd try it) I'm starting next monday, and will do it during a "rest week" for P90X.

For those of you that purely juice, do you still count calories? How many calories per day do you aim for?

Carrot / Apple / Ginger is my favorite by the way.

Amy: A raw food diet is a good way to prep for a juice fast if you find you're still interested. When you're done with your 7 days, you might try 2-3 days on the juices. You will feel SOOOOO good!

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm planning on juicing 1/2 meals of the day...we'll see how it goes, I may indeed decide to do a few days just juicing at the end.

toots99

Are you still logging and counting calories of all the fruits and veggies you juice? If so, is it comparable, c alorie-wise, to a regular day's worth of food?

melleyd

Are you still logging and counting calories of all the fruits and veggies you juice? If so, is it comparable, c alorie-wise, to a regular day's worth of food?

I'm not logging but I know that Carol is. If you drink enough juice, you will not be deficient in calories. If you want to lose some weight don't drink an excessive amount of juice. If you are doing it more for a cleanse, then drink lots of it!

zonah

Do you guys see a problem if you juice mostly carrots and apples when on the fast? I tried doing greens and its very hard to choke down. So today before work I did a big batch to last me through the day (of apples/pears/carrots/watermelon/orange ~ about 800 calories all together), then at home i will try greens.

I did a juice fast for five days last year & included almond milk in my fast for some protien. You could also eat raw nuts too. I juiced every fours 4x day and I figured out my cals to be around 1400 at least I was drinking about 16oz per serving.


Good luck with your fast I think that's great.

toots99

So what you're saying is that there is protein in vegetables? :huh:

Yes some small amounts other larger, but yes there is some protein in veggies

I knew what he was saying, I was being facetious based on his post.

CarolTempleton

Are you still logging and counting calories of all the fruits and veggies you juice? If so, is it comparable, c alorie-wise, to a regular day's worth of food?

Yes I am logging and its a little less calories then what this MFP say I need, but I'm not worried about it.

CarolTempleton

I can't believe day 4 is here. I didn't lose anything today, but I'm not worried about it... I'm just glad I made it this far and I'm gonna keep on going. I'm getting use to the hunger pangs, they are slowly going away. This has been a real test for me and when i come off of this juice fast, I think i can handle making better choices for myself and i think i will continue to juice here and there. Espeically if I'm on the go...

Happy Juicing

melleyd

I can't believe day 4 is here. I didn't lose anything today, but I'm not worried about it... I'm just glad I made it this far and I'm gonna keep on going. I'm getting use to the hunger pangs, they are slowly going away. This has been a real test for me and when i come off of this juice fast, I think i can handle making better choices for myself and i think i will continue to juice here and there. Espeically if I'm on the go...

Happy Juicing

You are doing so great!! Average loss will probably be 1 pound per day, depending on how much juice you are drinking. Can you share some of your favorite recipes so far?

CarolTempleton

I can't believe day 4 is here. I didn't lose anything today, but I'm not worried about it... I'm just glad I made it this far and I'm gonna keep on going. I'm getting use to the hunger pangs, they are slowly going away. This has been a real test for me and when i come off of this juice fast, I think i can handle making better choices for myself and i think i will continue to juice here and there. Espeically if I'm on the go...

Happy Juicing

You are doing so great!! Average loss will probably be 1 pound per day, depending on how much juice you are drinking. Can you share some of your favorite recipes so far?

So far the only veggie recipe I like is:
about 2 cups of Kale and Spinach
2 apples
quarter of a beet
with a little bit of parsley

I love all the fruit juices i make, except watermelon...I Love watermelon, but for some reason not as a juice

2 apples
a bunch of green and red grapes
strawberries and blueberrys
YUM!!!

cmriverside

Go dakota! I'm glad you found something you really like. Try adding some lemon or lime to it...variety!

CarolTempleton

Go dakota! I'm glad you found something you really like. Try adding some lemon or lime to it...variety!

Do think lemon or lime would make it taste bad? Have you tried it. cause I added a tomato once to something and it was so gross. Just curious

wisecat1

This is my favorite!
Great Green Fruity Mix

2 cups Beet Greens, Red Swiss Chard, Kale, Spinach or a combination,
roughly chopped and packed into the measuring cup
1 Golden Delicious Apple
1/2 Comice Pear
10 Strawberries, green tops cut off
1 cup Coconut Water

Calories: 255
Protein: 6 g
Fiber: 3 g

melleyd

Go dakota! I'm glad you found something you really like. Try adding some lemon or lime to it...variety!

Do think lemon or lime would make it taste bad? Have you tried it. cause I added a tomato once to something and it was so gross. Just curious

If you like lemonade, try this!

4 apples
1/4 lemon

seriously, tastes like lemonade but good for you!

awandell

If you like lemonade, try this!

4 apples
1/4 lemon

seriously, tastes like lemonade but good for you!

Thank you so much! I think I'll try that!

Today is day 6 for us. We're doing well. My husband ran some errands this morning and did not bring his juice that I made for him (said he wouldn't need it), but he had to stop and get gas and bought and ate some sunflower seeds and a small bag of combo's. COMBO'S?!?! Seriously? We've been stuffing ourselves with nutritious gold, and you go and get combos?! I need to settle down on the judgmental spirit though. Maybe I'm just bitter because I still miss the food! Making the kids breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks every day doesn't help. He drank his juice when he got home and is back on, but, man! He was doing awesome! He's lost like 15lbs, and I'm just so proud of him. Still am.

Today feels like a normal day. I'm noticing I'm on top of things more now, especially with the kids. I'm able to deal with several different matters at the same time. I wasn't so good at that before.

Oh, my favorite juice, the pineapple piper. It's a sweet potato, a whole fresh pineapple, and 4 oranges. Yum. But it's super acidic, so you may want to limit how often you enjoy that yummy treat.

And yes, I am not enjoying my green juices today. Maybe tomorrow will be better. Just kinda tired of them, but still on the wagon, doing well.

CarolTempleton

I am glad everyone is doing well, I'll have to try some of everyones recipes, they sound good...So, My finace Mike cheated BIG time today, we went to walmart cause he needed new glasses his broke this morning, after he got a new prescription, he went and bought a pick 3 from the deli, chinese chicken, popcorn chicken and potato wedges. YIKES.. I think he's done with the fasting, he said he couldn't do it anymore cause he's been so hungry and only juicing was making him even more hungry, so he's done, but I am proud he made it this far, quite honestly I thought he would break down and get fast food on day 2 but he stuck with it... I am still hanging in there. I ignored what he ate. Just focused what was on tv and not think about it. I've got to push, I've got a week and a half left. I hope I make it.

RasheedaR

Awesome job so far!!!!! I saw the documentary as well & it also really inspired me! Day 4 for me & hubby!! I feel amazing! I am doing it because I have severe allergies, some blood clotting & respiratory issues & obviously am overweight. My husband is doing it with me & we are thrilled so far with the results!

cbpbro

I just started my juice fast this morning. Im afraid im going to lose some of the muscle mass i gained over the past few months but oh well. I need a serious reboot from all of the garbage ive been eating.

awandell

I just started my juice fast this morning. Im afraid im going to lose some of the muscle mass i gained over the past few months but oh well. I need a serious reboot from all of the garbage ive been eating.

Awesome! Hope that you achieve all your health goals! I read something this am that was really helpful and thought it might help others. I'll post where it's from to give them credit, but I don't want to break any rules here about linking to websites and such.

The Different Juice Fasting Stages of Detoxification

Here is an overview of the detoxification stages during a juice fast. The time periods are a general estimation.

Stage 1 (Day 1 To Day 2)
On the first day of fasting, the blood sugar level drops below 70 mg/dl. To restore the blood to the normal glucose level, liver glycogen is converted to glucose and released into the blood. This reserve is enough for half a day. The body then reduces the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The rate of internal chemical activity in resting tissue is lowered to conserve energy. The heart slows and blood pressure is reduced. Glycogen is pulled from the muscle causing some weakness. The first wave of cleansing is usually the worst.

Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, glazed eyes and a heavily coated tongue are signs of the first stage of cleansing. Hunger can be the most intense in this period unless the enema is used which quickly assists the body into the fasting state by ending digestion in the colon.

Stage 2 (Day 3 To Day 7)
Fats, composed of transformed fatty acids, are broken down to release glycerol from the gliceride molecules and are converted to glucose. The skin may become oily as rancid oils are purged from the body. People with problem-free skin may have a few days of pimples or even a boil. A pallid complexion is also a sign of waste in the blood. Ketones are formed by the incomplete oxidation of fats. It is suspected that the ketones in the blood suppress the appetite by affecting the food-satiety center in the hypothalamus. You may feel hungry for the first few days of the fast. This effect is temporary. The desire to eat will disappear. Lack of hunger may last 40 to 60 days, depending on whether you are on water or juice.

The body embraces the fast and the digestive system is able to take a much-needed rest, focusing all of its energies on cleansing and healing. White blood cell and immune system activity increases. You may feel pain in your lungs. The cleansing organs and the lungs are in the process of being repaired. Periodically, the lymphatic system expels mucoid matter through the nose or throat. The volume excreted of this yellow-colored mucus can be shocking. The sinuses go through periods of being clogged, then will totally clear. The breath is still foul and the tongue coated. Within the intestine, the colon is being repaired and impacted feces on the intestinal wall start to loosen.

Stage 3 (Day 8 to Day 15)
On the latter part of an extended fast, you can experience enhanced energy, clear-mindedness and feel better than you have felt since childhood. On the downside, old injuries may become irritated and painful. This is a result of the body’s increased ability to heal during fasting. If you had broken your arm 10 years before, there is scar tissue around the break. At the time of the break, the body’s ability to heal was directly related to lifestyle. If you lived on a junk-food diet, the body’s natural healing ability was compromised.

During fasting, the body’s healing process is at optimum efficiency. As the body scours for dead or damaged tissue, the lymphocytes enter the older, damaged tissue secreting substances to dissolve the damaged cells. These substances irritate the nerves in the surrounding region and cause a reoccurrence of aches from previously injured areas that may have disappeared years earlier. The pain is good as the body is completing the healing process. The muscles may become tight and sore due to toxin irritation. The legs can be the worst affected, as toxins accumulate in the legs. Cankers are common in this stage due to the excessive bacteria in the mouth. Daily gargling with salt and water will prevent or heal cankers.

Stage 4 (Day 16 to Day 30)
The body is completely adapted to the fasting process. There is more energy and clarity of mind. Cleansing periods can be short with many days of feeling good in between. There are days when the tongue is pink and the breath is fresh. The healing work of the organs is being completed. After the detoxification mechanisms have removed the causative agent or render it harmless, the body works at maximum capacity in tissue proliferation to replace damaged tissue. While a short fast will reduce the symptoms, a longer fast can completely heal. Homeostatic balance is at optimum levels. The lymphatic system is clean except for a rare discharge of mucus through the nose or throat. After day 20, the mind is affected. Heightened clarity and emotional balance are felt at this time. Memory and concentration improve.

Stage 5 (Breaking the Fast)
The sticky, toxic, mucoid coating on the intestinal wall is loose, and the first meal frees it from the intestinal wall. Toxins enter the blood through the colon. The gallbladder dumps its waste in a heavy discharge of bile. This can cause an instant bowel movement upon eating followed by intense diarrhea. If the symptoms are too uncomfortable, an enema will help.

This article was written by, Mr. Tom McGregor, author of Eating in Freedom.

tripitena

Wow ddakota! I bow before your great dedication!
I lost a great amount of weight years ago by basically starving from stress and of course it all came back within a few years. I've been veg for over 20yrs but have never "juiced" this ways so I'm interested in your progress.I'm thinking I may try this as a way to not only "jump start" weight loss but as a way to cleanse some of my dietary sins and clear my vision so to speak.
I saw the documentary listed on NetFlix but with all the comments here now I'll go watch it .

wisecat1

Lesson I learned this morning from my juice! It was so horrible!
Peel the beets...other wise you get dirt.
Peel the sweet potato...again with the dirt.
Peel the grapefruit. The rind is so bitter.

I'll try a this recipe again some time. It sounded so good.

melleyd

Day 2 ...............sipping on my "lemonade".

Day 1 of 40 complete! Now, I have done quite a bit of juice fasting over the last 7 years but my husband has barely ever fasted in his whole life. I think he has done 2-3 days recently of just fasting on bottled juices. Anyway, he seems to really be dedicated to this. I'm afraid he might lose too much weight because he doesn't have more than 10-15 lbs to lose but I know his weight will stabilize when he starts eating again. He may need to add in some raw food or protein shakes later in the fast, I'm not sure.

Anyway, just wanted to say how proud I am of him. And it's been fun making the juices together. I'm so happy I have someone else doing this with me for the first time!

Keep with it everyone. You will feel AMAZING in a few days!

meli_medina

Good luck.