Saturday, July 30, 2011

Getting Juiced! Day 1

No, I'm not talking about the latest Major League Baseball players getting caught shooting up with anabolic steroids if that's what first came to mind.  This is a whole different kind of juicing.  One that promises better health and lots of energy to go with it.  After being inspired by the documentary Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead  I decided to take the 7 day juicing challenge!


I won't be juicing 100% of the time for the seven day period but I will be on a liquid fast for the full 7 days.  I will be juicing as much as possible and throwing in a smoothie every once in a while for a treat.  I know what you're probably thinking.... "Seven days and not a single bite of food to eat!  That's crazy!"  Well, it may sound crazy but it actually gives your digestive tract a break and helps clean out any crap (literally!) that you've been shoving down the old hatch.


Before you go running out to by a juicer and/or blender to join the Reboot Your Life program make sure you get the go ahead from your doctor if you have any major illnesses or medical conditions you're currently dealing with.  In the documentary above Joe Cross went from being 100 pounds overweight battling a number of chronic medical issues to a healthy, trim, and energized entrepreneur ready to take on the world again!  It's amazing what losing that kind of weight can do for those who are chronically ill and overweight.  Even if you're already considered healthy and not overweight you can still benefit from the 7 day liquid fast by gaining more energy, boosting your antioxidant levels, and in many cases improving the amount of sleep you get.

Day 1

This is definitely unchartered territory for me as I've never in my life fasted before.  I do eat a 100% nutrient-dense, plant-based diet so I'm already at my ideal, healthy body weight which is what I weighed in high school.  I also enjoy vibrant health by eating this way.  However, I'm really wondering if I can actually make it an entire week without eating any food.  Here goes nothing...

Breville 800 JEXL Juicer - My juicer of choice

























Vitamix 4500 Turbo Blend Blender - My blender of choice


























First things first - Grocery shopping!  Below is what I'll be liquifying for the next several days - apples, oranges, celery, peaches, spinach, kale, beets, and much more.  I was pleasantly surprised that my total bill was less than $100.  Who said eating your fruits and veggies was expensive?!  Did I mention your medical bills could eventually vanish too?






Breakfast

Apple, Carrot, and Celery Juice
-  4 small apples
-  3 medium size carrots
-  4 sticks celery




















This drink tasted pretty good for my first homemade juice.  I was pleasantly surprised and even more surprised that I was full as can be after this liquid breakfast.  I think the last liquid breakfast I can remember drinking was way back in college.  You can only imagine what that consisted of.

Lunch

Carrot-Kale Combo
-  1 green apple
-  3 handfuls of spinach
-  4 handfuls of chopped kale
-  4 large carrots
-  1 piece fresh ginger (thumb size)





















My stomach was growling as this green drink awaited me.  My hunger was really starting to kick in and my pantry stocked full of solid food was very tempting but I resisted the urge.  Instead I downed this super charged green juice full of antioxidants and phytochemicals to energize me throughout the afternoon.  I thought I wouldn't like the taste of this one since it was so green but it actually was very soothing and the apple gave it a nice sweet touch.


Dinner

Sweet Potato, Celery, Ginger, and Orange Juice
-  4 sticks celery
-  1 small sweet potato
-  1 piece fresh ginger (thumb size)
-  4 oranges

Here's a pic of all the fruits/veggies before the juicing process.




















And after...





















I was starving by supper time even though I drank a lot of water during the afternoon.  I sure hope these hunger pains go away.  From what I saw in the documentary and also what I've heard from others who have done this the first 2-3 days are the worst then your body adjusts to it all.

The sweet potato combo juice was really good and my stomach was much happier once this puppy was downed.  I also had my friend, Pete, join me for the evening.  Actually, Pete is doing a 9 day juice fast and started a couple days before me.  He just had to one up me.  But I guess that's what happens when you get a White Sox and a Cubbies fan together.  And since I'm the Cubbies fan - well you know how that story always goes.





Evening Snack

Strawberry/Banana Chocolate Smoothie
-  1 frozen banana
-  5-6 large frozen strawberries
-  1 handful spinach
-  1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
-  3/4 - 1 cup almond milk





















Man, have I been waiting for this all day!  This is definitely a treat and one of my favorites too.  I make it all the time even when I'm not fasting.  It makes a great dessert with a nice dose of phytonutrients.  You don't even notice the spinach in the smoothie as it becomes a hidden treasure of the green superfood your body can never get enough of.  Even if you don't fast you should try this recipe but make sure you have a high powered blender so you don't overheat the motor of a more standard blender that only has about a third of the power of a Vitamix or Blendtec.



That's all for now!  Check back over the next 7 days as I update my blog daily with my progress.  Overall, day one was pretty good.  I'm still alive and feeling really great!

More Getting Juiced updates below:

Day 2 - Getting Juiced!
Day 3 - Getting Juiced!
Day 4 - Getting Juiced!
Day 5 - Getting Juiced!
Day 6 - Getting Juiced!
Day 7 - Getting Juiced!








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by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

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3 comments:

  1. Hey that's awesome, Dustin, that you are taking the 7 day challenge! I saw that film a few months ago, too. I've never tried juicing and don't even own a juice machine or a Vitamix, but I've heard some great things about it. Let us know how it goes and more power to you!

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  2. Good luck juice heads! :)

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  3. I just ended 13 months of fasting 3 days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays until dinner), based on the book The Alternate Day Diet. At first I limited myself to 500 calories a day, including some psylium fiber, eventually dropped the fiber, when I was comfortable with the diet, then the food and did full fasts for the last several months. However, I started getting "Yom Kipper" headaches behind the eyes and was falling asleep on fast days- signs of low blood sugar. Yesterday I read an article, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249649.php which indicated that based on studies with monkeys, calorie restriction probably won't extend your life. I had dinner for the first Wednesday in over a year. I'm already healthy on a plant-strong diet, so I figured, why bother? It seems to me that my body is telling me that I've done enough. So, I think I'll just fast once a week from now on, from Sunday night to Tuesday morning, about 36 hours to encourage a little autophagy.

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