Juice Feast!

Yes, I know that looks like a misspelling, but fasting sounds so restrictive, and feast, well, who doesn't want to go to a feast?

In the spring of 2013, I decided it was time to get in shape. I began hiking, kayaking and lifting weights.

As I gained strength, I noticed that I didn't seem to be losing weight.

I became a vegan in April 2009, and within three months saw a huge drop in my blood pressure, from 140/99 to 119/79; a drop in my resting pulse rate, from 95 to 64; a weight loss from 199 to 179; and I lost 8.5 inches around my waist. Over the next three months, the numbers improved even more.

Since then, I noticed the numbers starting to creep up. By May 2013, my blood pressure was up to 121/82; my pulse was up to 75, my weight up to 185, and I had regained most of the inches I had lost around my waist.

I hauled out the old juicer, an AEG, which I don't think is made any more, went to the grocery store, and bought $50 worth of various fruits & vegetables.

Inspired by Joe Cross, aka Joe the Juicer, of the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead fame, I started with some of his recipes, then adapted them to my tastes.

I decided to try a three-day juice feast, just to test the results in my body.

Here are the recipes I tried, along with some of my own experiments, with some added comments.

When the recipe says apples, unless another variety is named, I use red delicious, but you may prefer another. Celery means stalk, which may or may not include the leaves, your choice. Kale means a full leaf, not the stem. Chard means a leaf of Swiss chard, not the stem. Cuke means cucumber, peeled. Ginger, unless a measurement is given, is a sliver.

Sweet potatoes are peeled. All fruits & veggies are thoroughly washed, stems removed.

All juices are made fresh, and consumed immediately. Most are poured over ice from purified water. That doesn't mean I gulp them down. I drink some right away, and keep some in an insulated cup to sip on until I make the next juice.

If I go out, they go in a travel mug. If I'm out all day, I make two or three recipes, put them in jars, and keep them in a cooler with ice packs until I consume them.

Day 1, Recipe 1: 3 carrots, 2 apples, 1" ginger. This was very good, and will become a standard for me.

Day 1, Recipe 2: 1 cuke, 4 celery, 2 apples, 6 kale, 1/2 lemon, 1" ginger, blend, pour over ice. Not the best taste, but palatable and full of vitamins. This made three times what I needed, so I will have to cut the recipe next time.

Day 1, Recipe 3: 2 plum tomatoes, 1/2 cuke, 1 celery, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/8 small red onion, 1 cup parsley, 1/2 lime, over ice. Less onion next time, otherwise pretty good.

Day 2, recipe 1: juice lemon wedge & slice of ginger, mix into 16 oz. warm water. A great way to start the day. I think this will be a standard, as well.

Day 2, recipe 2: 3 carrots, 2 apples, 1" ginger. A repeat from Day 1, this one's really good!

Day 2, recipe 3: 3 chard, 6 kale, 1/2 cuke, 6 Mandarin oranges, over ice. Okay.

Day 2, recipe 4: 32 oz herbal tea with no sweetener before bedtime, settled my stomach, no hunger for late-night snacks, really flushed me out.

Day 3, recipe 1: juice lemon wedge & slice of ginger, mix into 16 oz. warm water.

Day 3, recipe 2: 3 carrots, 2 apples, 1" ginger.

Day 3, recipe 3: 1 sweet potato, 1 carrot, 1 red bell pepper, 2 small red beets, 2 golden delicious apples, 1 orange. Surprisingly good. I really like this combo.

Day 3, recipe 4: 32 oz herbal tea before bedtime.

Each morning on rising I took my vitals. Look at the results!

Date	B/P	Pulse	Weight	Chest	Waist	Hip
5/6/13	121/82	75	185	42	42	40
5/7/13	106/66	63	182.5	.	.	.
5/8/13	101/72	103	181	.	.	.
5/9/13	106/73	67	180	40	39	37

Note the huge drop in blood pressure from before the juice feast to after juicing for just one day! After the first day, there wasn't much variance in bp or pulse. On the 8th, I measured after some morning activity, so my pulse rate was up.

I didn't think three days would make a difference in my waist, so I didn't measure every day. But look at the waist measurement: three inches gone in three days! And I lost five pounds!

A three-day juice feast is very short, but the results are telling: even a short burst of healthy vitamins and minerals can have a profound effect. The human body is programmed to heal itself, and with the proper nutrients will heal quickly.

As a result, I've decided to juice to replace one meal per day, sometimes breakfast, sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner. The first and last recipes from Days 2 & 3 will be a staple for me. The morning 16 ounces of water with lemon & ginger stimulates the body and gives me a good start on being hydrated for the day. The warm herbal tea before bedtime helps me to sleep.

I've also decided to juice feast one day per week. The results from the first day tell me that even one day of replacing foods with fresh juices allows the body to heal tremendously, and I want to give my body that opportunity every week. Even a little junk vegan food during the week can be cleaned out in a single day of juicing, and regular juicing should restore health fairly quickly.

Looking for a juicer? I think most any will do. Mine is old, but functions and isn't too difficult to clean. I also have a Champion juicer, but it is loaned out to an old friend. The best juicer is the one you have or the one you will use. Before buying a new one, try garage sales or craigslist. Many people see the infomercials, buy one, and use it once or never, then sell it. You can often pick up one fairly cheap.

Is one brand of juicer better than another? Probably, but using even the cheapest one is better than not juicing at all. If the juicer you use leaves lots of wet pulp, you can always run the pulp through the juicer again to extract a little more juice. I tried it with my AEG, and only had about a thimble-full of extra juice, so I probably won't try that again.

If you are concerned about not enough fiber in juice, don't fret. There is more fiber in a thimble of either vegetable juice or fruit juice than there is in a 16-oz. Porterhouse steak. The pulp left over after juicing is full of fiber. Some of the pulp can be saved and used for other things, a topic I'll write about below, sometime later.

Some people may tell you to not mix fruit and vegetable juices, but I do it regularly and don't have a problem. Some say to not drink fruit juices after 10 a.m., but I do it. Maybe I'm just a rebel!

I've heard some people say to remove the apple seeds, as they contain small amounts of cyanide. They do contain a form of cyanide that will not harm healthy cells, but will kill cancer cells, so juice the seeds!

What about the pulp? So many people think that it is a waste of good fruits and veggies to toss the pulp. Sometimes I compost, and sometimes I use it for other things. Carrot pulp is great in carrot bread. I put dollops of my mixture of the day onto parchment paper (found next to the aluminum foil in the grocery store), and put them in my food dryer for a day. Then I have crunchy fruit & veggie cookies!

Robert Bike

Licensed Massage Therapy #5473
Eugene, Oregon

EFT-CC, EFT-ADV

Teaching Reiki Master

Life Coach

Gift Certificates

Juice Feast!

Juice Recipes
(Tested & Tasty)

Robert Bike

Licensed Massage Therapy #5473 Eugene, Oregon EFT-CC, EFT-ADV

Teaching Reiki Master

Life Coach

Gift Certificates

Juice Feast!

Juice Recipes (Tested & Tasty)

Licensed Massage Therapy #5473
Eugene, Oregon

EFT-CC, EFT-ADV

Juice Recipes
(Tested & Tasty)