Day 4 Juice Feast -- What I'm Doing Differently (pt. 1)

The first Juice Feast was a challenging experience and despite the ups and downs I knew I wanted to repeat the experience.  Juicing often goes in and out of vogue, however popularity is not one of those things I concern myself with.  I wanted to do a second JF because I want to master the process (the discipline of a long term liquid diet), to gain further awareness and to stretch my limits.  I have come to look at my life as one big day of school. If I'm not learning or experimenting, my life feels blah. What I am doing may seem extreme to others but that's not the whole picture of my life. To name a few unsuccessful experiments: I have pages and pages of immunizations that have gone in my body, I smoked for many years and I had an unbelievable Dr. Pepper habit. My body has paid the price for these choices. Now, I'm seeking to experiment in new ways--what happens if I put my health and well being first?

Life for me is often about successive improvements. So after my first JF it stands to reason I'm trying to do it better this time around. What am I doing differently on the second JF?

• Using probiotics with most juices. Okay, here is going to be one of those gross and embarrassing things I mentioned would be forthcoming. When I did a 3 Day Green Juice Feast On one day I regularly took powdered probiotics and enzymes with each juice.  I also did a coffee enema that morning. I released some brown sludge (think spent motor oil, but brown) and then this 9 inch or so piece of slime came out with 3 little cocoons spaced out a few inches apart. It was painless physically to release it but to see that it had come out of my body grossed me out. I get a little squeamish thinking about those things in my body.
• More green juices. Either I really didn't know how to make green juices that I liked or my body was not cooperating with me. I drank entirely too many fruit juices throughout the first JF. I've learned to use more lemons and add ginger (this seems to make any juice taste good) to each juice. On this JF I am adding liquid probiotics to each green juice as well.
• Relax. I am a lot more relaxed about this JF. I am gentle and loving with myself and my juices. Before it felt like I had taken a giant leap and I was unsure if a safety net was secured below me. I prepared for months in advance for the first JF but preparation does not substitute for experience. I think one of the best things I did to prepare for this JF was to set weekly challenges for myself so new health practices were already familiar to me. Also the mini fasts and feasts were very helpful as well as learning to break a fast more gently. I am more confident in my abilities to manage this process.

There's more I'm doing but hey it's a beautiful day outside here so it's time to go and get some sunshine!

Another Short Fast

My previous modified fast lasted close to, if not 4 full days. It was slightly uncomfortable. It appears I have stretched my stomach for my cravings to eat troubled me the most. However around the 3 day mark those cravings disappeared and I began to enjoy the fast. I was completely exhausted and mostly rested to the point of light reading and watching movies. I watched the entire season of Out of the Wild: Venezuela. I enjoy group dynamics under extreme situations--for it shows me the truth of human nature. Plus, I had seen the previous season featuring Alaska and I knew the people would be fasting more rigorously than I was. In fact they go hungry for days and exert themselves to the breaking point. I merely laid on my couch and let me body heal itself.

Credit

I am in round two of another modified fast. This one is for 3 days over a long weekend. It's much easier this time. One thing which I have added and will continue to use on my full-fledged Juice Feast is incorporating probiotics.

I am not a follower of the Body Ecology Diet but I have learned a lot from its principles. The main thing I have incorporated is the strategic use of probiotics.  In my juices I am adding a dose of Cocobiotic and in grapefruit juice I am adding a scoop of Vitality SuperGreen. In the last modified fast I regularly took MRM Digest-All digestive enzymes with my juices. I had success with it, but I have to be careful as my constitution can be revved up from a hot coal to a bonfire and into intense healing and a desire to return to solid food right quickly.

The most important thing in this light, modified fasting is allowing my body down time. It truly is with gratitude that I thank my body with its infinite wisdom to heal itself.  I intend to prepare myself for the Juice Feast with as many short fasts as I can. As I mentioned before I want to master the art of breaking the fast. At present all I can say is I have a lot of learning and experimenting to do.

New Moon, Spring Solstice and Deep Cleansing

I have had excellent results when I time my cleanses with the lunar cycle and the seasonal rotations. There is something magical this time of year and my body tells me it wants to shed unhealthy choices. It's like one of those glorious cat stretches where your legs stick straight up in the air and your toes expand into lion feet (licking between toes is optional), and then you contract back to yourself and feel magnificent. Nutritionally I try to align my choices with the lunar cycle. At the new moon I am releasing so I try to assist that flow; at the full moon I am retaining so I try to eat the highest nutritionally available food I can find.

I recently watched Dr. Christy Westen's talk at the Women's Wellness Conference 2012. She is an amazing spirit dedicated to getting the word out about grounding. As I continuously educate myself on healthy, sustainable practices I sometimes realize somewhat painfully I didn't know the right information to begin with! Of the many interesting things that Dr. Westen mentioned was that grounded women have menses and ovulation in alignment with the lunar cycle. I think these cycles can greatly influence food choices--so beware and prepare!

Spring renewal

Interesting enough, this week there is both a new moon and the spring equinox. With this time for new beginnings and time for perfect balance I try hard to use these opportunities for targeted releases and requests to the Universe for improvements in my life.  This week I am physically planning another liver flush, mentally I am constantly working on reflective self-development (thanks grad school) and spiritually by chanting the Medicine Buddha mantra and finally creating a vision board. I am excited for the new sprouts that will appear in my life from this spring transformation.

I have found a way to drink the required apple juice without making my teeth hurt or tiring of the sweet taste. I add in an ounce or two of Cocobiotic to help clean up the excess sugars. Intuitively I have also felt the need to add in apple pectin to my diet. It's been awhile since I last used apple pectin. So I tapped some dry powder into my mouth to see what it tasted like (mild, almost flavorless) and without any liquid it formed something of a concrete sidewalk on the roof of my mouth! It slowly eroded without harm--but I think it's best to add to liquid first.

This week will be intense and focused on releasing the old to discover the new. It's rarely easy--especially in social situations. In fact today I dodged a very serious temptation at lunch with a friend whom almost persuaded me to eat falafels (because of the convenient location). I love those things--but no way can I eat fried food now. I try hard to eradicate it period--but a bit of advice from some scholarly work gave me a back up for when I am human. If I succumb to unhealthy fried fatty food, take astaxanthin with it to soften the blow. In the interim--when I am being good I also make sure to take astaxanthin with healthy fatty food.

It's always a fascinating experience to self-study. With each piece of knowledge, with each exploration I seek to lighten my toxic load and stretch into a healthier, happier being. My goal is to start my second Juice Feast ahead of the game so I can go into much deeper cleansing.