It’s been a month since my Arden’s Gardens 2-Day Juice Cleanse/Detox, but the wonderful effects have continued. I ate raw foods for breakfast and lunch during the week for two weeks, then planned a one-day juice fast to do every week. The one-day juice fast made feel so great that I extended it to two days – and I’m now on my third week in a row of this routine.

As I’ve shared my experiences into the brand-new world (to me) of green juices and smoothies, I’ve received plenty of feedback and questions from all of you. So I decided to create a mini-series of posts to talk more about it. This post focuses on defining what juicing is and what some of the main benefits are. The second post will cover all that you need to do to get started juicing.

Q: So tell me about this juice fasting thing you are doing. What is it?

A: Juice fasting is a period of time where you consume only fresh juices, mainly vegetables that are sweetened with an apple, pear or ginger. Juice fasts can go for 1 day, 3 days, or even 60 days as seen in the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.

Q: Why juicing?

A: I found this quote from Reboot with Joe and I think it sums up the core of why juicing is important and beneficial:

At Reboot, we think the easiest and fastest way to increase your fruit and veggie intake is by consuming fresh fruit and vegetable juices. It’s as simple as that. Think about it. Would you be able to eat 8 whole kale leaves, 1 large cucumber, 2 apples, a lemon and a large handful of spinach in one sitting? Probably not, but you can drink all of it at once!

I don’t know about you, but I rarely ever ate that in a day – but I consume all the minerals, nutrients and enzymes when I juice it. To me, juicing is the BEST and most EFFECTIVE way to get more raw fruits and vegetables into my diet. 

Q: What have the results been? 

A:

• I have more energy
• I’m not dependent on caffeine -Haven’t had coffee in over a month. I do drink black tea, but not when I’m fasting
• Shinier hair, brighter eyes, clearer skin – people actually notice and comment on my skin!
• Weight loss: about 10 pounds in one month

I LOVE juicing. I love how it keeps me on track, I love the energy and the way I feel, and I love trying new things – which means frequent and fun trips to the farmers markets to pick out new produce.

The biggest result for me, though, has been the elimination of cravings. When I’m doing a juice fast, not only am I not really hungry, I’m not hungry for any kind of food. My body is getting the main nutrients it needs, and I don’t crave sugar or processed crap. The hardest part for me of coming out of a juice cleanse is to start eating again – on the third day, I always just want more juice and generally don’t break my fast with real food until late morning! 

When I lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago, I was seeing a nutritionist and getting B12 injections each week in addition to getting protein bars and shakes from the office. This is unsustainable and so, once I stopped, I put some weight back on. Not all of it, but more than I care to admit. Diets are a scam. I want to live a healthy, long life at a comfortable weight for my body type.

The elimination of cravings for me has been PROFOUND. I grew up in a family of emotional eaters, and was taught to live for cravings and to indulge them. I had no idea what it meant to not want some kind of food before I started juicing. Now, I may eat something that is an “indulgence” but I consume so much less of it.

I really believe that this discovery will help me to make a permanent change in regards to my eating and health habits. It was the missing piece that I didn’t even know was there. It is worth it to do a juice cleanse for a few days just to see what I mean!

Q: I want to read more about benefits, smoothies vs. juices, etc. Where can I learn more? 

A: Reboot With Joe is a great site with a wealth of information.
Juicing Need to Know from PBS
Juicing Vs. Blending Which Method Is Better? (I recommend both, since both have benefits!)

Let me know if you have any questions, and check back soon for the post on how to get started.