Archive for 'vegetable juices'

Here’s How Juice Fasting Can Transform The Course of Your Life

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 12:46 pm  
Comments (18)

Why Juice Fasting?

In this article I continue to talk about juice fasting, especially in relation to the . To be sure, one of the primary purposes for which people fast is to detoxify the body and improve their health.

Others do it strictly for weight loss and many observe times of fasting as part of their religious beliefs. What is your reason for wanting to fast? Have you ever written these reasons on paper? If not, I recommend that you do. Putting your goals in writing gives them a certain type of power than they do not have just swimming up in your mind. Health, health, health is what this is all about.

Traditional medicine is wonderful and I am always amazed at just how much we have advanced in the last century. Surely new discoveries may one day overcome age-old human enemies as cancer.

Meanwhile, it is our duty to do everything within our power to take care of our bodies and maintain the best health possible. This task is not for your doctor, parents, spouse or children… it is FOR YOU! So, if you are overweight and toxic, this article the clarion call to WAKE UP AND START TO TAKE ACTION!

And juice fasting is a very effective tool that can help you lose weight and improve your health in a relatively short period of time. A juice fast can detoxify your body at the same time delivering a very nice shot of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. (and also) places the body in healing mode and allows it to rest from digestion and focus instead on deep cleansing, healing and fat burning.

Whenever you drink natural juices, you’re taking in some very powerful curative nutrients. You are drinking living enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and photochemical agents that help the body cleanse and rejuvenate. I mean, I could go on and on and on talking about the benefits of juice fasting.

But even the most accurate description will fall short. You just have to try it for yourself. And if you already are an experienced juice faster, then you STILL have universes to explore. No matter how many times you have fasted in the past, each fast – in my opinion – takes us to a different region in our minds, bodies and souls.

So even if I fast for 100 years, I would only be scratching the surface since the world of the spirit is infinite. I don’t know about you, but to me this is immensely exciting. What other practice on the phase of this earth gives the body the power to basically cannibalize disease? Truly amazing stuff! :-)

How should we proceed with a juice fast?

To begin with, you have to know that fasting can be safe. Many do not realize that the human body can actually make it without eating for as long as 70 days or more, depending on your weight and fat percentage. The body actually  has stores of vital nutrients in the liver and bone marrow. While fasting, it has the ability to tap into these resources to ensure your survival in every way possible. A lot of people do not know this and are therefore misinformed about fasting.

I recall vividly one gentleman staring at me shaken and wild-eyed: “Fasting… you mean not eating? You will die!!!” Here he was, with an enormous potbelly that hung almost down to his knees, ,but it was ME who was in danger of dying. Ugghh!

Perhaps you, too, have had some encounters with unbelieving loved ones and/or acquaintances. Let the results speak for themselves is what I always suggest. But, if you are new, the best thing you can do is to start slow and give yourself plenty of time to get used to the fasting process, particularly hunger pangs, detox symptoms and the emotional ups and downs.

Once you have successfully completed various one, two and three-day juice fasts, you can then venture and complete seven days. Do seven days every other week, for example. This is a very powerful form of intermittent fasting. Continue to move forward and then – eventually – give yourself the goal of doing three straight weeks of juice fasting.

A juice fast 21 to 30 days in length will likely have a profound impact on your mind, body and spirit. It could definitely change the entire course of your life. If you are able to handle 21 days, then you can probably make it to 30 days with relative ease. Everyone should have the awesome experience of completing thirty days of juice or . There is just nothing like it. Many go beyond thirty days. Last year I completed 100 days of juice fasting.

But this is really not necessary in most cases. I personally did it because of a lingering liver condition that requires me to cleanse regularly. I always had the goal of juicing for 100 days… so that was my personal goal. If you are more than 100 pounds overweight, you should not force yourself into a long fast is you have never done one before. I mean, everyone has their mission in life.

When I got sick and tired of living in obesity, depression and isolation, I launched a 40-day water fast within days. But that was me. If you feel that fasting is the way through which you want to lose all of your excess weight, then give yourself plenty of “trial and error” time. If you initially start with your sights on doing 14 days and then fall off on day five, don’t berate yourself or think it was a failure. Simply get up and try, try again. It may take a few tries before you settle into your fasting grove. Just keep getting up and do not ever give up.

Likewise, prior to beginning a juice fast, you must recognize that it likely won’t be a “piece of cake.” You might have moments of turmoil when you will have a very strong urge to quit due to hunger pangs, detox symptoms and/or emotional attacks. You may just say “screw it,” and start driving to the market to buy the biggest cake you can get your hands on! I have been there so many times it isn’t funny.

When all of these trials emerge (and they certainly will), realize that the symptoms will pass. Realize that, even though it may seem that time is crawling, this fast is a very small window of time in the grand scheme of things. And realize that, no matter how much discomfort you face initially, it will be NOTHING in comparison to the HUGE benefits that you will gain mentally, spiritually and physically.

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired with your weight and health, you definitely should try a juice fast. You will not regret it. I pray and hope that all of your dreams come true, and that you receive the strength, wisdom and determination to overcome all obstacles that may stand in your way. Talk soon! :-)



Tags: hunger pangs, Human behavior, age-old human enemies, emotional ups, unbelieving loved ones

Some Key Pointers To Help You When Juice Fasting & Detox Cleansing

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 8:36 am  
Comments (7)

A real fast doesn’t normally include any kind of sustenance or beverages aside from just water. However, after many years of fasting and coaching others, I cannot deny just how immensely powerful it is to fast with juices. At first I opposed juice fasting because I considered myself a “purist.”

But, a little older now (and wiser I hope!), I see that nature has immense healing and restorative powers that cannot be denied, and juice fasting - in my opinion - is one of the most direct ways in which to harness this miracle. The juices provide nutrition which hasten the body’s excretion of toxins, as well as tissue repair. Indeed, fasting with fruit and veggie juices is very powerful and can help you to notably improve your health, as well as lose weight quickly.

Beyond weight loss, however, I always like to emphasize the power of body cleansing. Fasting causes the body to switch to “survival” mode, meaning that it starts to tap on stored fat in order to provide energy needs.

Since the worst of the toxins from the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat are stored inside fat cells, this survival mode - known as ketosis – causes the toxins to be released into the blood stream. The result is what can be mild to severe detox symptoms. These last anywhere from nine to 21 days, depending on your body makeup and state of health. helps to facilitate this process because the abundant nutrients in raw fresh juices help the body to more effectively process and expel these poisons.

Fasting enables the digestive system get some rest and so the extra energy can be utilized to eliminate toxins. The body metabolises its tissue to supply the energy usually produced from solid foods.

However, and miraculously, the body will only consume the unhealthy, fragile cells, NOT the healthy ones. It is for this reason that fasting frequently for a week to 14 days (at least once annually), can help keep you healthy, clean and lean. This, of course, depends largely on what you eat when you aren’t fasting. You STILL must become willing to make PERMANENT eating-habit changes once the fast is over. Here are juice fasting pointers you should be aware of:

* Don’t use anything except raw organic produce to prevent any kind of chemical deposits which could remain. However, if organic is at present beyond your budget, or if you simply do not have access to it where you live, then it is imperative that you wash and scrub the fruits and vegetables throughly before juicing. I recommend that you purchase a hand scrubbing brush especially for this purpose.

* Utilize a non-centrifugal juicer so that you can protect the live nutrients in the juice. An entire argument could be presented both in favor and against this and that type of juicer. I honestly do not make a huge deal of it. In an optimum circumstance, purchase the non-centrifugal. If you cannot find one where you live, just get the very best that you can. It is better to start doing something right away than to continue to procrastinate, don’t you think?

Sidebar: What’s the big deal about juicers anyways? Well, non-centrifugal juicers generate less heat and therefore do not threaten the nutrients in the juice which can be destroyed by high temperatures. In addition, some schools of thought indicate that these life-giving nutrients actually are sucked into the bloodstream through the esophagus prior to reaching the digestive system. There is no proof to this argument, but it certainly is a very interesting supposition.

* Help your body out through the detox process and go out for regular walks or cycling… any type of low-impact exercise would be great. Spend plenty of time taking deep breaths and visualize clean air going in and black toxic stuff being eliminated as you exhale.

The more calories you burn each day, the faster the body can process and be rid of the toxins that cause all of the uncomfortable cravings and detox symptoms. But I said “low intensity.” Biking a few miles is fine… but NOT a twenty or thirty mile hike please! If you jog, do it slowly and stop the moment you start to feel light-headed. Low impact, low impact, low impact… oh, did I tell you: low impact! :-)

* Consume the juice as quickly as possible after you prepare it. You can plausibly stretch a juice’s lifespan to as much as three – even four days if you agitate it frequently, keep it in an airtight jar and cover the jar or jug with aluminum foil to shield the juice from all light. Many times I have been juice fasting for long periods of time and simply do not have the time to be juicing every day. So I prepare up to one gallon of juice at a time and then protect it like a newborn baby!

* Raw fruit and veggie juices possess alkaline nutrients that help the body to more effectively counteract toxic/acid waste generated by the water we drink, air we breathe and food we eat – in addition to a variety of environmental toxins..

* Lots of poisons tend to be expelled via the pores and skin during detoxification. Spending at least ten minutes each day “brushing” your skin helps a lot to get those pores actively eliminating toxic residue. Just make sure that you do not use a brush that is too harsh and can break your skin.

The whole point is to “hel” your skin, NOT mangle it! Shower when you are finished. If you have access to a sauna, use it daily for ten to fifteen minutes to further stimulate the excretion of toxins through the skin.

* You can drink as many as 7 eight-ounce glasses of juice daily, but no more. Make sure to drink at least half a gallon of water also. When hunger and/or detox symptoms hit you, try drinking a seltzer/sparkling water or a cup of green tea for some added pep. I usually drink the seltzer water two or three times daily if I am struggling with hunger.

Green tea (preferably decaffeinated) usually helps a lot at those “hump” times of the day when you feel yourself dragging. You ought not, however, drink green tea at night as it may keep you up. If you drink anything in the evening, try chamomille tea instead. It is very soothing and will help you settle in for the night.

* You should always break the fast slowly. Spend various days re-introducing solid food to the digestive system. Anything raw is usually best and is most easily digested. A huge steak two days after fasting is not a good idea.

Neither is a cheeseburger or any of that other trash that got you sick and overweight in the first place. NOW is a perfect time for you to take stock of your eating habits and become willing to make some PERMANENT changes. Otherwise you will simply end up back where you started, eventually.

For those who have chronic conditions such as cancer and/or diabetes (among others) or are underweight or with child, I strongly encourage you to see your doctor and talk to him or her FIRST. Thanx for visiting Fitness Through Fasting. If I can be of service to you in any way, simply drop me a line! :-)



Tags: juices provide nutrition, blood stream, raw organic produce, fragile cells, immense healing

More Tips for Juice Fasting Success

Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 4:32 am  
Comments (22)

General Juice Fasting Rules:

o Have freshly prepared fruit and veggie juice and do not store it for over 72 hours. If you cannot consume it right away, put it into an airtight jug or jar. It is important for the juice to be sealed air tight to avert premature spoilage. Juice extracted freshly from fruits and/or vegetables is a huge nutritional powerhouse. It does, however, spoil quite quickly, so it is very important for you to be aware of this so you do not let any of it go to waste.

o The majority of fruit/veggie juices go down quite smoothly and do not foster the release of acids from your stomach. However, I caution you to use lemon, orange and tomato juice sparingly as they could, in some cases, cause uncomfortable acidity. Use them, but always mix them up with other types of produce.

o Raw aren’t always suitable when eaten jointly. Apples tend to be the exclusion.

o Working with Greens– you may want to juice all of your greens up front and leave harder types of veggies for last. The reason for this is that when you prepare greens last, they tend to create a thick sediment on the jug, which makes pouring it harder. I actually spilled an entire half-gallon of juice I had just extracted for that very same reason.

For example, I juice a few carrots or pears first, then I move on to spinach, parsley and watercress… then on to carrots, celery and/or squash. You may come up with your own favorite way of juicing; this is just my recommendation based on a lot of trial and error

o Melons should be juiced themselves. Making a meal out of melons is another option.

o Refrain from utilizing juices of the sweetened, commercial variety. That is just garbage and will only serve to perpetuate sugar cravings. Any food that is pasteurized loses its nutritional pep.

o Cucumbers are in the melon family and might not blend too well with other vegetables. You may have to get used to the taste in some mixtures, but do not let that inhibit you from trying out new combinations.

o Dilute all fruit juice 25 to 50% so as to minimize the amount of sugar that you will be ingesting. Drinking too much non-diluted fruit juice can end up strengthening hunger and cravings. So be very careful with fruit. Fruit has natural sugar, but it is sugar nonetheless. You don’t have to water it down too much; just use common sense. The juice can still be quite tasty.

o Vegetable juices need not be diluted.

Some Suggestions To Help You With Your Juice Fast:

o Take hot and cold showers or baths. While juice fasting, the body will be expelling a lot of toxins through the skin. So regular bathing will help rinse it out and keep the epidermis clean and thus avoid acne or other skin blemishes.

I actually use the bathtub as my own private fasting “recharging” station. I may be about to crack and break a fast prematurely, but once I sit in the bathtub and just let warm to hot water hit me, I seem to always get a second wind. Give it a shot. To be sure, your water bill will probably surge during this time. lol

o The pre-fasting diet ought to consist of eliminating all fat and refined sugar. Start to eat larger quantities of instead. This will begin the detox and help you later by reducing the intensity and length of hunger pangs and detox symptoms. Trust me; following this type of “pre-fast” cleansing diet will make the fast much more bearable and stack the deck in your favor.

o Avoid negative people. Do NOT feed into the hysteria if well-intentioned (but misinformed) relatives and friends caution you that “you will die if you don’t eat.” Gosh, I have no idea how many times I have heard that one.

Don’t get glued to the TV set and become immersed in news which can often be quite negative. Avoid horror or violent films. Spend more time in prayer, meditation and viewing/listening to inspirational material. This is very important because fasting is mostly a “mental” discipline. If you are being bombarded with negativity to and fro, your chances of reaching your goal could diminish.

o Get some exercise every day that you are fasting to oxygenate and assist the body in its fat burning, detox cleansing task. I am not saying to go out and run a marathon or put yourself through grueling aerobic and/or weight training routines. I am talking about low impact exercise (like walking or riding a bike) for at least half an hour. This will help you to lose weight faster, but it also will help to take your mind off of food and eating! :-)

o I know this one may sound a bit odd to some people, but I also recommend that you sit under the sun for fifteen minutes to a half-hour daily while juice fasting. Sunlight in small quantities can help energize you, as well as give you a light bronze that will make you look great. Just don’t overdo it.

o Make use of Enemas–A juice fast may not always induce the disposal of ALL toxins, especially that tough and stubborn fecal matter adhered to the walls of the colon. You will want to make sure that any such debris is expelled so that it does not continue to pollute your body. Several colon cleansing sessions will usually do the trick. To this end, check out our  detox blog for a huge variety of articles related to detox cleansing.

o Continue with your normal daily schedule of activities. However, you will need to reduce the intensity at which you normally do things. You will need to take it easy, move slower and give yourself plenty of time to get things done. When fasting, especially during the first nine to eleven days, doing even the most mundane daily tasks can often require a great deal of exertion and concentration.

o Avoid coffee, soft drinks, tobacco or anything more. I smoked two-to-three packs of Marlboro reds for nearly thirty years. I smoked my last one the morning of my first 40-day water fast. If you are a smoker, I encourage you to do the same. Now is as good a time as any to overcome this terrible addiction.

o Cut back on certain nutritional supplements and prescription drugs. If you are more than sixty years of age, it is recommended that you take a multivitamin once daily while fasting. Again, make sure that you discuss all of this with your doctor and ALWAYS follow his or her recommendations. Although fruit and veggie juice has a LOT of nutrients, elderly fasters should err in the side of caution and take the multi-vitamin.

o If you are hypoglycemic, it will be best if you have someone around to supervise your fast. Depending on how your body reacts, you may need to “slow-down” the fast by adding some sort of protein.

o If you wear dentures, do not remove then because sometimes the gums shrink while one is fasting and you may find yourself having to buy a new pair.

o Get as much rest as you can and sleep, sleep, sleep!

Some Final Recommendations: It is important for you to realize that while fasting, you will likely experience periods of intense fatigue, tiredness and mood swings. This is all normal. Remember that when we fast a huge number of toxins that were hiding in fat tissue are abruptly loosened into the bloodstream. This is what causes the detox symptoms, which – depending on your diet – may be quite severe. But, the good news is that they WILL pass!

As I said before, fasting is a time when we tap into the spirit in ways that we are not accustomed to. It is a time of physical, mental and spiritual healing. Take full advantage of it and remember the HUGE benefits that you will gain from walking through the discomfort and reaching your goal.



Tags: new combinations, The juice, skin blemishes, tomato juice, pre-fasting diet

14 Tips for A Better Juice Fast

Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 8:31 am  
Comments (49)

I’m a fairly healthy person and “walk my own talk” in the field of natural health, but let me tell you, I had to mentally prepare for the 40-day juice fast that my husband and I completed last summer. These are some of the things we learned from our research and by doing the fast.

General Juicing Rules:

o Drink freshly prepared juice and do not store the juice for over 24 hours. If you can’t drink it immediately, put it into a glass jar (filled to the top) and put a lid on it to prevent oxidation. Juice rapidly loses therapeutic and nutritional value during storage.

o Raw are not always compatible when eaten together. Apples are the exception. You can also mix pears with Jicama.

o Melons should be juiced by themselves. Making the entire meal melon is an option.

o Avoid using pre-bottled or sweetened juices. All the live enzymes are inactivated when they are pasteurized.

o Juices don’t stimulate acids to be released from the stomach, but orange and tomato juice are high in acids and you may want to mix these juices with other less acidic ones.

o I’ve read that cucumbers may not be good to mix with other vegetables as they are in the melon family, but it seems to work fine for us. We do limit cucumber to less than 25% of the total volume however.

o Don’t add more than 25% green juice to your vegetable juices (unless you have a barf bucket handy!)

o Juicing Greens–you might want to do this in between harder vegetables, the juice sludges at the bottom and doesn’t pour out easily if you juice them first. For example, I juice a couple of carrots, then a bunch of parsley, then cram a couple more carrots in after the parsley to get the juicer moving again.

o Dilute all fruit juice with water (one part juice to 2-4 parts water) and drink throughout the day. We’ve found that 2 cups fruit juice blended with ½ tray of ice cubes comes up to 4 cups–the perfect dilution and it’s frothy cold.

o Vegetable juices need not be diluted.

Tips for a Better Fast:

o Your pre-fast diet should include several days of higher volumes of raw . You may also want to add the “Excelsior” drink to your diet ahead of time. See recipe below this section.

o Get plenty of exercise outside is best to get that oxygen flowing.

o Sunbathe if possible–10-20 minutes of direct sun per day.

o Take hot and cold alternating showers or baths.

o Sleep with a window open so that you can get lots of clean fresh air.

o Use Enemas–A fast does not always help eliminate impacted waste materials from the colon, so plan a colon-cleansing regimen. Enemas can cleanse when taken once or twice a day. Fasting without the aid of enemas allows toxins in the colon to be reabsorbed. This can poison the body and the organs of elimination (particularly the kidneys) which become over-burdened and damaged. For complete instructions on how to take an enema, see the link in the resource box.

o Avoid negative influences. Do not listen to terrified relatives and “friends” who will warn you that you will pass out at any moment and starve to death. Stop reading all the grim reaper parts of the newspaper and turn off the news. It will be there when you complete your fast. Focus on positive, wonderful thoughts and surround yourself with uplifting music, books, and movies.

o Continue with normal activities, but minimize overly strenuous physical or mental work.

o No coffee, soft drinks, cigarettes or anything else by mouth. Your health care supervisor may prescribe some nutritional supplements depending on your case. Many clients say this is the easiest way to quit smoking.

o Do not chew gum while fasting. Avoid mints and hard candies. They promote the release of digestive enzymes and makes you really hungry. Following the fast, there is a loss of appetite for caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sugar, and junk foods.

o Cut back on some supplements and medications. If you are over 65 you will want to take your daily vitamins (if you are on them) during the fast. You will need to discuss this with your health care team as to which medications should be continued with a fast. Usually most medications and supplements are withdrawn during a fast, but exceptions occur–especially when they have to do with the endocrine system (e.g. Insulin, thyroid, heart medications, etc.) And even though juices provide lots of nutrients, some physicians recommend use of an abbreviated list of vitamins and minerals for elderly fasters.

o If you are hypoglycemic, have someone supervise your fast. You may need to add a protein drink to your program or add some egg white powder to your juice.

o If you wear dentures, keep them in during your fast so that your gums will not shrink.

o Do take time out for naps if necessary.

Fasting dips: A fasting dip occasionally happens during fasting as toxins are loosened and cleansed from the body, cell by cell, even within deep tissue. At certain times of your fast you may experience feelings of weakness, discouragement, negativity and an overpowering urge to just want to quit (We sure did!) Little things may seem like big things and emotions, memories and hurts you have harbored from the past are trying to come out. During these times, breathe, meditate, talk to someone who has experienced fasting, pray and do an enema. Tomorrow things will look different. You will have regrouped and can continue the process until your goal is complete.

You can read about our entire 40-day fast by going to our Juice Fast Blog, our daily journal of what we juiced, how we felt, and how it went, at: http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/CoachingCorner/juice_fast_blog.htm

Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1995. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free internationally distributed monthly newsletter and has personally done several water-only fasts and one 40-day juice fast.

Tags: vegetable juices, Juicing Rules, http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/CoachingCorner/juice fast blog.htm Dr, Fruit juice, fruits and vegetables

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