Post Juice Feast Day 6

To my vast amusement when I picked my car up today the mechanics told me they sold my car.  Interestingly enough the cables on my stick shift broke. I literally had the one time left in the commuter parking lot to go in reverse then my car could no longer get in any gear. Metaphorically this was something of the purpose of this JF; to not go backwards anymore. Now I'm back being dependent on my car.

Food wise I have eaten the same foods but in different order. It wasn't a thought out decision but maybe I'm just tired of the schedule already. So it was cucumbers and seaweed for breakfast, salad for lunch and aloe vera for dinner.  It didn't seem to make much of a difference on my body--but the choice to vary the schedule was nice.

Post Juice Feast Day 5

Food today is still building on the previous days. Aloe vera for breakfast, cucumber with sea salt and seaweed for lunch and for dinner today a salad with young spring greens and herbs, with tomato, celery, cucumbers, black sesame seeds, a dash of apple cider vinegar, hemp oil and a squeeze of lime juice. Even though I'm out of lemons as a bonus in all this hot weather I've learned to enjoy lime water in addition to the juices.

When things slow down for me...well they really slow down. The auto shop didn't get my car repaired today. When they told me this morning they wouldn't even be able to look at it I thought about how having the last two days off to wrap up this JF is probably not coincidental. I even thought about how if I had planned this...well, I wouldn't have planned this even though the time off is a great idea and I am enjoying it immensely. In my day of wonderment I discovered everything looks so differently at this pace.

Post Juice Feast Day 4

Today was the same food wise; aloe vera for breakfast and cucumber for lunch. Only I almost forgot to eat my cucumber. I'm happy that eating isn't taking up a lot of my focus. Still, it feels weird to almost forget to eat like that.

Unfortunately my car had some issues tonight and it's currently sitting at the mechanic's. That is partially where my mind is at the moment but a quick internet scan showed the problem may be fairly simple. At least I now have the day off tomorrow. I can say I do not recommend driving 15 MPH in a 45--but I will say it felt so bizarre to be literally forced to move that slow in a fast paced world. It's funny how my lessons come full circle.

Post Juice Feast Day 3

Immediately when I walked in the office this morning my coworker (who I practice my limited German on) told me to get settled then come see him--he had something to show me. These guys have been trying to infuse some pop culture into me lately and this morning's treat was so outlandish I could hardly hold myself up from all the laughing. I'm not sure if, like many other things I do, I'm stretching this have more fun, work less advice into some new territory. Nevertheless I can't think of a better way to start the work day than with laughter.

Food wise I am still not feeling hunger but chose aloe vera for breakfast and a cucumber (with sea salt and dulse) for lunch, plus juices. The cucumber...was incredible.

Post Juice Feast Day 2

Today was similar to yesterday; some aloe vera and some juices. I am still not hungry but the aloe is fun to chew and the juices continue to keep my energy balanced. 

Tonight I am making sauerkraut and that is going to take some time...but worth it as it is quite possibly my favorite food.

Post Juice Feast Day 1

Earlier this week I decided I wanted to break this JF for one because it's starting to get uncomfortable to sit on my own backside (there's not much left back there) and because it has served its purpose. This was one of those things I had to do; luckily I wanted to. On the first JF I broke it with a green smoothie--which tasted awful to me. This time it seemed a good idea to break it by eating aloe vera--so today I did.

Of course I have to continue on with a few juices each day. I have noticed when I break a fast my body is so accustomed to liquids that it's a requirement for me to drink still more juices. My body doesn't like the shock of a lot of liquids to limited liquids so I imagine, like the last time, I will continue weaning myself off juices and replace them with other liquids in addition to the solids past the fast-breaking days.

As I became aware I was going to break this fast I allowed myself to become more open to sensations I had shut off.  Throughout the week I've enjoyed the scents of a bakery, the rich colors and textures of paintings and even the feel of a lumpy walking escalator under my feet. This alone was a fascinating exploration.

The Business of Fast Breaking

Credit: Maxfield Parrish

After a 3 Day Green Juice Feast I broke my fast on a medium cucumber sliced in thin chips and sprinkled with a pinch of dulse flakes. I allowed my body to digest that then warmed a quart of water and blended that with a spoonful of miso.  A couple of hours later I felt hungry and I sliced another cucumber and topped it with a bit more dulse. Finally after two more hours I wrapped up my eating extravaganza with a medium salad, no dressing. I added many water-containing vegetables (a tablespoon each of beets and carrots for flavor) and nutritional yeast. This is the best fast-breaking I've done in awhile.

Unbelievably for breakfast this morning I had kale salad (kale, garlic, sesame seeds, lemons, miso, nutritional yeast and a pinch of Celtic sea salt). I took it to work for lunch and it became breakfast. I ate another helping for dinner and I decided I am going to go with greens for breakfast for awhile and see where that takes me. I don't know if I have a crush on greens right now or if it's truly the breakfast of champions.

I am always delighted by fasting because of the surprises it brings.  This green juice cleanse took away a lot of cravings for things I've been trying hard to give up. If a bowl of kale salad satisfies me more than sugary snacks well then for better or worse it looks like I'll help myself to a big bowl of kale salad in the AM. I amused myself tonight as I made my salad and I thought back to the things I ate as a kid for breakfast (pancakes, sausage, eggs, cheese, coffee) and all too often I was admonished for not eating enough. I wondered and called my mom to ask her what she would have done if I'd asked for kale salad for breakfast. She laughed--neither one of us knew what kale was until green smoothies!

Kale Salad (Breakfast of Champions?)

Breaking My Fasting Abstinence

My first Juice Feast was in full swing this time two years ago. I have not fasted since.  Because of my work schedule and lifestyle choices I usually fast to some degree over holidays. Yet with graduate school added into my schedule I have felt too tired and simply unready to fast.  One of the reasons this blog is so important to me pre-Juice Feasting, is because I have needed to stay as close to healthy choices as I can.  So I continue to challenge and prepare myself for a Juice Feast that will likely occur one year from now.  In the meantime I am learning about and making better choices in small increments.

I recently traveled home. This trip transitioned into a soul searching journey. Through healing conversations with family members, beautiful bare foot walks on the lake shore and internal spiritual discoveries I felt several releases of energy. When I came back I had to reconcile these differences. So for the first time in two years, I engaged in a three day modified fast.


For most people water fasts can be a little too severe. As I am easing my way back into fasting I opted for crystal-charged water, Vitamineral green-spiked grapefruit juice, herbal tea (both dried and fresh from the garden) and even a helping of organic miso broth. I have found that long, deep sleeps are required to succeed on this fast. Although the fast has not been troublesome, I have needed to be mindful  and rest regularly.

Fasting again puts me in touch with the areas that I need to work on. I think my greatest challenge is how I can sensibly come off the fast.  Today is my final day and I plan to break it carefully with green smoothies tomorrow.  I am considering several one day fasts in the future to train for breaking fasts.