Here She Goes Again! 92 Days of Juice Feasting!

Those who know me know that I am a doer.  When an idea inspires me, I'm off and running.  I don't spend time thinking and pondering and contemplating.... I just go! I also have a tendency to tell people about it.  Knowing that people are "watching" me is a great accountability measure.  I attribute much of the success of my Clean Eating Quest (Oct 19, 2011 - October 19, 2012) to just letting people know that I was doing it.

Now that I've planted that little seed, let's talk about juicing.  I currently juice a couple of times each week, just for variety in  my diet.  Mostly,  my diet consists of green fruit smoothies, huge, satisfying salads and some nuts and seeds. Early on in my healthful pursuit, someone asked me if I was into juicing.  The answer was no.  Up to that point, the research I'd done wagged it's finger at juicing, shouting "too much sugar!!  You need fiber!"  So I stuck to whole foods, smoothies loaded with nutrients and fiber and juice just occasionally.  Since then (17 months ago), I've learned a tad more - and my perspective has changed.  Fruit and whole fruit juice are not the devil.  While they do have a heavy sugar content, it is natural sugar.  Therefore, my body knows exactly how to process it and use it.

I've done juice fasts before.  Several years ago, I did a 30 day fast.  Though, at that time,  it had nothing to do with my physical health.  Rather, my spiritual life.  Just prior to Christmas this year, I did a 10 day juice fast - this time for health!  I wanted to reboot my system and eradicate any and all cravings and addictions that were tempting me - particularly because Christmas (the season of  endless eating!) was coming.

While I make wise food choices that vast majority of the time, I am human!  So there is an occasional taste of this, or indulgence in that.  It's amazing how fast addictions and cravings can return when you open the door - even just a crack.

Unfortunately, my 10 day juice fast before Christmas didn't have the lasting effect I'd hoped it would.  The cravings and temptations still popped up now and again, so I moved on - back to my mostly raw vegan lifestyle and my occasional indulgences.  Three months later, I'm really feeling the need for a total system reboot! A new goal!  A new challenge!  (Because training for my first 1/2 marathon isn't enough...)

Juice Feasting  is done for varied lengths of time; 2 weeks, 1 month, 60 days.... I'm shooting for a 92 day juice feast.  (juicefeasting.com)  Feasting on fresh, juiced fruits and veggies for 92 days has the power to regenerate every cell in my body and release toxins that have been stored up since elementary school.  A feast of this length is not common, but it has been highly researched and achieved by many.  After devouring every bit of information I could from juicefeasting.com and rebootwithjoe.com, I've decided to go for it.  Today, March 9, 2013, is DAY 1 !!

I am not expecting this to be easy.  But like my first quest, I have no doubt that it will be worth it!  I am not the same girl that I was 17 months ago.  I will, do doubt, be different once again in on June 8th, when my feast reaches completion.

Certainly one of the greatest struggles will be the constant presence of food in my environment.  I hoped my family would agree to not eat for the next 3 months, but they declined - as did my friends and co-workers.  Darn.  But I see that as a simple issue of resolve - as it was when I gave up sugar, bread and all processed food.  There are, however, a few specific "obstacles" that are in the forefront of my mind.

1. Cost.  YES!  This will be costly.  But I am willing to give up other things for a while in order to complete this task.  It will be worth it!

2. Social Situations.  This won't be a problem for ME - but it tends to be a problem for others.  They "just feel so bad for me" - not being able to eat with them.  Trust me when I say, I don't consider this to be a sacrifice.   I can go out with friends and enjoy a cup of tea or glass of water while they eat.  It's no big deal.  I've been EATING (and eating and eating and eating) for 41 years.  I'm pretty sure I'm not going to miss any once-in-a-lifetime eating opportunities over the next 92 days. :)

3. Time.  I'm going to have to start getting up earlier.  Ugh!

One thing I'm NOT concerned about: Being hungry.  This is a juice FEAST!  If I'm hungry, I'll simply drink more! :)

Here is how you can help me, if you're so inclined.  Pray for me!  Ask me how it's going once in a while.  Be my cheerleader. :)

I'm hoping to blog regularly over the next 92 days.  I'd love to promise that I'll blog every day, but it's just not realistic.  I'll do my best to stay current.

Thanks, in advance, for your support!