“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”
-Ralph Marston.
Nothing worth having is ever easy, and that includes your health. I got a very nice juicer(see here?) for Christmas, so what did I do? A five day juice fast of course! I was inspired by the Netflix documentary Fat, Sick, and nearly dead(free here!). Your health and longevity is an investment worth the time, effort, and powering through a kale salad or two!! The more healthy foods you eat, the easier it becomes. The American diet is highly inflammatory and leads not only to weight issues, but is also the cause of many diseases. There is a strong link found between sugar and cancer. As you stick to a diet heavy on the greens and light on any sugar you’ll find the cravings tend to subside over time. The average juice fast lasts for three days, but I chose to go longer because of all the benefits it provides(see here!) Much of the food in this country is nutritionally empty, especially any processed or fast foods. However, juicing large amounts of vegetables and fruits, and drinking them provides the ultimate way to absorb nutrients and more then fulfills your daily serving recommendation. The first day was the easiest, since I was still riding on yesterdays meal. By the time I reached day three other people’s food began to smell really good. However, I was more then half way there so I turned my nose up at any temptations. During the time you’re only consuming fresh juice, you’ll find it’s best to avoid too much television or people eating. Because it soon becomes apparent that every other advertisement on television is for food and usually it’s fast food. By the time I reached day 4 drinking fresh juice for every meal was quite easy. However, I did come to the conclusion that more then a five day fast is not for me! I mainly did the juice fast for health reasons and not so much weight loss, though it’s quite effective for that! I began my five day journey weighing 139.2 pounds, and ended it at 132.9 pounds. I noticed the first few days that from time to time I became light headed(a detoxing side effect) but this is normal. A juice fast is not advised for those with specific medical conditions, and some people need to do it under the supervision of a doctor. I chose to wing it, adding in a daily multi vitamin and kefir protein shakes for lunch and dinner(more filling) as well as a large handful of raw nuts. It’s important to get proper nutrition during a fast or you could harm yourself. If you become faint and dizzy stop the fast immediately. Overall I felt better, my skin improved and I could feel my body functioning better. With a projected obesity rate that predicts 3 out of 4 Americans will be overweight by 2020, health education has never been more vital. Going forward, I plan on integrating more superfoods and greens into my diet, and much less sugar. Although, it’s okay to have chocolate once in awhile! After all, the only time I cheated was for a couple of warm chocolate chip cookies, who am I to judge? I highly recommend doing a juice fast and there is tons of research out there supporting the benefits of a more green diet. Don’t be afraid to be a “smelly hippie,” rid yourself of the food industries evil toxins and live well, kale yeah, to that!
get juicy and cheers!
