Juice Fast - How to ease your body into fasting

"Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness."--Hippocrates, M.D., 460-377 B.C., Father of Western Medicine

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."--Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, America's greatest inventive mind

"Whether the patient has a cardiac condition, hypertension, autoimmune disease, fibroids, or asthma, he or she must be informed that fasting and natural, plant-based diets are a viable alternative to conventional therapy, and an effective one."--Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of Fasting And Eating For Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease

From a medical standpoint, a fast can be a life-saving change for people who want to improve their eating habits once and for all. After your body rids itself from all the toxins, it will ask to be "nourished" with real foods - Whole Foods.

You'll also learn to say no! Saying no to your own body is hard but remember this: Even if cravings tell you, that it would be wonderful to have some pastry or chocolate, you have a brain to reason with yourself and deny the "request". Also, your taste buds will readjust during a fast. Salty foods will be unpalatable, and you will sense chemicals on unwashed fruits and vegetables on the tip of your tongue. The best thing is, you'll be eating smaller portions after the fast. Your stomach is most likely stretched out from daily overeating. Fasting will shrink your stomach back to its original size.

"The thought manifests as the word; the word manifests as the deed; the deed develops into habit; and habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love Born out of con-cern for all beings" Gautama Buddha.

The only way fasting is dangerous or unhealthy is if you use fasting to lose weight only to gain it all back by binge-eating. Fasting should be used as a therapeutic solution for healing your body and your behavior. Use fasting as a detoxification and purification so you can be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Did you know that your body can't get to the nutrients in your vegetables and fruits because it's encased in fiber? Some 90% of the nutrients in pro-duce we eat are eliminated with the vegetable fiber as it passes through the body. The reason why juicing is imperative to our health, is because the juicer is separating the produce fiber from the juice, making the vitamins and minerals easily available to our body. Our digestive system can absorb juice in about 30 min without weighing down the gastrointestinal tract.

If you suffer from a toxic and sick GI tract, which most adults do, very little of the nutrients you're eating, actually get absorbed in the small intestine. By completely eliminating the fiber and making the vitamins and enzymes readily accessible to your body through juicing, you're getting the most out of fruits and vegetables.

Juice fasting cleanses the body while supplying a dramatic increase in vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Vegetable and fruit juices are a living fuel that doesn't require digestive energies from the body, allowing the body's entire focus to be on healing, detoxification and rejuvenation.
Raw juices are packed with vitamins, minerals, living enzymes, antioxidants, phytochemicals, yet low enough in calories to force the body to cannibalize (eat up) its own waste, propelling you to vigorous physical health and clarity of mind.

Fruit and vegetable juices are the cleansers, energizers, builders, and regenerators of the human system. A combination of raw fruit and vegetable juices will supply enzymes, vitamins, minerals, protein and fats, which are critical to increased health, vitality and sustainable life.

Under no circumstances skip the "transition-days"! It is a vital key to success and many so called "Fasting Gurus" are not pointing out the importance.

On the first transition-day, you have to prepare yourself physically as well as mentally. You should run some last minute errands on your to-do-list and restrict your food intake a bit.

Your transition days are also your first days to drop voluntarily all habitual stimulants such as coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, as well as salt, sweet treats and sugary drinks.

Make sure that you drink at least 2-3 liters of spring water as well as herbal tea. (Tap water is not recommended)

If you experience a headache in the afternoon from cutting the caffeine, you can have some green tea to ease the head pounding during the next couple of days. A headache is the first sign of detox! Green tea contains some caffeine and will help you with your cravings. You can also use fresh vegetable and fruit juice, which you juiced yourself, but not too much. (1-2 cups are sufficient)

You can replace your snacks with some juices if you prefer the juice over a solid snack.

For Breakfast:

Herbal Tea of your choice or even some green tea if you still need the extra boost

Midmorning snack:

an apple or some fresh fruit with some almond milk

Lunch and Dinner:

For lunch and dinner, you will prepare a delicious, imaginative recipes-free raw salad with some seasonal vegetables, salads, herbs, nuts and seeds of your choice.

Ingredients in your raw salad may contain:
tomatoes, fennel, celery, carrots, red pepper or green, yellow peepers, radishes and some leafy greens of your choice.

Grate (food processor) or chop your vegetables and toss it with the greens and fresh herbs. The dressing you make yourself with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. You can always add some herbs, nuts and seeds to your salad. Eat as much as you like without overeating, this is very important.

Do not drink with your food, because it inhibits proper digestion of foods. If you dilute your digestive juices, (stomach acid and enzymes) it is very hard for your body to digest and absorb nutrients. You can drink 30 minutes be-fore your lunch and dinner or a half an hour after your meal. Drinking between meals is strongly recommended.

A well-planned juice fast can help you:

- reactivate your tired and unhealthy body
- open liver stagnation
- lead a peaceful, energetic, happier and more enjoyable life!
- eat healthier and make better choices for yourself and your family!
- improve your general well being!
- cleanse and renew your body and soul!
- rid your body of everything that makes it sick or old and tired!

start your juice fast tomorrow and feel the change yourself!