First off, let me get this out of the way: I’m not a doctor, nor am I an expert on juicing. I don’t know your medical history, so what worked for me may or may not work for you. I’m only here to share what I’ve tried and what worked for me.
If you’re just looking for recipes and step by step instructions, skip to the bottom.
If you need proof or motivation that juice fasting works, I suggest you watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead if you have Netflix. It’s available on instant streaming. This movie was what motivated me to do a juice fast. I originally had planned to do a 10 day fast, but quickly changed it to 3 after I realized how difficult it was. I do plan on going for 10 days eventually, just not at this time.
I’ve juiced before, but only as an addition to my meals; I’d never tried juice alone. First thing I’d like to point out: This fast is extremely difficult and requires a lot of will-power. The first 2 days of the fast, you’ll crave coffee, food, snacks, alcohol — whatever your vice may be. I don’t know if crave is even strong enough of a word for the feelings I felt. I wanted nothing more than to eat something, anything. I even had dreams of food. Be assured that I’m not trying to scare you away from this fast by any means, because the end results are well worth it.
My results:
I quit drinking coffee and alcohol, cut way back on meat and lost 13 lbs. At the beginning of the second day I noticed a huge change in my head, everything seemed much clearer — that fog that was usually with me at all times was gone. I didn’t feel groggy or negative anymore. I also noticed I had more energy than I’ve ever had. This was a great jump-start to getting my life back on track.
Before you decide to jump into juice fasting here are a few tips:
- Try different juice recipes and see which ones you enjoy.
- Try juicing more vegetables than fruit, so you’re not drinking all that sugar. The goal here is to pump your body full of vitamins and nutrients, not sugar crash yourself.
- 10 days before the fast, start to wean yourself off of coffee, alcohol, and meats. This way your body doesn’t freak out and wonder what’s going on.
- Before the fast, try substituting a meal for a glass of juice this will also prepare you to give up 9 meals in the next 3 days.
- I’ve read several times, that you should consult your doctor before beginning one of these fasts just to make sure you’re not posing any health risks.
- Be prepared for gas, your stomach is going to make all kinds of noises during the fast, not to mention the ones coming out of your backside as well. Try not to hold it in, as you don’t want to end up constipated. It’s hard enough dealing with not eating.
- Pregnant or nursing women or children shouldn’t try a juice fast.
- People with diabetes, low blood sugar, eating disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, malnutrition, addictions, underweight, anemia, impaired immune function, infection, nutritional deficiency, low blood pressure, ulcerative colitis, cancer, terminal illness, epilepsy, or other chronic conditions shouldn’t try a juice fast or should do so only under strict medical supervision.
- People shouldn’t try a juice fast before or after surgical procedures.
Source for last 3 tips.
Very Important: Drink an equal amount of water! This I cannot stress enough, you can easily get dehydrated during your juice fast. So make sure you’re drinking enough water!
Breakfast/Lunch Blend
Kale – 4 Leaves
Cucumber – 1
Celery – 1 Head
Cabbage – 1/4
Apples – 6 Apples
Spinach – 1/2 bunch
Mint – Handful
Dinner Blend
Tomatoes – 3
Celery – Head
Beet – 1/2
Orange – 2
V8 Juice
Tomatoes – 3 Large
Celery – 1 Head
Carrots – 5
Beet – 1
Cabbage – 1/4
Red Bell Pepper – 1 Large
Spinach – 1 Bunch
Kale 3 Leaves
Sweet Onion – 1/4
Sweet Treat
2 Apples
1 Sweet Potato
Mean Green from Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead
6 Kale Leaves
1 Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
2 Green Apples
1/2 Lemon
1 piece of ginger
Breville Juice Fountain Elite
Recommended Juicers:
Breville BJE200XL
Hamilton Beach Big Mouth
Black & Decker JE2200B
Breaking your juice fast:
When I broke my fast, I started off with a small fruit salad. You’ll be surprised at just how full you’ll feel from just eating a couple pieces of fruit. For lunch I upgraded to a light salad and a little larger salad for dinner. My goal was to stay off of meat for a few days, so I’m still running this same cycle of fruit salad for breakfast, small salad for lunch and dinner and almonds to snack on in between.
If you make it through 3 days of a juice fast, you will love the results. If you have any questions about the fast, please let me know.
