Have You Ever Done a Juice Fast?

Like many of you, one of my New Years Resolutions was to lose weight and get healthier.  I am currently 55 lbs overweight, have been struggling with insomnia for almost a year and spend much of the day feeling tired and unproductive.

About 2 years ago, I started hearing about the benefits of juicing.  My sister, who has also struggled with her weight, lost more then 40 pounds by replacing 1 or 2 meals a day with freshly juiced fruits and vegetables (in addition to adding in an exercise routine).  I decided to give it a try!  Unfortunately, the juicer that I bought was not a good one and wasted much produce to yield little juice and I quickly lost interest.

About 3 months ago, I came across the movie Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (watch it for free on Netflix).  It is the story of a man who committed to a 60 Day Juice Fast, drinking nothing but freshly juice fruits and vegetables.  Not only did he lose weight, but he had more energy and was able to re-set his taste buds so that he no longer craved many of the foods that are so yummy, but wreak havoc on our bodies.

Fast forward to about a month ago, and I noticed that my friend Crystal from The Thrifty Mama was starting a 10-Day Juice Fast.  Crystal is one of my "Best Blogging Friends" and someone that I trust when it comes to issues about food and healthy living (although she is not a doctor and is not giving medical advice).  I read with interest each day as she wrote about her juice fast, the recipes that she shared and how she felt each day.

When her juice fast was over, she announced that she would be doing another one beginning January 11, 2013 and invited us to join along with her...and I am taking her up on it! After much research, I bought a Breville Juice Fountain Multi-Speed 900-Watt Juicer and am ready to go!

What do I hope to accomplish from this juice fast? 

• Detox my body
• Kickstart my weight loss efforts
• Reset my tastebuds
• Just see if I can do it!

For my juice fast, I am adhering to the following guidelines:

1. Replace all meals with fresh juice.  Drink juice in between meals as needed to stave off hunger. (Recipes are being provided to me by The Thrifty Mama, although I may tweak some of them...espcially anything involving beets - ICK!)
2. Keep fruits to a minimum and concentrate on juicing with leafy greens and orange vegetables (kale, carrots, squash, etc).  Fruits can be used for sweetness or a treat.
3. Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
4. To maximize the detox effects, stick to the Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen produce guidelines.

I started this morning on my juice fast and will be sharing with you my thoughts as I go along. If you are interested in joining the juice fast there is still time to get in on the fun both the The Thrifty Mama as well as the Juicing For Health With The Thrifty Mama Facebook page!

Have you ever done a juice fast? Would you do one? Why or Why not?

Please note: nothing that I say in my posts can be considered medical advice. Check with your physician before starting any diet or exercise plan.