Been Juice Fasting since 9-22-07 - *LOVE IT!* (allergy, pains, kidneys)

[JeepGirl118]

. . . And I have NEVER felt better than I do right now! I have not had one single headache, not one allergy problem (and this AZ air does it to you, I tell ya...), no aches in my body (except occasionally I can tell the difference of the toxins moving through my muscles to my kidney/liver - but it's not a "pain"), my energy levels are immensely increased, my mind feels more sharp than it's felt in a LONG time, when my menstrual cycle came - I had zero water retention or mood swings or fatigue, my skin looks better than it has in a long time (it looked good before, but it looks even better now) - I am sleeping soundly - except sleeping LESS and feeling refreshed on less sleep time, my moods are more balanced - and I've lost 15.5lbs (also with my normal routine of exercise daily) - I feel in better shape physically and mentally than I have in years!!!

I have NOT been hungry at all - in fact - I am drinking as much Juice (juicing both fresh fruits and veggies) as I want (and am typically always feeling full) - and in addition to this, I am drinking two 64oz jugs of fresh squeezed lemon water a day (they sell these nifty 64oz jug-mugs at the 4-Sons Food Stores out here in Phoenix) that I carry with me wherever I can and I drink about 3-4 coffee mugs of hot tea a day (primarily Wu-Yi). One day last week, I drank 4 of the 64oz jug-mug due to extra exercising. It's going down really easy - and with the squeezed lemon, it's delicious.

My cravings for sweets are about 97% gone - but when I have craved something sweet, I suck on a couple of Tic-Tacs and the craving goes away. I'm now at the point where when I go to the grocery store or cook for my family, the food does not look tempting or appetizing.

I am going back to 100% Vegetarianism (possibly Vegan, still deciding) - so this is mainly a 2-3 week cleanse to prepare my body again for it - and I wanted to lose the 15lbs that I gained (that is now gone) - and now I am going to lose another 12 to get back down to my HS weight (I am 36, so for the first time in 19-20 years after giving birth, I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel to attain this now via this way!)

I am telling ya! - If you have not tried a 10 day (or more) strict Juice Fast - I highly recommend. I started feeling a huge difference in myself on day 2 of the Juice Fast (no solid foods at all since 9-22). In fact, I am going to keep this Juicing regimen and just gradually add solid veggies and fruits and nuts into it when I wean my body back onto solids.

Anywho - I just wanted to share this with you. I am hoping that if someone else has been contemplating doing this -for losing weight or just to help clear up some aches or what not (health reasons) - I give it an A+++ and it is really worth the effort of daily change and habit.


PS - I know there are a lot of people here with thyroid disorders - and I have been on Thyroid medicine (Synthroid) for 10 years - have always battled up and down over the years within 15-20 lbs because I have an inactive thyroid. So - this is a "thyroid patient" getting these results. It's often why I am so fanatical about what I eat and exercise, as some may have seen on some threads in the past. I have tried every pill to take off those 15lbs I wanted to lose - I exercise so much that my friends say I have issues (laughs) - and a lot of pills to feel better for whatever aches and pains....THIS WORKS!!!!

[askme]

Thanks for sharing this, I can tell you're excited. And you have every reason to be, that is awesome what you've accomplished.

I've got a juicer and have juiced plenty of carrots, just love the sweet taste of carrot juice and knowing it's good for you is a real positive for your mind.

But I am wondering, don't you ever feel weak? Tell me what kinds of veggies are the best to juice and what combos you are doing. And how much a day you drink. I would like to really give it a try for a few days just to do it and see how I feel.

I would like to lose some weight, about 10 more pounds and I'd be happy. I always lose it better in the spring and summer walking it off (3.5 miles three times a week), but then I seem to gain it back when winter comes.

It seems I would feel like I'm starving myself being on just a juice diet. I know you said you haven't been hungry, I guess I'll just have to try it myself.

Also thanks for the suggestion about the TicTacs. I've been taking care of my sweettooth with a spoonful of honey. It's nice to know of something else to use as well.
Hope to hear back from ya! Thanks!

[Macrina]

Wow, Jeepgirl, this sounds awesome I'll be waiting to hear more about which veggies & what combos you make, as askme had wondered.

I don't have a juicer (and won't be able to get one) but I do have an old Oster blender. Will this work if I cut the pieces small enough and run it for awhile?

You may be able to tell I'm seriously thinking about doing this Keep us posted, OK?

[JeepGirl118]

Originally Posted by askme

Thanks for sharing this, I can tell you're excited. And you have every reason to be, that is awesome what you've accomplished.

I've got a juicer and have juiced plenty of carrots, just love the sweet taste of carrot juice and knowing it's good for you is a real positive for your mind.

But I am wondering, don't you ever feel weak? Tell me what kinds of veggies are the best to juice and what combos you are doing. And how much a day you drink. I would like to really give it a try for a few days just to do it and see how I feel.

I would like to lose some weight, about 10 more pounds and I'd be happy. I always lose it better in the spring and summer walking it off (3.5 miles three times a week), but then I seem to gain it back when winter comes.

It seems I would feel like I'm starving myself being on just a juice diet. I know you said you haven't been hungry, I guess I'll just have to try it myself.

Also thanks for the suggestion about the TicTacs. I've been taking care of my sweettooth with a spoonful of honey. It's nice to know of something else to use as well.
Hope to hear back from ya! Thanks!

The first day and a half was the hardest for me to fight the urge to just want to crunch on something and then I thought about gum. It was like I was going through withdrawal from just the chewing-action alone more than anything. But then I read that it will be harder to fight those urges if you *do* chew gum, because chewing activates saliva and enzyme production in your stomach. So I stuck with what I read to suck on a Tic-Tac or two (which I then started using for my sweets urges) - not to bite it or chew it. It really did help a lot.

Have not felt weak at all - I actually feel more alive and have tons more energy both mentally and physically. It's just amazing how much better your body goes through the motions compared to eating 'normal foods' with chemicals and hormones in them and so forth.

I drink either veggie or fruit juices - or I will mix them both together. The fruit added makes it taste like less of a "vegetable drink." (Like I will add some watermelon and strawberries to some juiced carrot and celery) - I just play with combos. I do not have a recipe book to go off of - although I am thinking about finding some new and interesting recipes online to keep it from getting monotonous.

I drink Wu-Yi Tea right when I wake up. Wu-Yi helps suppress my appetite amongst it's other metabolic benefits. Then at no set times - whenever I feel a little hungry, I will make some sort of juice drink. I try to catch myself before it goes into a really hungry state. I had a pineapple and strawberry juicey today for lunch. For dinner, I will make some sort of drink with vegetables and a little fruit added. The hardest thing for me after I drink my brunch drink (I typically don't eat breakfast, so I just have my juice when I would normally have my first meal of the day - just adjust your juices to when you normally eat) - is that I have to remind myself to make one for dinner - because I am a lot less hungry than when I eat solids. Thing that is great about juicing - you can juice all day if you want and drink. When you are hungry - you don't have to hold yourself back or feel guilty! This part I love! If you do not deny yourself a fruit drink or a veggie drink by just thinking you'll gain ---you will not be hungry. Don't deny yourself one - if you want one - have one. Drink plenty of water. No pop, no Crystal Light, no milk....just water. Squeeze lemon into it. Put the water in a bottle or a sippy-jug instead of a glass since we tend to drink out of bottles faster. If you are going to the bathroom every 20-40 minutes - you are doing it right. LOL

Now just a slight warning here. . . a couple days ago, I was making brownies for my dad's birthday - (yeah, uh-oh, ready for this?) - I figured - EH - What could ONE small one hurt?!?!? figured I have been doing SO good and I deserved a small treat. Bad move. Although my taste buds were like "ooohhhh YEAH!!!" ---I was sick to my stomach the rest of the night and yesterday morning my stomach was a horrifying wreck. I couldn't even go out. Bad mistake - huge. All of the chemicals in that brownie mix - my stomach did NOT like. You really get to see when your body is cleansing itself removing toxins - and when you reintroduce toxins and chemicals into your body - the body does not take kindly to it. Your body does what it's supposed to when you ingest chemicals and "poisons" ---it makes you sick! If you keep reintroducing them gradually, it will get used to it - but do it slowly after a good sized juice fast or water fast. Also - do NOT juice Oranges (if you are only doing an extended juice fast with *no* solids) and do NOT juice Jalepenos! The acid in them with make you nauseas and throw up. It did to me. I learned the hard way. Remember, your stomach itself is resting. It has nothing to process. With juice - it is your liver and kidneys that are doing the work. So when that juice passes through the stomach (remember, it doesn't have to be churned and digested) it's just passing through - it burns. And it hurts - and you may feel a little sick from the acidity. Not everyone will be the same, I am sure - but that is my experience. Forewarned is forearmed.

[JeepGirl118]

Originally Posted by Macrina

Wow, Jeepgirl, this sounds awesome I'll be waiting to hear more about which veggies & what combos you make, as askme had wondered.

I don't have a juicer (and won't be able to get one) but I do have an old Oster blender. Will this work if I cut the pieces small enough and run it for awhile?

You may be able to tell I'm seriously thinking about doing this Keep us posted, OK?

You have to use a Juicer - because that would still be a solid food. What the juicer does is it takes the liquid from the veggie/fruit and the insides of the pulps (where the vitamins and nutrients are) - and squeezes them all out. I don't have a fancy Juicer - I am using a JuiceMan. I think Hamilton Beach makes one for around $40 at Walmart or Target it can be found. One or the other, not sure which store it was. You might be able to find a cheap one on Amazon dot com. I'd like to try that one that's on the infomercial - the Magic Bullet's Juicer! Christmas is coming, right?

I'm certainly no juicing pro - (and I think there are a few on this forum though who are) - just sharing what is working for me.

[2beamissourian]

Do you mix your fruits and veggies ?

I have heard ppl doing this ..and I have issues with meat ... I have a hard time eating it - thus always anemic ...
We live on a farm and raise our own meat .. which is better than that stuff from the store full of all sorts of chemicals ... but ...

what do you mix in with it .. i mean is it just straight green bean juice?

Is there mixes that contain more sugar (natural) .. I have hypoglycemia and this concerns me .....I can not even drink juice before 10 am because my sugar drops too low if I do.

[JeepGirl118]

It would be straight green bean juice if it's green beans I were to have (which I haven't done straight green bean juice yet). I wont mix anything into it. I mix fruits in with the veggies just to get rid of the "veggie" taste and just to mix it up a bit. If it's straight veggies, I'll mix carrots, green beens, beets (for the sweeter taste) - it's really about preference and what mood you're in. Normally, I cannot stand carrots - but I've actually grown to like the carrot juice by itself and with beets. Not too bad...

I found this and I am going to try the Apple & Carrot Juice tomorrow. Sounds like that may be good. Will let you know!
Delicious juicing recipes

2beam - I only drink my Wu-Yi tea in the morning and I don't drink any juice until around noon. Perhaps you can follow a similar eating schedule but by drinking your first juice of the day by 10:30-11? You can drink it whenever you want to. No set schedule and no amount of set times to have it. Fully customizable. There was one day that I was not even in the mood for anything but water. Your appetite after 5 days completely changes - literally - I have no idea WHOSE lil appetite this is in me right now!!! LOL

[PinkString]

Adding to Jeepgirls posts...for those wanting to know more..
As for juicing, you use only fruits and veggies. No mixes. Nothing is watered down. It's pure juice. The junk in the stores is watered down and fillers are added. And other scary things like high fructose corn syrup.

You can do fruit juice separately or veggies separately. Or mix together.
A combo I really like is 3 stalks celery, 5-6 romaine leaves(or other fav lettuce)10-20 baby carrots, a tomato or two, an apple or two(any variety), 1/2 to 1 whole lime, and 1/2 lemon.
For using lettuce leaves and other softer foods, you have to roll them up into a ball and put into the juicer, and use the pusher. Small apples can be put in whole, and i slice my lemons and limes in half. I have a Jack LaLanne juicer and it doesn't require that i cut up all fruits and veggies really small. I just toss them all in.

I also peel a couple of oranges and juice them. Or a couple apples. A really favorite summertime juice I LOVE is a handful of about 20 or so strawberries and a couple of handfuls of big juicy green grapes. So good!!!

You can take a cantaloupe, discard the seeds, discard the rinds, and juice it. So good!!! Can you tell i love love love these juices???
I am seriously considering a juice fast.

For all those wanting to try a juice fast, some people fast once a week, and that does help. If you are trying to get super healthy, and combat some diseases, lose weight easily,etc, try JeepGirls methods.
And for those thinking they will miss food, when you are juicing fruits and veggies and making delicious and nutritious juices, they are thick, and they do fill you up! There is nothing better.

[Mattie Jo]

But has it cured your thyroid problems? I ask this because I have a feeling it would, yet you say you are still on thyroid meds. Have you had your thyroid checked out recently>

I went back to juicing recently. I know what you are saying is all true because I cured many things with it. I also used to have allergies, and now the doctor says I have NONE.

But before I started juicing again I had low thyroid. I cut out soy because of what I was reading in books by doctors on soy causing thyroid problems. I began adding raw coconut oil to my diet because of what a book on thyroidism said. I also began taking in some iodine. At this moment my thyroid is normal, but I don't know how normal, and the doctor said maybe now it is swinging to hyperthyroidism. That was his answer to my getting better. Is he right? Time will tell.

Your testimony proves that you can lose weight and have thyroid problems if you eat correctly.

When I was on a raw diet and juicing I had more energy than I ever had in my life or remembered having. It was like being 21 again and being able to go all day. I was 55 at the time.

[Mayor_McCheese]

Post back in a year and let me know if you're still on it or if you gained any weight back