Juice for the Masses

Juice feasting improved my life in so many ways. After 65-days of fresh veggie and fruit juices, I'd lost the fat, I had lots of energy, my skin was finally clear, and I didn't have to struggle to avoid temptation. For the most part, the cravings had been killed. I still do mini-feasts and have at least 1 green juice every day.

Right now, I'm pushing to complete the first draft of my juicing book. It's meant to give readers lots of different ways to enjoy the benefits of juicing, from daily juice to juice feasting. Hopefully it will introduce juicing to a mainstream audience, as well. Most of my friends and family still think I'm the tofu-eating hippie, and don't get why you'd want to drink something the color of swamp water. Granted I can win almost anyone over with a homemade juice, but since I can't serve tasty green juice to the world, I'm writing this book. The point is to introduce masses of people to the yummy goodness of juicing, and I'm really excited about it!

Pineapple/spinach/carrot/ginger juice for lunch today!

Day 64

My plan was to post about how this was the final day of my feast. Logically I know I have to wind it up very soon, because of our travel plans, but my spirit longs to stay juicy for a bit longer. Continuing to feast would be very easy right now. I have no desire to move to solid food just yet, but I'll have to bow to practicality.

I went for a 2 hour walk today, and jogged about 3 miles of it. That's become my weekend routine over the last several weeks.

Today's juice:

pineapple/spinach/celery/ginger

grapefruit/orange

watermelon (It's at its juicy best when you squeeze it by hand rather than use the blender. Go make some!!!)

grapefruit/orange

1 more TBD

Day 60!

My original juice feast goal was 30 days, and here I am! I'm not doing 92 days, because of upcoming travel plans, so the current debate in my house is when I should end the feast. Avery, the amazing boyfriend who's been on juice with me whenever he's home, suggested I finish with the last day of the month. But that would be day 61, an unattractive prime number! I can't finish on that day. 62 isn't bad, but honestly I'm trying to push it as close to my travel time as possible, while still giving myself at least a week of transition.

I made a strong green juice this morning--apple/kale/spinach/ginger--and right now I'm sipping an ice cold cantaloupe juice. Life on juice is good!

Day 54 - Missing the Kitchen

As the end of my feast draws near--just 8 days to go--I realize it's been easier than most people think it could be, I'm not really ready for it to end yet, and I miss the creativity, textures, and tastes of whole foods. I still prepare many of my family's meals, but my inability to sample as I go greatly inhibits my ability to be spontaneous. That's just the way I've learned to cook/prepare food over the last many years.

What I really miss are the times when food prep becomes a loving mediation--Heifetz flowing from the ipod player; a countertop covered in red, green, yellow, purple, and orange fruits of nature, and an end result that pleases my family (most of the time), and makes me feel good about serving them fresh, delicious meals created from the best foods on earth.

Okay, so those meditative food prep days are the exception, rather than the rule. Perhaps a lesson I can take from this juice feast is to make sure those days come more frequently.

Today's Juice:
pineapple/kale/spinach/ginger
watermelon
grapefruit/orange
kale/apple/pear/lemon

Day 52 - Supplements

Over the last few weeks, I've added some supplements to my juice routine. My spirulina arrived in the mail, so I take a tablespoon of that when I'm having a straight fruit juice.

Bee pollen is specifically recommended for protein. I've added it back in, especially since I've been working out a lot, but I don't really like it, so it's tough to get down. I have a basic rule about not consuming foods Idon't enjoy, so rather than push myself so hard to get the pollen down, I try to up my greens and get more protein that way. Pollen has lots of other great benefits, but it's not working for me.

Hemp seed oil has a perfect balances of omega-3 and omega-6. Under normal circumstances, I'd much prefer the nutrition of the whole seed, but on a juice feast, this supplement helps prevent my fat consumption from going too low. 1 tablespoon each day.

Kelp granules are pleasant tasting, and provide iodine and other nutrients. MSM is a sulphur compound, which supports healthy skin, hair, and nails.

I still take my daily supplements of probiotics, DHA, and Vitamin D3. I normally take a multi with B-12, but I need to restock on that.

It seems like a long list of supplements, but they're all fairly unobtrusive. Pop a tiny pill or take a teaspoon, and I'm done. I'm not a huge fan of pills and potions, but I accept that my diet is always imperfect, and select supplements can shore up any weaknesses

Day 50!

It's day 50 of my juice feast, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how easy it's been. After my weekend long walk/jog (about 2 hours), I volunteered this morning at a fundraiser for my daughter's theater school. We threw a fish fry, and the baked beans looked and smelled delicious. After that, I headed over to Whole Foods to use their free wi-fi and get in a couple of hours of work on my novel. All around me people were eating foods I know are delicious, including raw cinnamon rolls and fresh salads. There's was no sense of temptation, especially since I bought 2 juices for myself. Since I started the feast, my biggest treat has been having someone else make my juices for me.

I feel like I should do something to mark the day, but this post is as close as I'll come to celebrating. I can't believe I have only 10 days left in my feast. I'm looking at the calendar to see if there's a chance I can extend it. It's not likely, since I have so much travel coming up, including 4 days in a cabin with a mini-fridge and no access to a grocery store. Hmmm . . . I'll have to think about it.

Today's juice:

pinepapple/kale/mache/ginger

watermelon/orange/berries

(Melon is best consumed alone, but today I walked on the wild side.)

orange/grapefruit

One more TBD

Day 49 - A Juicy Buzz

Not too long ago, a SAD-eating friend came over and we discussed my juice feast. After a round of questions and good natured objections to the whole idea, he jokingly asked, "Can it get you drunk?"

Well, no, but it can get you buzzed. Seriously! I don't know anyone whose intention is to juice feast so they can "get high," --that would be sad--but I've occasionally found I do get a slightly-out-of-myself feeling when I drink certain juices. A few days ago, I made an apple/beet/beet green/ginger/lemon combination for my cousin, and she asked me what I put in it. She was having a similar buzzy feeling.

The beautiful thing about the juice feasting buzz is that there's no sense of being out of control, sick, or destructive. It's more of an appealing lightness.

All buzzes aside, I'm blissed out with my current juicy state. I prefer not to contemplate the end, which is only 11 days away.

Today's juice:

pineapple/kale/spinach

pineapple/orange

watermelon

Final juice of the day TBD

Day 32!

Just a quick note to say I'm still juicing! My original goal was 31 days. Going forward, I'll assess on a weekly basis. For now, I'm committed to finishing out this week, but I'll admit there's a voice in the back of my head whispering, "Just make it the full month." Obviously, I'm enjoying the feast. My energy and productivity have been great for the last several days!

Today's juice:

tomato/basil/spinach

cantaloupe

grapefruit/orange

broccoli/apple/spinach

Day 29 - Sharing the Juice Love

Our landlord and lady dropped by to fix some things today. We're lucky enough to have a friendly relationship with them, so they hung out to chat for a while. It was approaching noon, and because of my morning schedule, I hadn't made my first juice of the day. While we talked I blended apple, parsley, spinach, lemon, and ginger. Of course, I shared a sample with everyone.

Rarely do we have a house guest without one or both of us going off on a healthy eating tangent. There's nothing like a captive audience, especially when we can serve them some yummy-deliciousness as a means of swaying them to our way of thinking. This time we tag-teamed. I did my best to articulate some of the benefits I've experienced since going high raw/very high vegan and since starting my juice feast. I'm hoping we convinced them to replace one meal a day with a green smoothie as they transition to some healthier choices. Heck, I'd love to see just about everyone I know add a daily green smoothie to his or her diet!

Today's juice:

apple/parsley/spinach/ginger/lemon

watermelon/strawberry/apple

grapefruit/orange

Since I missed what would've been my 2nd green juice for the day, I supplemented with lots of chlorella. I should've had a green powder, but lately Vitamineral Green just tastes too strong to me, and that's the only one I have. I have a strict policy of not eating or drinking things I don't enjoy!

Day 28 - My Emergency Stash

I work from home, so I've never gotten into the habit of making my juices in advance. Lots of juice feasters make 4 jars of juice when they start their day, but I'm a one-juice-at-a-time girl. I keep chlorella, kelp granules, or green powder in my purse. If I'm away from home longer than expected, any of those will get me through.

Great energy today, though I only slept about 5 and 1/2 hours last night. I got in two workouts and spent most of the day shopping with my girls. Shopping isn't my favorite activity. It usually leaves me feeling depleted. I did take a half hour afternoon nap, but the running from store to store didn't wear me out.

Today's juice:

parsley/spinach/apple/lemon

cantaloupe strawberry

watermelon

grapefruit/orange

spinach/apple/ginger lemon

I don't keep track of the amount of greens I juice. I'd like to have about a pound and half each day, but I usually just keep blending them in until I have enough juice. I'd guess that I'm closer to a pound lately, so I'll try to be more aware in the coming days. Looking forward to a great weekend!

Day 27 - My First Casualty

Wrapping up my 27th day, my first mason jar bit the dust. I made a beautiful cantaloupe juice, but I was rushing to get my daughter to karate, and the jar was wet, and a quart of juice isn't super easy to clean up. Getting up the shards of glass is the real challenge!

Anyhoo, after that I decided to cheat and have fruit juice for my final juice of the day, rather than green juice. I did take lots of blue/green algae to assuage my guilt.

As for the benefits of juice feasting, my energy and concentration seem to be growing by the day. I sleep deeply and without much interruption. Even when I don't get enough sleep (Hey, it happens) I can power through my work. I'm really enjoying checking things off my to do list! Workouts are easier both mentally and physically.

Today's juice:

apple/fennel

watermelon

orange/grapefruit

orange /grapefruit

Turning in soon!

Day 26 - Exercise is Key

On the days when I get enough exercise, I manage stress and any negative emotions much more easily. Whether it's a powerwalk, a jog, a dvd, or some time on the bike, anger and sadness may roll in, but I can remind myself to give them over to God, or simply change my focus. Makes sense. After all, the human body was designed to be in motion for most of the day. A nice endorphin release never hurts, and feeling strong and physically confident can elevate my mood for the whole day.

Today's juice:

kale/apple/lemon/ginger

watermelon

grapefruit/orange

kale/beet/apple/celery/ginger/lemon

I'm 5 days away from my baby step goal of 31 days. I know I haven't done all the mental, emotional, or physical cleansing I'd like to do on this feast. Seriously considering going longer. If I do, I'll continue to set baby step goals and re-evaluate at each one.

Day 25 - Food & Managing Emotions

Anger seems to be a common theme amongst juice feasters. Looking at various blogs and forums, I find that many people have a fairly peaceful feast, and many others experience surges of anger that seem out of character. Today, I experienced just such a surge.

At one point in my life, it wouldn't have seemed so out of place, but over the years I pretty much dealt with my anger. I learned to use faith and compassion to diffuse anger at people around me, anger at life, and anger at my self. The journey wasn't always forward-moving, but I progressed just the same. I still get angry, but usually it's for real reasons and I handle it fairly well.

Though I've been eating high raw for some time, I now have to wonder how much the foods I consumed masked or quieted negative emotions. Raw desserts and other foods in my diet could've had just such an effect. It's foolhardy to assume a high raw eating-style couldn't include crutches for coping.

I've felt the anger building over the last few days (at various times of day) and it seemed to peak this afternoon while I dealt with issues big and small. Fresh vegetable and fruit juices don't provide the masking effect. This, for me, is where the rubber hits the road. Without the calming effects of certain foods, I need to find and use internal resources to manage negative emotions.

If I'd attempted this juice feast years ago, before I learned those tools, I could've encountered real problems. It's something anyone planning a juice feast should consider.

Today's juice:

tomato/cilantro/onion/garlic

Avery thought that savory juice was quite strong. I found it mild and delicious. Go figure.

grapefruit/orange

cantaloupe/blueberry

Haven't decided on my dinner juice yet.

Day 24 - Sidetracked a Bit

My exercise was sidetracked by some back pain. My hope is that it was just incidental, and not related to the recent car accident my youngest and I were in. I did train arms and abs, but only did light cardio on my stationary bike.

It was a good juice day. I convinced my oldest daughter to prepare my mid-day juice for me. It's always a treat to enjoy a jar of juice prepared by someone else's hands. As I get closer and closer to the end of the month, I'm torn as to whether or not to continue the juice feast. My heart says go for it, but I don't want to have a negative impact on the family budget. I also don't want to mislead anyone. With good planning, the feast doesn't have to be prohibitively expensive. Planning and smart shopping are key.

This afternoon my Lovely Boyfriend, Avery, threatened to join me for the next week of juicing! That would be really awesome! I'd love for him to experience even a fraction of the benefits I'm experiencing. Though I'd have to double my juice making, he's always good for helping out in the kitchen. I may have to figure out a way to make this work.

Today's juice:

apple/beet/spinach/ginger/lemon

orange/grapefruit

apple/pear/ginger/lime

tomato/basil/bok choy/oregano/onion/garlic/kelp granules

I'm rather bored of the apples in my green juices, but I'm really enjoying the tomato based combinations. Pizza in a glass!

Day 20 - Easy Does It

Today was super easy, perhaps because I only used the Vitamix and nutmilk bag for two of my four juices. Although I've gotten that down to a neat little system, I sometimes don't have enough interest to go through it. I used my citrus juicer to make a nice orange/grapefruit, and also threw chunks of watermelon into a nutmilk bag to squeeze out that pretty red juice.

I ate my bee pollen first thing this morning, though from what I understand it's not really necessary until some time after the 30 day mark. I've been working out a lot, so I figure I may need that little extra protein. The experts at Juice Feasting say it can slow down the cleansing, so I'll probably take small amounts as an ocassional supplement until I pass 30 days.

Speaking of time-frames, I'm still not sure how long I'll continue on my juice feast. I set a minimum intention of 31 days, but I'm taking a wait-and-see approach to deciding whether or not I'll continue after that.

Today's Juice:

apple/kale/ginger lemon (Made this one waaaaay too strong. Easy does it on the kale next time.)

orange/grapefruit

watermelon

cucumber/celery/apple

My Keys to Juice Feasting

I'm only 19 days in, but these are some of the things that have really helped make those 19 days easy:

• Share with my support system exactly what I'm trying to accomplish
• Plan shopping, and be open to change my list based on a bargain
• Have stress-management strategies in place
• Prepare juice before I'm hungry
• Get in lots of greens
• Keep green powder blends handy
• Ask for help when I need it
• Rotate fruits and vegetables to keep it interesting
• Workout daily
• Review goals daily
• Record my juices, supplements, and detox strategies to make sure I'm on track
• Make delicious juices I enjoy
• Give myself permission to dump a juice that's not up to standard

This list also works for maintaining a healthy eating-style.

I couldn't have made it this far without Avery, Melina, and Ray, all of whom have helped me shop, wash produce, and prepare juices. Mad props to Avery who took over my juicing for an entire day. I doubt he'll ever know how loved I felt. Thanks, fam!