Articles with the Raw Food 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!
Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health.
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Healing with Juices Joins the Wellsphere Community
You probably noticed the new badge in the sidebar. I’m excited to share that I’ve been selected as a Top Health Blogger in the Wellsphere Health Community! I was told it’s because of the “quality of this blog and my passion for all things health-related.” Since HealingwithJuices.com focuses on raw fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies and raw juice fasting, my Top Health Blogger badge is in the Raw Food category.
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An Exciting Adventure
This is quite an honor for me as I’m a passionate health advocate. Raw foods and juices are such a huge part of my life and juice fasting has improved my lifestyle immensely. Most of you know I’ve lost over 100 pounds and overcome many health issues. I am still working to achieve even better health, but I’ve come such a long way I can hardly believe it. I do not take this Top Health Blogger status lightly and have already been focusing on ways to make this blog – and 2009 – even better. I’m also going to set aside time to actively participate in the Wellsphere Community, so come on over and join me. I really look forward to sharing, learning and reaching a bigger audience than I originally imagined possible at this point in this blog’s “life”.
More News in the Blogosphere and Along the Cyber Highway
Healthy Living Today is an amazing site brought to us by Mark Salinas. He shares his most inspiring journey to better health. He recently created a page titled Your Journey where he lists other health-related sites. You’ll find this site featured there. Not long ago, Mark also asked me to share my story with his readers. (I’m going to get to that soon.) Thank you, Mark. I’m so honored!
Esculon Magazine (owned by Alexandra Mihaescu) mentioned this site in an article about juicing: “Learn all about juice fasting and what it can do for you from Dr. Emily Kane and Michele Tune.” I appreciate that you value my advice, Alexandra. Thank you!
I also just received an assignment to write an article about juice fasting for a popular site. I’ll be sharing the link when it’s published so don’t forget to subscribe!
And a Contest for Fun
OhSheGlows.com is hosting a contest for Honest Foods. Haven’t heard of Honest Foods? Check them out! This mention of the contest is part of my own entry. My entry will be complete when I add OhSheGlows.com to my blogroll (which I have) and when I leave a comment sharing what Honest Foods product I’d most like to try. I personally have my eye on the Blueberry Vanilla Crackle Granola Planks! I’m a blueberry/vanilla kind of gal. 
Oh, and the prize? One box of Honest Foods Whole Food Country Squares!
Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and tips to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health.
Here’s to life, health, and healing with juices (and smoothies!)
