Articles with the Juice Fasting Cleanse Tag
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Making Up Your Mind to Juice Fast
Okay, so you’ve decided to go on a juice fast. Maybe it’s just because you want to get healthier, or perhaps you’re looking to get a jump-start on weight loss. Let’s hope you’ve decided to sacrifice your favorite foods and survive a few days on raw juices because you want to focus on cleaning your body and helping it get rid of years – maybe even decades – of all the bad stuff that’s caked up inside. Let’s also hope it’s because you’ve truly searched your heart and wholeheartedly decided to lead a lifestyle that promotes life instead of one that promotes sickness, premature death, and obesity.
If you’re only planning on juice fasting to lose weight, you may as well not do it. Yes, most people lose several pounds juice fasting – I have. But weight loss is about so much more than lost pounds. Weight loss is about changing your entire lifestyle – mind, body, and soul. Weight loss is about targeting why you gained weight in the first place and what you’re going to do to prevent yourself from gaining weight again once you’ve lost it. So, although you probably will lose weight during your juice fast, it’s best to think of those lost pounds as just part of the process and not your sole reason for juicing fasting. Trust me; I do know what I’m talking about. I’ve lost over 100 pounds – and kept it off.
Made up your mind yet? Fantabulous! Let’s get started!
A few ideas for that pre-juice fast menu:
Organic Greek yogurt with raw walnuts, and fresh or frozen blueberries
This is a yummy treat you can enjoy any time. I prefer Oikos organic Greek yogurt myself, but you may like another brand. (Nope, I didn’t get paid for saying I love Oikos – it’s delish, filling, and most importantly, healthy!) Besides the protein in the yogurt, you’re getting protein from the heart-healthy walnuts, and loading up on antioxidants in those juicy blueberries.
Chopped avocado, tomato, red onion, juice from a real lemon
This is yum-o!! Simply cut up a fresh tomato and avocado and toss in a bowl. You can add a homemade vinaigrette if you want to. I don’t. I do squeeze the juice of about a half of a lemon over the avocado. (I wouldn’t use the lemon juice that comes in a bottle.)
Salad: raw spinach, Napa cabbage, carrots, blueberries, raw walnuts, salmon
This is one of my favorite salads ever. You can throw in whatever your favorite veggies are. The blueberries are optional but they are divine on salad! If you’re a big meat eater, adding salmon or tuna to your salad is a wonderful way to still feed your body a protein that will satisfy you while staying away from red meat. I normally don’t eat salmon or tuna within a few days of a juice fast, simply because it’s a little bit difficult for our bodies to adjust to an all liquid diet after consuming a lot of protein each day.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
I’ve mentioned this before but it really is crucial to prepare your body and your mind before setting out on this amazing journey with raw juices.
I’m so used to juice fasting it’s pretty much become second nature for me. I listen to my body – and mind – and I know when both are craving a raw juice fast. You’ll learn to do this too as you become more experienced with juice fasting.
I never, ever recommend that you start a long juice fast right off the bat. Like anything else, you want to ease your body into juice fasting. Think about it. You wouldn’t wake up one day and decide you want to be a runner, hop out of bed, and run the longest marathon there is. No, you’d go buy yourself some running shoes, maybe pick out an area to start running, jump online and study the stretches you need to do to prepare your muscles for a run. You might start jogging and/or doing some other exercises.
The most important message I want to share is that juice fasting is a marvelous way to nourish your body and mind. It’s a beautiful journey between the person who is fasting and the raw food our bodies were made to consume. It’s a great way to slow yourself down and find the calm that lies within you, but is drowned out by all the world’s chaotic noises.
Have you ever juice fasted? Are you just venturing out to try it? What are your thoughts on juice fasting? I’d love to hear them!
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Copyright of Healing with Juices
Posted Friday, August 8, 2008
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I can’t count the times folks have asked me, “Can’t I just use canned or bottled juice from the store for my juice fasting cleanse?” I never hesitate when I answer, “No, you cannot.” And, it never fails their second question is, “Well, why not?” I always have the same answer so instead of repeating myself or responding to mutliple e-mails, I’ll just answer here in this post.
There is only one bottled juice I’ll drink. I don’t use it as a primary juice for a juice fasting cleanse, though. I’ll tell more about this mystery juice later, in an upcoming post. I adore it, highly recommend it, but it deserves it’s very own post. So, it must wait.
A few things I don’t like about store-bought juices:
- they’re processed
- they contain sugar and/or artificial sweeteners
- they contain additives, preservatives, etc.
My opinion of store-bought juices? You may as well drink a soda or fattening latte!
Why does a juice fasting cleanse require real, raw juices? Because the nutrients are “alive” in fruits and veggies you juice yourself. The ideal situation would be where you grew the produce yourself (organically, of course) and juiced it as soon as you plucked it. I realize that isn’t an option for many, so the second best option is buying locally (organic, if at all possible). If you can only get produce from the grocery store that is NOT organic, you should at least soak it in a water bath with a splash of organic vinegar for a good, thorough washing.
Why should you drink the (raw) juice as soon as you juice it? Again, because the nutrients are “alive” and the longer you wait to drink the juice, the less “live” nutrients you’re actually getting. There are times (like if you’re doing a cleanse during the work week and you work outside the home) you simply can’t juice the produce and drink it right away. During a time like that, you can compromise by juicing whatever recipes you decide you like or want to try and then filling small or medium canning jars to the very top with the liquid. Put the lids on tight and try to drink within a day or two max. It’s much better for you to drink the juice this way than none at all.
I’ll be honest, juice fasting is a lot of hard work. You have to take special care and pay attention to the type of produce you’re buying or growing to assure it’s organic and safe to consume. And you have to bring home all the produce, wash and prepare it, juice it, clean up the mess, and start at the beginning and repeat. But the rewards are so amazing. You’ll fall in love with the sense of peace, calm, health, satisfaction, pride, mental clarity… It’s so wonderful to be able to enjoy a juice fasting cleanse. The body is a wonderful thing. It has the ability to heal itself, if we’ll only let it and help it along.
Sure, it may be easier to grab a bottle of juice off the store shelf, go home, and pour it in a glass. The easiest way isn’t always the best way, though. Remember the old adage: Anything worth having is worth working for? It rings true today as well. If you’re searching for improved health, a better quality of life, and you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, what do you have to lose? Work hard to be healthy and your body will thank you.
Have you tried a juice fasting cleanse? Are you prepared to work hard so you can live a long, healthy life? In the end, sometimes we just have to dig deep and go for it. I always juice fruits and veggies myself using my Jack LaLanne Juicer
Here’s to life, health, and healing with (raw) juices!
Photo Credit(s): http://www.sxc.hu/
