I’m on the first day of a three day juice fast.
Last month the idea of fasting hit me hard and I just sort of realized I’d be doing quite a bit of it this year 
I have a few small ones planned and this is the kick-off.
I’ve fasted in the past but I’ve never felt so confident and unattached to the idea that I “need” food to get by physically or emotionally for a little while. My previous fasts have also not been so well planned and I’d not done as much cleansing prior. I remember attempting my first fast in high school with my roommate. It ended up being a day of sugary fruit juices that culminated in a binge of waffles and eggs. I’ve also done fasts since then that at least lasted the full time I’d planned but where I was still including lots of fruit juices and raw honey while excluding colon cleansing (which I consider to be imperative). My last fast lasted 5 days, included just vegetable juices, and colon cleansing. I remember feeling discouraged that I didn’t lose any weight (that was my focus at the time) and wrote in to the Detox Community asking for insight. This was a piece of the response I got from the beautiful Ana Ladd Griffin:
Believe me, I know how hard this can be to accept. We all battle with this at times. But detoxification means your body is releasing stored toxins from many places, not just fatty deposits. It knows best, and you can trust that as you continue the process it will continue to morph and change. The detox process is happening, and changing you dramatically, it just might not be apparent in the places you’re looking. I’ve seen cellulite diminish before pant size, or hair grow in thicker and shinier before the scale budges. Or there might be nothing you can see, but instead something you can feel. I understand frustration, I promise. Hang in there, and your body will find its center.
I have since continued to live the detox lifestyle and the majority of the weight that I was worried about was taken care of. This is my first fast since then, I’ve tossed my scale, and I’m looking forward to this as being a time of looking at my emotional food addictions and taking my cleanse to the next level. I’m excited to embark and share
Today I Drank:
16 oz cinnamon apple herbal tea
16 oz cucumber/spinach/lime juice
24 oz hibiscus herbal tea (from the coffee shop)
30 oz carrot/parsley juice
12 oz kale juice and young coconut water (and a probiotic)
20 oz Pizza Broth*
32 oz carrot/green leaf juice with cinnamon, stevia, and a scoop of bee pollen
Just so I don’t have to mention it repeatedly, I add NuNaturals stevia to almost everything.
*The veggie broth I enjoyed this evening was so wonderful, the best I’ve ever enjoyed.
Ingredients:
32 oz water
1 large sweet potato
1 large onion
2 Tbsp pizza seasoning (I found mine in the bulk bins of the health food store)
Pour water into a pot and heat on high. Chop veggies and add to the water along with the seasoning. Once it’s been brought to a boil, turn down heat to a simmer and let sit for an hour. Quite a bit of the water evaporates and you’re left with a concentrated broth that’s quite sweet and nicely flavored. Strain so that just the liquid remains and you have veggies left over for after fast.
I’m in the middle of what feels like a hundred books at the moment but I’ve paused to take in these two over the next couple of days:
This one is new to me and I’m loving it! There is a lot of great info on the reasons for fasting as well as the different types. I’m just getting into it but I’ll post anything I find interesting.
I’ve read this one before but Arnold is the man and really knew his stuff, it’s worth dipping back into over and over again.
I actually have a recipe in this book! There is a heap of good info but I’m mostly poking around for recipe inspiration.
I’ll probably have some more herbal tea tonight, make a shopping list for tomorrow’s juicy creations, and curl up in bed with my stack of books!
