Friday, August 5, 2011

Getting Juiced! Day 7

Well it all comes down to this, day 7, my final day on the job.  I ended day 6 last night with no hunger cravings and headed to bed early.  I got some great sleep once again.  I think I'm really starting to get used to this juicing thing now that I've reached my final day.  Don't get me wrong I'm still looking forward to eating tomorrow but the hunger cravings aren't nearly as intense throughout these last couple of days.

Day 7


Breakfast

Sweet Potato, Orange, and Strawberry Juice
-  1 sweet potato
-  2 oranges
-  7 strawberries
-  1 carrot
-  1 green apple

Before pic...




















After pic...




















This juices was actually pretty sweet tasting which stands to reason because even the veggies (sweet potato and carrot) that I put in it are semi-sweet by themselves.  I really liked this drink and it got me off to a fantastic start on my final day of this liquid fast.  I'd definitely recommend this juice for those of you out there looking for a great breakfast drink.

Mid-Morning Snack

Naked Green Machine Juice/Smoothie

























I broke down for only the second time this week and purchased a commercialized juice/smoothie drink from the hospital cafe at work.  This drink doesn't have any added sugar or other additives other than real fruits and vegetables so its as close to making my own smoothie as it's gonna get without doing the work myself.  It was delicious and served to tide me over until lunch time.

Lunch

Strawberry, Peach, and Carrot Smoothie
-  1 carrot
-  1 cup frozen peaches
-  6 frozen strawberries
-  1 frozen banana
-  1 handful spinach
-  1 cup almond milk

























Lunch was very tasty!  This smoothie had the perfect blend of fruit with just a bit of carrot taste to it.  I know that having a carrot in a smoothie sounds rather odd but after consuming nothing but mostly juices for a week my taste buds have really opened up.  I think I'll be adding more oddball things to my smoothies after this fast.  I figure why not.... I'll still enjoy them and get the extra health benefits from the veggies thrown in there whether it be greens, carrots, or some other nutrient packed veggie.

Dinner

Spinach, Carrot, and Tomato Juice
-  3 handfuls spinach
-  3 carrots
-  2 plum tomatoes
-  1 red bell pepper
-  2 stalks celery
-  1/2 sweet onion
-  1 small garlic clove

The building blocks...
























The final project...




















Wow!  Was this drink different.  It was a good different though.  It's the only juice I've had all week that had a bit of a kick to it thanks to the onion and garlic.  I would describe it as moderately enjoyable.  I could taste the red bell pepper in it as well.  For an all vegetable drink I give it my approval and would probably make it again.

I was lagging a little in the energy department later in the afternoon today but after dinner I feel great!  Energy is back up and I'm looking forward to my evening snack.

Evening Snack

Chocolate Strawberry and Greens Smoothie
-  1 frozen banana
-  2 cups frozen strawberries
-  4 dates (pitted)
-  1 large handful turnip greens
-  1 tbsp cocoa powder
-  1 cup almond milk

























This smoothie was by far the best drink I've had in the entire 7 days I've been fasting!  I can't think of a better way to go out than on this one.  I almost felt like I was cheating this was so good!  This is a must and I highly recommend it to anybody out there who likes chocolate smoothies.

I was really, really looking forward to tomorrow when I get to eat my first hot meal but after that chocolate smoothie I'm a happy man :)  With that being said, I will admit that throughout most of the day today I was almost giddy just thinking of eating real food again.  I plan on having a bowl of cinnamon walnut oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow and then a delicious veggie stir fry for lunch.  It's gonna be a great day that's for sure!

For those of you wondering I also weighed myself again today and I weighed the same as on day 5.  I've lost a total of between 1.5 and 2 pounds total which may not seem like a lot.  However, don't forget I started this journey at my ideal, healthy weight and didn't foresee myself losing much if any weight.  For those that are overweight or obese and decide to do a juice fast you can rest assured that the weight will come off rather quickly.  And the more you have the more you'll lose.

My Final Thoughts

When I started this 7 day challenge I was only hoping to make it to the end.  Well, I am proud to say I have accomplished just that.  What I've learned along the way is there is nothing that can test you more than to withhold what your body yearns for most - the life sustaining gift of food or at least of a substantial amount of calories to satisfy your natural hunger cravings.  Our species doesn't just eat to quench our natural cravings, we eat beyond our cravings to the point of over indulgence multiple times per day and then end up suffering the consequences because of it in the form of a variety of chronic diseases.  We literally eat ourselves to death while taking the purpose of food for granted.

After finishing my fast, I can honestly say I've been humbled many times over.  I never realized how appreciative I could be of a simple morsel of food until now.  This hasn't been a terrible experience but hasn't been all fun and games either.  I've had great moments and I've had some pretty awful times during this week.  At times I wanted to do nothing more than throw in the towel (especially on day 3) and just start binging on whatever food I could get my hands on.  But I made the choice to stay the course.  I made the choice to override my natural desires and learn about self discipline all over again.  It wasn't easy but I'm glad I did it.

I am fortunate enough to have started this journey without being overweight or having any major health problems which actually made it that much harder because I wasn't seeing any major improvements along the way.  But what I did see was the same determination and perseverance that has gotten me through a lot of challenging times in life.  This determination and perseverance can't be felt by going through the motions of another normal day.  It only comes when one experiences hardships and the eventual successes that come from those hardships.  Those moments are rare in life but very special and I'm glad I've been able to share one of my special moments with you.

If you decide to take the 7 day juicing challenge then I hope you experience all of what I've experienced and more.  It will test you, it will frustrate you, and in the end it will make you smile both on the outside and on the inside knowing that you too can do something you never thought possible.  Good luck to you all and thanks for joining me throughout my 7 day journey :)  Peace out!

For those of you looking to expand your knowledge base on fasting to improve your overall health I highly recommend checking out Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book below.  I can think of no better expert in this field than him as he backs up all of his insights by scientific evidence.  He truly is brilliant!




More Getting Juiced! posts below:

Day 1 - Getting Juiced!
Day 2 - Getting Juiced!
Day 3 - Getting Juiced!
Day 4 - Getting Juiced!
Day 5 - Getting Juiced!
Day 6 - Getting Juiced!








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by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

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5 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Mission accomplished! Good work, Dustin! :)

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  2. Good job Dustin! Enjoyed reading about your journey into juicing.

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  3. Good job Dustin,
    We enjoyed reading about your journey through juicing over the past week.

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  4. That's awesome, dude! I saw "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" a month or two ago, and it really was inspiring. So glad to hear you took the challenge!

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  5. Thanks for posting your progress and thoughts on this. Great job, Dustin! A most awesome journey for anyone to follow!

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