Fertilehealthy

Juice Feasting Revisited

I realize that there are so many new readers who don’t know what juice feasting is and why I’m doing it, so I thought I’d do a little recap and fill you in.

What is Juice Feasting?

Juice Feasting is a powerful detoxification program in which one drinks upwards of 4 liters (4 quarts) of freshly extracted fruit and vegetable juices daily. This gives you ample calories to continue with your daily routine, which most other detoxes (including juice fasts) don’t. By not having to digest anything, the digestive system enjoys a well-earned rest and the chance to clear out completely and even heal. Most of the body’s energy is used for digestion and during a juice feast, this energy becomes available for detoxification and healing.

Do you have to drink specific juices?

It is recommended that you consume more vegetable juices than fruit juices. You have to consume the juice of lots of green leafy vegetables every day, as well as at least one head of celery and one cucumber. The idea is to listen to your body. We go through stages during our juice feast when we crave different juices. In the beginning I had to have tomatoes in my green juices. For the last few weeks I’ve been on a major citrus kick - I still am, in fact!

Don’t you get hungry or crave food?

I got hungry for the first day or two. Then I got used to only drinking juice. Now when I get hungry, I know that I must have more juice. As for food cravings, I’ve had it all! I have had to restrain myself from throwing myself onto the bread table in the supermarket on more than one occasion. But even the cravings have changed. My mouth is watering for an avocado pear now. Or a kiwi fruit. During this juice feast I have catered for my dad’s 70′th birthday party, had friends over for dinner and attended a few barbeques. I didn’t feel uncomfortable or left out at all. I didn’t even miss the wine, and I used to love wine!

What does a typical day look like?

- 500 ml Herbal Fiberblend (a natural formula that cleanses and heals the colon - an AIM product)
- 500 ml warm water, MSM (a natural sulphur compound) and lemon juice
- 500 ml warm water, cayenne pepper and lemon juice
- 500 ml Barleylife (juice of organically grown sprouted barley - an AIM product)
- 1 liter fruit juice
- 1 liter carrot juice (with apple, or beetroot)
- 2 liters green vegetable juice, usually with some citrus
- occasionally a cup of rooibos or chai tea
- flaxseed oil
- Para 90 (parasite cleansing formula)

Furthermore the following are recommended:

- daily exercise
- body brushing
- contrast showers
- enemas

How has the detox been?

Mostly okay! My tongue was coated for about the first 40 days or so, and I was always cold. My digestive tract cleansed quite aggressively and the first few days my bladder worked overtime! I’ve had strange and vivid dreams, headaches, body aches and a dreadful flu. My skin has broken out a few times and some days I’ve felt quite weepy. After 70 days I am still having regular solid bowel movements, which means that there is still cleansing going on. My liver cleanse was quite intense and I passed a good number of gallstones. The parasite cleanse has been largely uneventful so far.

Why am I doing it?

I am a binge-eater and I needed to break that cycle. Juice feasting has done that for me. It has been an incredible journey of discovery, because I have had to face and deal with my emotions instead of medicating them with food, booze and cigarettes (I quit smoking on 1 January 2008). Having said that, I know that I’m not done yet, because I have managed to suppress a whole lot of stuff, but I’ll get there!

I believe in the body’s ability to heal itself and am convinced that the best diet for our own health and the health of the planet is a natural, whole food diet that it is mostly raw and almost entirely vegan. I have tried to adopt this in the past, but my bingeing would derail me. I think Juice Feasting has cured me of that!

I have been obese for 13 years and have tried on and off to conceive a child for more than 10 years. I will be 39 this year, so time is running out for me. Therefore I need to heal my body and balance my hormones. I believe that juice feasting is doing that.

The fact that I’ve lost over 40 pounds so far is a wonderful bonus. Juice feasting is not a diet, but it’s a great way to kickstart weight loss and prepare for conception.

My husband is already following The Natural Way lifestyle and I will join him after my juice feast.

If you want to learn more about Juice Feasting, visit their website.