Juice Fast Anyone?

Joel and I love to juice fruits and vegetables in our Breville juicer, almost every day of the week for the past year. (Our juicer is really amazing, even after so much heavy use...in case you're shopping for a juicer)  Once last year, in July, and again this July, (last week actually), we have done a complete, three-meals-a-day nothing-but-juice-from-the-juicer-fast.



If we're dying of hunger, we'll eat raw fruits and veggies to get us by. We just finished our latest juice fast last week and it went really well. We feel great and our bodies are a few pounds lighter (Joel is 10lbs lighter and I lost 6lbs). Our 2 yr old, Luke drinks some of the juices and eats three big meals a day of only fruits and veggies for the week. He loved it. He's a fruit and veggie man. He acted like he was getting cookies for supper! He was so excited at all the multi-colored produce he got at each meal.

The juice fasting does so many fantastic things for the body. Here is some incredible wisdom on fasting from the Prescription for Nutritional Healing Reference Guide by Phylllis A. Balch, CNC and James F. Balch, M.D.

"Over time, toxins build up in the body as the result of the pollutants in the air we breathe, the chemicals in the food and water we consume, and other means. Periodically, the body seeks to rid itself of these toxins and releases them from the tissues. The toxins then enter the bloodstream causing the body to experience a "low" or "down" cycle. During such a cycle, you may suffer from headaches, diarrhea, or depression. Fasting is an effective and safe method of helping the body detoxify itself and move through this low cycle with greater speed and fewer symptoms. In fact, fasting is recommended for any illness, as it gives the body the rest it needs to recover. Acute illnesses, colon disorders, allergies, and respiratory diseases are most responsive to fasting, while chronic degenerative diseases are the least responsive. By relieving the body of the work of digesting foods, fasting permits the system to rid itself of toxins while facilitating healing."

"But fasting is helpful not just in times of poor health or during the body's low cycles.  By fasting regularly, you give all of your organs a rest, and thus help reverse the aging process and live a longer and healthier life." 

During a fast, the following happens:

• The natural process of toxin excretion continues, while the influx of new toxins is reduced.  This results in a reduction of total body toxicity.
• The energy usually used for for digestion is redirected to immune function, cell growth, and eliminatory processes.
• The immune system's workload is greatly reduced, and the digestive tract is spared any inflammation due to allergic reactions to food.
• Due to a lowering of serum fats that things the blood, tissue oxygenation is increased and white blood cells are moved more efficiently.
• Fat-stored chemicals, such as pesticides, and drugs, are released.
• Physical awareness and sensitivity to diet and surroundings are increased. 
• You can heal with greater speed; cleanse your liver, kidneys, and colon; purify your blood; help you lose excess weight and water; flush out toxins; clear the eyes and tongue; and cleanse the breath. 

"It is recommended that you fast at least three days a month, and follow a ten-day fast at least twice a year.  Never fast on water alone.  An all-water fast releases toxins too quickly, causing headaches and worse.  Instead, follow a live-juice diet, as this both removes toxins and promotes healing by supplying the body with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes."

I am not a professional heath care provider. My blog posts on health and nutrition are just my shared opinions and observations from my own life experiences.

We were inspired by the documentary, all about juicing, called, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. You can watch the video on Netflix or currently you can watch it on the reboot website. They call it "rebooting" your body when you flush it with live fruit and vegetable juices. Visit their website, http://www.jointhereboot.com/ to learn more about "rebooting" your life with juicing.

I really really love it.  Do any of you do fasting for healing your body?  How do you do it?