Juice Fast DAY 4

Hi,

So this is day four of my juice fast. One of the things that keeps me on track is to read advice from experts who have done this before. I finished up reading Joe Cross's book, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and got some good information from it. It has many more details about Joe's life than the DVD does and I felt like I got to know him a little better through it. I liked that he recruited an expert nutritionist to detail and inform the reader about the science and mechanics of a juice fast.

I was a little disappointed in the "afterward" from Dean Ornish. He waxed esoteric when I would have wanted more of a juicing results confirmation.

I watched a video by Dr Fred Bisci who is an elderly man in his eighty's who is a raw food expert. He seemed very spry and alert and informed. As he talked about a juice fast, he kept pointing out the "fasting" part of it, which I had not really thought about. I don't think of this as a "fast" because my refrigerator is full of food and I am consuming it's liquid at many intervals during the day. My body is regularly getting nourishment and I don't exactly feel deprived.

It is not like I am in a concentration camp where they literally were starving from lack of food. I am "eating" all day long. I am just drinking my food rather than chewing my food. Occasionally the thought goes through my head that it would be nice to chomp on some of the veggies that I am preparing for the juicer. They are fresh and attractive and right there in front of me, but I want to stay on the juice fast. Sometimes I forget what the advantages to the juicing are and I have to remind me. That is what the reading is about.

Sometimes I feel like there is "something wrong" with me because I get inspired to do something but if I am not careful, it will soon disappear from my consciousness. I am beginning to think that this is not so abnormal as I have considered it. I know that in order to stay close to the Lord it is required that I read His word, and pray, and associated with other like minded believers. I also know that I hear other Christians confessing that this is the part that they also begin to neglect and then wonder why they don't feel close to the Lord. So this seems to be kind of "universal" behavior on the part of humans.

The same is true for my juice fast. If I don't remind myself why I am doing this, I think it would be easy to quit. I don't want to quit. I want to continue juice fasting for as long as I can safely do it. I want the weight loss that is associated with it. This is only day four so I have six more days to complete my ten days. From what I have observed the last days of the fast are the ones where the feelings of health, and clarity begin to increase, and I want to experience that. So I must continue juice fasting to get to that point.

I found this web site http://www.doctoryourself.com/juicing_2.html where the author's advice is not so "esoteric" but more down to earth and practical concerning juicing. He has another page that I checked out http://www.doctoryourself.com/juicefast.html which also has some pretty great advice. It also has information for those of you who have not seen Joe Cross's video which inspired me to start juicing: Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. This may help to clarify why I am doing this and what the expected results might be.

Dr Mercola's daily article about vegetarianism seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/18/why-do-exvegetarians-outnumber-current-vegetarians-three-to-one.aspx

My ideas on raw food, vegetarianism, veganism, and diet are beginning to formulate in a new way. I, somehow, usually feel like whatever course I am on is supposed to be permanent because it is the "best" path to follow. What is changing is to realize that I don't have to stick to or identify myself with any one of them for long periods of time. It is not about being loyal to a movement, it is about what works best for me, my body, and my situation. Right now I am juicing raw vegetables and fruit and drinking water. That would be labeled "vegan" because there are no animal products at all being consumed.

I don't think a person should live their entire lives as a vegan. There are particular vitamins and amino acids that are more readily available if you eat some sort of animal products -- such as Vit B12. I'm sure some expert somewhere could point out to me where this is found in the vegan world, but, it is certainly OK with me to get it from an easily accessible animal source, too.

I'm beginning to see that a person can adopt an eating style for differing periods of time and remain completely healthy. Juice fasting for a time is giving my body a rest and a time to stop processing so much actual "food" which should allow it to devote more of the nutrients to health and regeneration and not so much to digestion. Throughout history many people have done fasting. Often for religious reasons, but sometimes for health. They, of course, did not have "juicers" or even electricity, so when they fasted they simply did without food completely. Some I would assume also did not even drink liquids or water, but others did. They accomplished what they accomplished for their own personal reasons.

I am thinking that when I return to eating I want to do it gradually. I simply want to start by eating the same things that I am juicing now and giving my body the opportunity to adjust back to the eating processes. I have even thought that I would juice two or three times during the day and consume a meal of raw veggies, nuts, seeds, and a little fruit. Often the experts include "legumes" on a daily basis, but I don't think my body does well on beans. I like them, but I don't always feel good when I eat them. I think it would be fine to have them once or twice a month, but certainly not daily.

I will also start slow with the animal protein by starting with eggs and maybe my favorite feta cheese, but I don't want to go over board on dairy either. Dairy seems to be one of those things that I binge on. I am beginning to believe that my binging happens because I am eating something that my body is not being nourished from. It fills my belly but does nothing for my body and I have to eat more and more of it because my body is searching for something it can use and not finding any in what I've just consumed. The words "empty calories" has popped into my head but it is not calories that I'm thinking of. I am thinking of nutrients -- the kind of nutrients that you can easily get from fresh raw vegetables.

So this is what I am thinking: I believe that I need to continue to eat from sixty to seventy percent fresh raw vegetables, one fruit per day, maybe two, with the addition of nuts and seeds, eggs, feta, and then maybe some canned fish (I know fresh is better, but cannot bring myself to consider that.). I think I am going to limit the beef, and even the chicken, but would choose chicken over beef. Very little pork, if any. So that, practically, it would look like this: juicing a couple of times per day and a nice meal once a day, with a nut and seed snack and a piece of fruit about once a day. If I get hungry again I can juice and that will make sure I am still getting the nutrition my body needs without taxing the way eating three meals a day does. And, of course, all this is open for discussion or decision at the time. The thought of crossing bridges before you get to them seems appropriate, here.

As to my feelings on day four, I am still in pain, but have an appointment with a physical therapist at two. I am learning to recognize what hunger actually feels like and where in my body it occurs. It is not in my mouth, it is in my belly. Cravings and what ever it was that used to drive me to eat was nearly always in my mouth and in my mind. I would feel a strong desire to eat and there would be a strong picture in my head of what it was I wanted, and if I did not get it... woe is me. That picture would stay in my head for days... until I got whatever it was and ate it. It seems that the word "covet" would be an appropriate description.

Hunger, on the other hand, is a feeling in my belly or body. Today it is also accompanied by a feeling in my head of drowsiness and slight pain and tension. This is kind of amazing to me. The difference is very real and it is useful to know the difference, finally.

I'm hungry so shall make another juice.

Be back soon,

Marcia