Day 20 Juice Feast -- Sending Love to my Liver

I left the house this morning and felt nauseous by the time I made it to my car.  Later in the morning I felt my liver having a few spasms.  It wasn't painful but rather like muscle spasms when an injured muscle of long ago is healing or shaking something out.  I don't know if the nausea had anything to do with my liver dancing about though,  this morning was very humid and strong humidity can sometimes make me feel queasy.  So, I'm sending loving thoughts to my liver.

Body Mud Pack (Source)

Yesterday evening I gave myself a full body mud pack and scrubbed it off vigorously in the shower.  I have been consistently dry skin brushing but that is about it and my skin really appreciated the extra love yesterday.  I think tonight I'll hit the sauna and get to bed. The life of this Juice Feaster is pretty slow these days--but I am still loving my Feast.

Day 19 Juice Feast -- More on Melatonin and Cinnamon

I took another melatonin nugget last night and I feel great today. Melatonin has been my "secret weapon" since I first learned of it when I was traveling internationally. It is one thing which gives me dramatic visual confirmation of its benefit to my body. Visually, it is highly anti-aging for me. I also often took it during the week break between graduate school classes and semesters for a quicker return of my energy and appearance. I don't take it every night but for me it is something I take as needed. Of course melatonin must be taken with great care; it should only be taken when you can sleep in a pitch dark environment.

Ophelia (Waterhouse)

I seem to have gotten over the hump of having a hard time getting the juices down. It really doesn't feel like eating to me so sometimes when I am not mindful of how my body feels I go too long without a juice. I don't feel hungry but my energy wanes and once I juice up I feel stable.

The rest of my day is some juice-powered (but boring) housework and errands. I do have a French press steeping some of my favorite cinnamon tea.  It takes all day (or night) to get a good flavor out of the cinnamon so I fill the quart press with cinnamon chips in the bottom then add boiling water so it is half full and when I'm ready to drink the tea I heat up some more water and add it so the tea is warm enough. It can be drank cold--but I like my tea warm on rainy days like these.

Day 18 Juice Feast -- Rest, Leisure and a Nap

Three things I haven't allotted enough time to lately. Luckily they are today's theme. I slept really well last night. I took a melatonin nugget put on my magnetic eye sleeping mask and woke up too early. Usually the melatonin lets me sleep longer than I normally would. I lived in a state of sleep deprivation for so long it's taking my body time to adjust to more sleep. Upon waking I already knew I needed to nap today.  In fact I woke up from my nap a little while ago. I honestly think one of the greatest healing tools is sleep.

Maxfield Parrish

Earlier this week I found myself second guessing whether now was a good time to JF; I can't help but wonder if it wasn't like the ridiculous potato chip craving I had in the beginning or, if in my tired state there wasn't some validity to waiting to start a JF until I was more rested. I decided what better time to heal than on juices? So much less of my time is devoted to digestion that surely my body is able to heal more quickly and deeply. So these thoughts left and new ones came. I decided I am already this far, I'm going to keep going. Besides I am already starting to feel much better--I just look forward to the day those dark circles under my eyes go away.

One good thing about making juices on the weekend is it is more enjoyable because it's only one at a time.  Still, I am working on ways to make juicing more fun. It is a lot of work to juice even if the result is more than worth the effort. It's hard to believe this day is almost over! I'm off to make that one final juice.

Day 17 Juice Feast -- Friday, Sweet Friday

Something shifted today and I feel great. Yeah, I'm sure it has a little bit to do with the fact that it is a sunny Friday.  I had to pick up a few things at lunch today so although I didn't get in my lunch walk I sunned a little when I came home.

Homegrown Celery Update

I was reflecting on my JF experience today and I was a bit surprised I didn't even know exactly what day I was on--and not because I am so tired, stressed or anything else. The JF just clicked for me and it now feels like a natural part of my life. It's quite different from my first JF where I focused on making it to each day like I was climbing some Himalayan mountain.

Perhaps that will come but my issues are mild this go around. Lately I've noticed I need to brush my teeth more and I'm even considering oil swishing at night too. During the first JF somewhere along the way I felt absolutely nothing on my teeth so I hope this will go away as my body cleans more. Otherwise I'm losing the weight and I feel much better in my body.

It's a great day with a quiet, reflective weekend ahead.

Day 16 Juice Feast -- Grouchy but Doing What is Right for Me

Coffee Enema Spy

I felt cranky yesterday evening so I hauled out the big guns: the coffee enema.  It's funny how much controversy people feel about what goes up the keister. I do allow some information should be kept to oneself.  Then again how can many of us know the healing powers of alternative medicine if someone doesn't share?  It didn't relieve my grouchiness completely. I've been grouchy in spurts some of the day. I had to take a long walk at lunch today. Fortunately the sun was shining and I felt great by the time I got back to the office.

Last night I also smudged myself with a palo santo stick. It made me feel better but something still feels a little stuck. There are certain times in life when there are no easy answers. This is one reason why I am often exploring alternatives and stocking my arsenal with tools. I'm glad I have them even if they don't work all the time.

One interesting thing about a JF is how it speeds things up--this may be why I'm having trouble processing this quickly. It may be coming at me too quickly. It apparently isn't physical but perhaps emotional. The best thing I can do in these cases is accept and relax into the feeling. By going into the feeling I can free the snag quicker rather than by trying to fight my way out.

I'm still managing 4 quarts of juice each day. I even managed 4.5 yesterday. I'm still not feeling any hunger. I try to make each juice as nutritious as I can yet I think I need to explore some recipe books as I tend to make similar juices over and again. One new leap I'm loving is pineapple parsley.

Day 15 Juice Feast -- Supplements so Far

 Here are the supplements I've been taking so far:

Vitamineral Earth (this, blended into a tea makes a delicious broth)
Klamath Blue Green Algae
Fermented Spirulina
Chamae Rose (squirted into warm water this makes for a healing tea)
Dandelion Detox Tea
Tulsi Tea
Kelp Powder

A favorite (Source)

Nascent Iodine
Liquid Vitamin D (on skin)
Essential Oils (on skin)
Chlorella Manna
Bee Pollen
Royal Jelly
Manuka Honey
Intestinal Drawing Formula
Intestinal Movement Formula
Zeolites
ACG Glutathione Spray
Probiotics
Enzymes
FITT Teas
Hemp Oil
Coconut Oil
Marine Phytoplankton
QuintEssential 3.3 (post sauna)
Melatonin
Magnesium Oil (on skin)
B12 Patch
Amazing Grass Raw Reserve Superfood Green Powder

I will likely do more experimenting as time goes on, of course in conjunction with how I feel. There are a few basic supplements I try to stick with daily but doing a JF is a large task so I do what I can and I am gentle with myself.

Day 14 Juice Feast -- Produce so Far

Here's a list of the produce I've used to make juice so far:

(Source)

Spinach
Swiss chard
Kale
Mixed Greens
Fennel
Celery
Cilantro
Parsley
Sweet potatoe
Asparagus
Grapefruit
Pineapple
Tangerine
Lemon
Lime
Ginger
Turmeric
Garlic
Cantelope
Cabbage
Bok Choy
Radicchio
Romaine Lettuce
Butter Lettuce
Red Leaf Lettuce
Cucumber
Zucchini
Galia Melon
Bell Pepper
Parsnip
English Cucumber
Pear
Kiwi

It's most likely I would not have gotten in this much variety of produce if I were on solids--so I am grateful for that!