Juice Feast

Detoxing the body has become an increasingly popular practice in recent years. Juice Fasting is one method of detoxing and is sometimes known as going on a juice detox or a juice diet.

I am currently on Round 3 of a fabulous Juice Feast and the results has been amazing!!

I termed it juice ‘FEAST’ rather than juice ‘FAST’ because one gets ALL the calories one would normally get in a day (i.e. 1500 for an average woman) – from at least 4 litres/1 gallon of fresh juice, daily (green vegetable juices and fruit juices). Often when people fast they take in very small amounts of liquid/calories, the metabolism slows, their energy slumps, and they may feel quite ‘dysfunctional’. Juice Feasting works differently, supporting the feaster to be very functional in daily life and meeting all calorie needs, while experiencing massive cleansing on a cellular level.

The romance of unhealthy foods is powerful, as evidenced by many who struggle daily with being overweight and obese. But it is essential to break the cycle of dependence on saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and excess caffeine and alcohol.

In addition to breaking the cycle of cravings of foods that undermine your health, just three days of a juice cleanse can do so much. However, me being me, I jumped right into 7-days and I have no regrets! Of course, that is no big deal as I have met others who jumped right into 21 days and 60 days!

I first learned about juicing just a little over a year ago. I didn’t think much of this until I learned that even Engelbert Humperdinck did this on many occasions and showed great results. I started to read up more about it and many swore by it and have shown tremendous results.

So 2018 rolled around and I decided to make a new year resolution. I know people would say a resolution is rubbish and most don’t stick to it. But two years ago, overweight Debra decided she was going to do something about her weight and made a resolution to eat better and to exercise. I kept to my 2016 resolution.

Well, my 2018 resolution is to get fitter and much healthier. I decided to give this juice fast a shot. I am going to start feeling better about myself in all aspects.

I found a ‘starter’ juicer that was on clearance. USD $20. Not a bad price. So I bought it. I didn’t want to jump into a very expensive juicer, just in case, juicing wasn’t something for me.

I swear, that was the best money spent!! I used it for 2 rounds before the ‘pusher’ for the juicer went missing. Must have accidentally fallen into the trash while I had it out, drying. But my supportive mother, ran right out to buy me a new, bigger and better juicer. She was so proud of what I had accomplished in the first two rounds of juicing.

And so, I am back in business.

Let me move on to talking about the first time I started, my experiences, my thoughts, etc…

When I first started on Round 1, I was nervous. I am one person who hates to fail at anything I do. So I was really afraid I would not be able to handle 7 days of purely just juice and water. The fact that I am also a coffee addict and if I don’t get my 2 cups (at least) of coffee a day, I’d be in bed, nursing a migraine, got me even more terrified. Yet, I went on with the challenge. Challenge not with anyone but myself.

I should have timed it better though, silly me started Round 1 / Day 1 on my son’s birthday! We did have a nice birthday dinner, the night before but still…. So imagine it being your first time juicing, and you’re sitting at KFC with your kids, smelling the lovely fried chicken, watching them enjoy every bite while you sipped water. It was a struggle. Then heading home to have my son cut his birthday cake and not have a slice. My kids were funny and joked about juicing the cake for me. But I survived day 1.

Round 1 / Day 2 was still a struggle. But I got through it. Then day 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 came and went by so quickly!

I surprised myself. I did it!! After the third day, I did not even have any cravings. Not even for coffee. And I sure did not get any migraines from the lack of coffee or no coffee! The best part about it? I saw amazing results. I lost a total of 5kg (11 pounds).

The week after, I decided to take a break from juicing. So I can enjoy some good food especially since my granny was cooking. I was even more surprised with how disciplined I was. I did not crave food. I did not crave coffee. Everything was in moderation. I ate more healthily and stayed away from carbs without even missing it.

I was already beginning to feel a change in me… a good change.

Right after that rest week, I jumped right back into another 7-day juice fast. I don’t really follow any recipes; I just make them up as I go along. Right after Round 2, I decided I would jump straight into Round 3 for another 7-days as the week after, it would be my daughter’s birthday and Chinese New Year. However, I changed Round 3 a little. I had to do 2 juices and 1 meal a day as I was on antibiotics.

Back to Round 2. I didn’t get as big a results as when I did Round 1. I only lost 2kg (4.4 pounds) but was told the reason why I lost so much the first time was because that was all the water/liquid. But it is alright. I wasn’t disappointed or anything. In fact, I was more determined.

I am on Day 5 of Round 3 as I write this. I have never felt better in my entire life. I feel so much healthier and so accomplished. I definitely feel a lot better about myself. My skin has improved. It is a lot smoother and I am glowing! I look better in the outfits I put on. Overall, I simply feel awesome.

This could be my norm from now on. My goal is to lose another 5kg (11 pounds) at least.

The bigger accomplishment was starting a FB group on Juice Fasting. We’re almost hitting 900 members and every day, I still receive at least 3 requests to join our group. In the group, we share recipes, experiences, goals, etc. And even bigger than that accomplishment, I have managed to inspire lots of friends and many are now starting to juice as well.

With all of the benefits, how could you NOT do a juice feast?! I know what you’re thinking, ‘I could NEVER do that!’ Let me tell you, I love food, and coffee…and some alcohol! If I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT. Seriously, take my word on this!!

The starting reaction of most people who saw me do this wasn't very positive - at first most were shocked, worried and some plain appalled at the fact that I was "starving" myself - even my parents were a bit worried at first.

And then as the days and weeks passed, many opinions and comments changed - all of a sudden "I was glowing" and my "skin was perfect" …. I had to chuckle and resist the "I told you so".

I myself was amazed at the changes in my body.

I am not kidding when I say the changes were huge….

-          Perfect skin, I'm talking FLAWLESS

-          A glow

-          Release of a lot of extra weight

-          Sky high levels of steady energy and endurance

-          Clarity of mind (it's crazy what chemicals in the food will do to your brain)

-          Deep and restful sleep

-          A solid feeling of health and wellness

I was also running every other day, between 5km to 6km (3.1 miles to 3.7 miles).

I know these may seem too good to be true, but I promise you, I wouldn't lie to you! Ask my family and my close friends and they will testify to this.

Yes, at the start, I was excited to start and at the same time pretty nervous about it as it is not an easy process - most worthwhile things never are!

So back to the technical stuff on juicing. Things I have learned and read up about since I started this.

Experts recommend you eat at least 6 to 8 servings of vegetables per day, which many people (myself included) have difficulty achieving. That’s where juicing can help fill the void.

So what is involved in a juice fast?

Juice fasting involves consuming only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water for a set period of time. The duration of the juice fast can vary from just one day to around 28 days although it is widely agreed that juice fasting novices start with a couple of one day fasts and when they are comfortable with this build up to a 3 day fast.

There are SO many reasons why juicing is so beneficial and here are just a few I have come up with and read about:

-          Juice requires hardly any digestion, so all its nutritional goodness gets rapidly into your system while simultaneously giving your digestive system a rest. Your body can then use that saved energy to clean out old matter, especially from the small intestine.

-          When you juice, you use way more fruits and vegetables than you could actually eat at one time. As a result, you are drinking a HUGE quantity of vitamins, minerals and other plant-based nutrients that would be impossible to get otherwise.

-          You give your WHOLE BODY a chance to “clean house”. Without the added burden of digestion, which takes a LOT of time and energy, the body is now free to work on other things like detoxing the liver and kidneys…and the remains of all those Ramen Noodles you used to eat!

-          Improved focus and mental clarity

-          Anti-Aging

-          Improved bone & joint function

-          Stronger Immune System 

-          Better digestion

-          Better overall mood

-          Healthier hair, skin and nails

-          Natural body weight

-          ENERGY!!!

So, to wrap this blog post up, once again, I wanted to tell all of you that three years ago, I weighed about 80kg (176 pounds) and after 2 years of cutting back on eating as much and I got started on exercising, I went down to 72kg (158 pounds).

But after the first 7 day juice fast, I went right down to 65kg (143 pounds).

All in all, it took a lot of effort and determination and I am still determined to lose more. My goal is to hit between 58kg (127 pounds) to 60kg (132 pounds).

I still love my food but I have cut back on it and have the unhealthy chicken wings or burgers once a week (or not at all) instead of every other day. I don't crave coffee anymore although a cup once in a blue moon is nice. No craving for chocolates. Alcohol is only socially but it's always been socially.

I have been eating healthier. White meats and veggies. No fatty food and I have cut off carbs. I snack on fruits when my mouth starts to feel itchy but believe it or not, it doesn’t even get to that point.

I also add in the occasional runs/jogs about twice or 3 times a week.

I have never felt my best in years. Lighter, healthier and more confident.

My advice to those trying to lose weight is to decide what you really want then work at it and stick to it. Nothing will come over night and it will take a lot of willpower but keep telling yourself you can do it and in time, you will see the results and feel accomplished and that alone would help you work harder towards your goal.

SUCCESS isn't just about what you accomplish in your life.

It's about what you INSPIRE others to do.