Juicy – Day 1

Yes… I have decided to do another juice fast. Why would I want to torture myself in such a way? Well, for starters… I think I got a stomach bug last weekend in Vegas and I have not been feeling well since Monday, so I thought this would be a good way to clean out my system and start fresh.

Second, because as mentioned in the post referenced above… I have had my fair share of digestive and GI issues and the only time I felt good recently, was when I was doing my 2-day Detox.

Lastly, because I think it’s a good way to kick-start an eating better diet. I want to lose a few pounds and I want to stablize my blood sugar… because I do believe in the whole glycemic index thing. Made even more apparent this weekend, when I had to consume as much wheat and gluten as possible — as prescribed by my doctor — to determine if I have an intolerance or allergy to gluten. Let’s just say, no matter how much I stuffed my face with bread, pasta and other gluten-rich foods — I was constantly hungry (unlike how I felt on the 2-day Detox).

So today is Day 1 of my (HOPEFUL) 7-DAY JUICE DIET. It’s a pretty aggressive goal and I do not expect myself to go seven entire days without any solid food. The book I am using, The Miracel Juice Diet provides a plan that allows for one solid meal a day… so on the days I am feeling especially hungry, I will allow myself a protein-rich dinner to help make up for lost calories and the desire to chew.

Update 2/24, 11:19am: Well, I don’t think I can do all 7 days. I have a wicked headache, I’m dizzy, exhausted and starving. Which is NOT a healthy way to be. So… I’m going to change my plans and just try to juice as much as possible this week. My plan is to cut out all wheat, white flour and alcohol and to limit my intake of dairy, caffeine and sugar.  My downfall is my Starbucks, which I am enjoying right now. I would like to keep it to one real meal a day, but we’ll see how that goes.

So what’s on the menu for today? Well for starters, I fasted until about 10am this morning because I had to get my blood drawn, so I totally started off on the wrong foot — HUNGRY. When I got home, I made myself an infusion of hot water, lemon and fresh ginger. I added in a drizzle of agave nectar for a little sweetness. Then began juicing:

11 am — Flat Belly Berry
“Apples are an excellent for cleansing the system and, along with blueberries and cranberries, they are packed full of vitamin C and E and the minerals calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

3 apples
4 oz fresh blueberries
5 oz unsweetend 100% cranberry juice
1 tbsp powdered psyllium husks

Juice the apples, wizz the apple juice in a blender with the cranberry juice, blueberries and psyllium husks. Vitamin C 70mg – Magnesium 25mg – Calories 270

12pm — Spicy Pear
“Pears are a gentle laxitive, while celery acts as a diuretic, making this a great juice for keeping your system balanced.”

1 Asian pear
2 celery stalks
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root

Juice all the ingredients together and either service over ice or blend with a few ice cubes. Vit C 30mg – Ca 110mg – Cal 75.

1:30pm — Snack
1 oz mixed raw nuts

So far, so good… though I am quite hungry right now. I am moving on to the next juice momentarily:

3:15pm — Lean Green
“Refreshing, green and healthy, this sweet and savory juice is bursting with goodness.”

7 oz pineapple
3.5 oz broccoli
3.5 oz cucumber
1 kiwi fruit

Juice the pineapple and broccoli, then blend with cucumber and kiwi along with a couple of ice cubes. Vit C 160mg – Ca 128mg – Iron 2.7mg – Cal 161

There are two more juices that occur before the end of the day and I can also have a piece of fruit. Check back to see how things work out.