Juice Fasting: Day 1

Today is Tuesday July 26th, and I have begun a 10 day juice fast.

After watching a documentary last week entitled "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" I was inspired to do a juice fast of my own to cleanse my body of toxins, boost my immune system, and lose a few pounds. Joe Cross, the creator of the film, dedicated himself to 60 days of consuming nothing but fresh juice while traveling from Australia to New York City - then across the US- spreading his knowledge on the health benefits of juicing and consuming a plant-based diet. Through his journey he greatly improved his health, lost a ton of weight, and impacted countless lives.

(If you'd like to see the film or read more about juicing, check out the website: http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/)

After watching a few testimonials and seeing others have success with juicing, I chose to invest in a good juicer and begin a 10 day juice fast.

Day 1:

For breakfast, I drank juice made from 1 orange, 2 apples, 2 carrots, 1 zucchini, and 1 yellow squash. It filled me up and gave me energy to start the day. It was a little too sweet for my taste, so I may cut the carrots by half next time. When noon rolled around, I had a little twinge of a headache, but nothing I couldn't ignore. Then my first strong craving hit: raw oysters piled high with caviar and spicy horseradish cocktail sauce. I just kept drinking water.

Around 1:30pm, my grandmother and I departed for the farmer's market in Northampton, MA. For under $20 I stocked up on loads of fresh green onions, kale, heirloom tomatoes, plump cucumbers, hearty cloves of garlic, a few fingers of ginger, and some sweet potatoes. I couldn't stop admiring the bright colors and beautiful shapes of the fresh produce and wildflowers throughout the market. I began craving crunch. I could have eaten an huge onion raw, like an apple.

An hour later, we passed through the ice cream shop (without stopping) and cut through Thorne's Market to cross Main Street. We enjoyed two tall glasses of fresh juice at the Haymarket Juice Joint, and stared longingly at the vegan chocolate torte and hazelnut chocolate mousse behind the display case. I ordered a "Gin & Tonic" which consisted of juices from apple, pineapple, ginger, cucumber, and spirulina (a high-protein blue green algae). It was quite tasty, but it wasn't long before a slight wave of nausea came over me, so I didn't try to force the last eighth of it down.

As we strolled down the sidewalk headed for an art gallery, I spotted a sign for a lawyers' office and one of their last names was "Butterfield". Immediately my brain read "buttermilk" and for the rest of the afternoon I would have eaten anything that simply stated the word buttermilk in the title. I can almost taste the word as I say it aloud.

Later, lifting my skirts and running through the rain on my way back to the car, I passed a 3-peice bluegrass band huddled in a shop doorway playing at full tilt. In that moment, my life (and my movement) had a soundtrack. Pure joy.

Braving violent rainstorms we came home to whip up my liquid dinner: the juice of 1 green onion, 1 heirloom tomato, 2 cloves of garlic, and a handful of kale with a touch of Tabasco sauce. Although this savory juice sounded like a fabulous mixture (like salsa) it was the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted. I choked most of it down like a big girl. The spice of the onion and garlic were nice, but I've concluded that no matter how they are prepared, I simply dislike raw tomatoes. Lesson learned. My belly is full and my onion breath is lovely (kinda).

I'm sure you're all wondering if I'm in absolute agony yet. Well, overall, I feel pretty good. My brain feels a little foggy, and I have a dull headache, but by belly is full and I feel satisfied. I expected to feel sick from hunger and a drop in blood sugar, but the calories and fiber from the juice have really kept me feeling stable throughout the day. My body definitely feels like it's busy being cleansed; my muscles are almost humming and my digestive tract is definitely functioning. A friend advised that the first three days are the hardest, and if I make it through day three, I'll "be golden".

Surprisingly, although I did have a few strange cravings throughout the day, they didn't feel overwhelming. And I'm pretty proud that I didn't give in and eat two dozen oysters and a stack of buttermilk pancakes. One day down: nine more to go, and still feeling motivated. Wish me luck!