Today I begin day 8 of my 92 day JUICE FEAST! Aside from a little cold that I developed on Thursday, I am feeling great! I'm not sure what to attribute the cold too. I think I'm gonna blame it on detox, as I cannot imagine the nutrient dense foods I'm drinking letting a virus in! Although, the first weeks of a juice cleanse are said to be very focused on eliminating toxins. In order to do this, the body takes the energy that would normally be used for digestion and uses it instead to draw out and eliminate toxic matter from the body. This will be happening until the last day of the feast, certainly. But there is an increased work load in the beginning. So, perhaps that is how this cold sneaked in! I'm not an expert... just guessing.
I read an interesting article last night on "greens" and their healing power. We all know that greens are the best thing we can put in our bodies. Even those who refuse to eat them would likely agree. But check out this chart, borrowed from Dr. Joel Furman's book, Eat to Live. We have a very high rate of heart disease in the U.S., and we eat very little plant matter. Is there a connection between our processed diet and high rates of heart disease and cancer? It seems obvious.
This is why my juice feast includes a minimum of 2 pounds of juiced greens every day.
I've also discovered Master Cleanse Juice this week. This is a simple concoction that can replace one quart of fruit juice during the feast, or, can just be added and consumed as much as desired. I just went ahead and made a gallon of Master Cleanse and keep in in my fridge. You may already be aware of the cleansing power of lemon - which is why I start every day with a class of warm lemon water (a practice I began more than a year ago). Master Cleanse also include raw organic honey and cayenne pepper. Here is the recipe:
The Master Cleanser is a simple recipe: For 1 Quart:
6-8 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
6-8 Tablespoons Raw Honey or Agave Nectar (Light Amber)
1/10th tsp 90,000 Heat Unit Cayenne Pepper
This is a great drink to make on the go, or for traveling/busy schedule during any cleanse. I call this my "I didn't have time to make juice" juice. It is also excellent for removing mucus from the body, reducing inflammation, and healing the digestive system.
If you have a chance, so some research on the nutritional (systemic) benefits of cayenne pepper. Incredible information! You'll notice with your first sip that the honey is important to offset the bite of the pepper! Of course, raw honey can certainly hold it's own on the "nutritional benefit" scale.
In terms of detox, the only symptom that comes around on occasion is that headache. Any hunger that I might have experienced the first few days (which was minimal, as this is a feast of abundance!) has gone. My digestive system seems to have gone to sleep - which is important for cleansing! This is one reason why a feast like this is recommended for people who suffer from intestinal disease, such as chrones or colitis, or even IBS. Juices allows the digestive system to rest and heal. Healing will come quickly when you're taking in nutrient dense juices with anti-inflamatory properties.
Ok - now for the real, practical stuff. Yes - food still looks and smells good. But I'm craving nothing. Last night I was faced with several "challenges". I was at a 50's Diner party where a catering company served up big, juicy burgers, fries and ice cream sundaes. I haven't eaten a burger (or any meat) in about a year. But when they put the tray of lettuce, tomato and RED ONION on the table, my senses woke up and took me back to burgers on our grill in the summer as a kid. Fortunately, I was on the planning committee for the event, so I was able to keep busy - which was my excuse for not sitting and eating. Later, I went to the movies with the family. I don't even have to say it. You know. POPCORN! But here's the thing - I never once thought about it. My husband and son sat right next to me eating it and after the movie, I realize that my mind was not consumed with it. That is huge progress for me! Normally I wouldn't have been able to even focus on the movie because my brain would have been pre-occupied with the big bowl of popcorn next to me. Victory!
My juices these past few days have been delicious! I'm even beginning to develop a taste for beets - which have never been my favorite.
Today will be a busy Saturday and I'll be on the go a lot! So I better get in the kitchen and start juicing! OH! I almost forgot! My beloved VITAMIX was returned to me last night, beautiful and perfect! So today I will begin juicing with that instead of my juicer, and straining the juice through a milk bag. (Quicker and less clean up, I'm anticipating!) I'm so thankful to the wonderful Vitamix company for being so quick and efficient! I shipped my blender to them last Friday and it came back to me exactly 1 week later, repaired for free, including a brand new pitcher, and shipped both ways for free.
Thanks for tuning in... :) Have a blessed day!
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