Juice Fasting anyone?

Kiwibird

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Anyone here ever done one? I'm on day 2 of a 7 day juice fast for the purposes of giving my system a chance to rest and recharge. I figure some of you guys must've tried juice fasting before, right? For the past few months, I've slipped into a bad pattern of eating the very yummy but total crap for your body "faux meat" and "non-dairy" products. I typically avoid eating those foods altogether since I've never felt healthy eating them going back 19 years since I fist started trying them. I feel it too, like the life has been drained from my body, my skin has suffered and it's been upsetting my digestion. My body just doesn't handle processed foods well and has reminded me of that fact, hence why I decided a (short) juice fast might be helpful to purge all that nastiness from my system at once. I thrive on fruits and veg even if other things taste better sometimes. I don't even know why I was eating all that junk food, I KNOW better and have better self control than that:mad:.

Fasting is new territory for me. Always been a bit scared of the concept of deliberately not consuming adequate calories. A GI condition I was diagnosed with as a teenager made it very difficult for me to eat anything and I lost a bunch of weight (not by choice) and felt like the living dead for a few years straight. I guess that's what I relate not eating to feeling like, which is irrational since you cannot reach that point in only a week of not eating but still... I figured a juice fast would be better than a water only fast since I'm still getting some calories and sugar for my body to run on. I also don't really need/want to loose any significant weight (save the tiny bit of extra water weight that's been making my fingers/face puffy from the extra salt intake I've had lately:rolleyes:). So far, I only felt hunger pains yesterday AM for a few hours before they subsided. As of today, I feel fine, not hungry or weak. I'm making my own juices and will end up getting about 1000-1200 calories a day, whereas I normally consume around 1800-2000 (which is where I maintain a healthy weight and energy levels as a smaller-build woman). It doesn't feel like what I'd imagine I'd feel like having not consumed any solid food in over 24 hours. I feel completely normal. Just wondering how other people felt on this kind of fast? Did the lesser amount of calories from the juice keep you feeling ok throughout the whole fast? Or really any experience you'd like to share:)

On a :green: related note, Kiwi was most offended yesterday after I offered him a chunk of apple I'd chopped on the cutting board after cutting beets. he was like "WTF is this horrific red fleshed apple imposter?!":mad:. The offending produce was rejected promptly:rolleyes:
 

SailBoat

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Fasting has its advantages, but!!!

It is always important to know where ones 'Health' is prior to starting a Diet and/or a Fasting. Like with our beloved Parrots, we are very dependent on the minerals and chemicals within our bodies and what is available in what we are eating.

Always know, before one begins a structured change in one's diet.
 

SilverSage

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Iā€™m actually doing a 7 day water fast right now. From my research hunger is a lot worse during a juice fast because your digestive system is active and looking for something to digest, where as during a water fast (I replace electrolytes as well) this does not happen.

In my experience I never get any more hungry than I get if I skip only one meal.

I have come to love fasting (no, Iā€™m not anorexic, and yes, I am under the supervision of a provider). Iā€™ve never felt so good in my life! Giving my body a chance to recover from all the things that have made me chronically ill for decades! In my case, thatā€™s pretty much all grains, sugars (including fruit), most dairy products, and all sorts of fake ā€œhealthā€ foods. You know, the things the doctors kept telling me to eat...


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Sunnyclover

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I have no dietary restriction and I do juice fasts pretty often. Every Sunday we do a juice fast but we add a half of avocado for lunch and a salad with just greens and a bit of vinaigrette for dinner but I also do it for 3 to 5 days at a time a few times a year. It's usually of the Blueprint juice variety. I can't say I feel amazing before, after or during it but I do like it as a way to clean myself out from all the junk I eat and keeps my weight in check. I lost 70lbs 2 years ago and have been able to keep it off by watching what I eat (sometimes lol) and exercise (headed to the gym after this post actually) and I feel like the juice cleanse has in small part helped keep me in check from time to time. However, I do not rely on it to maintain a healthy weight. Hope this helps!
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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Fasting has its advantages, but!!!

It is always important to know where ones 'Health' is prior to starting a Diet and/or a Fasting. Like with our beloved Parrots, we are very dependent on the minerals and chemicals within our bodies and what is available in what we are eating.

Always know, before one begins a structured change in one's diet.

I trust my own body and the extensive research I've done into proper nutrition for my dietary choices over the years. Beyond the dietary change recently (and explainable accompanying reactions within my body, which I've had before when eating this kind of food), I've been in excellent health for years (basically since I stopped seeing doctors and stopped taking prescription and OTC "meds" altogether). I never get sick with even a minor cold and am usually bouncing off the walls with energy! I have not been putting the appropriate fuel in my body recently and now it's telling me I need a little reset, so that's what I'm doing:) I am very diligent with taking my B12 and D3 supplements 3X a week religiously (as those are really the only nutrients my typical diet lacks). I am still ingesting a good amount of vitamins and natural sugars for energy with the juices (hence why I chose juice vs water), so a week of no significant quantities of fiber/fat/protein should be fine health wise for me.
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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Iā€™m actually doing a 7 day water fast right now. From my research hunger is a lot worse during a juice fast because your digestive system is active and looking for something to digest, where as during a water fast (I replace electrolytes as well) this does not happen.

In my experience I never get any more hungry than I get if I skip only one meal.

I have come to love fasting (no, Iā€™m not anorexic, and yes, I am under the supervision of a provider). Iā€™ve never felt so good in my life! Giving my body a chance to recover from all the things that have made me chronically ill for decades! In my case, thatā€™s pretty much all grains, sugars (including fruit), most dairy products, and all sorts of fake ā€œhealthā€ foods. You know, the things the doctors kept telling me to eat...


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Someone else doing a fast right now! Yay:) Sounds like you're pretty experienced and like you've had good results!

I also read that about water fasts but I'm still leery of not consuming any calories at all for a week, especially as weight loss is not a goal for me. In my normal day to day diet, I have to be diligent to consume enough (healthy) fats to keep my brain sharp and overall calories to maintain a healthy weight. I know I'll probably loose a couple pounds of water weight, but I don't need to loose more than that.
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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I have no dietary restriction and I do juice fasts pretty often. Every Sunday we do a juice fast but we add a half of avocado for lunch and a salad with just greens and a bit of vinaigrette for dinner but I also do it for 3 to 5 days at a time a few times a year. It's usually of the Blueprint juice variety. I can't say I feel amazing before, after or during it but I do like it as a way to clean myself out from all the junk I eat and keeps my weight in check. I lost 70lbs 2 years ago and have been able to keep it off by watching what I eat (sometimes lol) and exercise (headed to the gym after this post actually) and I feel like the juice cleanse has in small part helped keep me in check from time to time. However, I do not rely on it to maintain a healthy weight. Hope this helps!

Loosing 70lbs is a great accomplishment for your health! Wow:D And a once a week juice fast day is a great idea! I ate a raw diet for 2+ years and it just clicked with my bodily chemistry like nothing I've ever experienced before. Unfortunately, financial changes forced us to halve our grocery budget and I had to start including cooked whole grains/beans again as they are more calorie dense and affordable. I have not felt as "vibrant" since adding cooked foods beck into my diet and then I made the poor decision to eat more processed foods than I should have these past few months. I think it's wise to give my body a chance to purge itself of the processed nasties now and to give it a rest from cooked foods every so often until I can afford to eat the way I feel best again:) I think one day a week off cooked foods and a couple days 2 or 3 times a year would definitely be financially do-able and just really sounds like a plan that could work out for me, so thanks for the ideas.

I'm a tad concerned about metabolism and fasting though. I've heard doing it too often can screw up your metabolism. I've always had a high metabolism and so long as I am eating right, high energy levels and never been overweight. I just turned 29 though and I know at this age my metabolism is going to start slowing down a bit and I don't want to do anything I can avoid to tip it into the "slow metabolism" spectrum, which I'm sure age itself will do for me and needs no help with;)
 

Sunnyclover

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Why thank you Kiwi! I actually do "intermittent" fasting daily which means I don't eat between the hours of 8pm and 11am each day which has boosted my metabolism and allowed me to eat anything I want (within reason of) and not gain the weight back. I'm 33years of age is that helps. I also have never liked eating breakfast so that also helps me haha.


Edit: I should maybe mention I'm a chef so it's easier for me to make great tasting healthy meals which is a huge advantage.
 
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SilverSage

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Actually, as Sunnyclover mentioned, fasting boosts metabolism :) calorie restriction on the other hand, slows it.

Iā€™ve become a strong believer in listening to your body and doing what it needs. Iā€™ve become so sick from following the ā€œone size fits allā€ health recommendations!

Finding things that work has sent me scrambling for more research, trying more things, etc.

I basically ended up eating a way that would be called ā€œKetoā€ in order to control my blood sugars when I was pregnant. It helped so much, and then I found intermittent fasting, which led to another huge improvement, and then I started extended fasts, which again, just a massive jump in my over all health.

Now that so much of the crud is out, Iā€™m even more determined not to put more poison in. Iā€™m actually planning my veggie garden right now :)


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Tami2

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I did my first juice fast for 10 days Jan 2012, to reboot after watching ā€˜Fat Sick & Nearly Deadā€™ and prior to going Vegan. I have a list of my fave Foodie Docs, if anyone is interested.

I juice fresh fruits & veggies regularly & juice fast occasionally.
Best thing I ever did. I have a family history of all the chronic foodie illnesses, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, arthritis etc... my parents & siblings are on meds for all of the above. Both parents have had mild MIs. I am on no medication with perfect BW. And I plan to keep it that way!

Great Topic :smile049: ;)
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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Good to hear from real people it actually boosted your metabolisms. It's always allopathic doctors saying it'll screw up your metabolism and I usually take what doctors have to say with a big grain of salt because they're in the business of keeping people as sick as possible for as long as possible. There is no profit in healthy patients after all.

Tammi2- I'd love to see your list of documentaries! I think I've seen most of the ones that have come out in the past few years, but always like watching those kind of docs and maybe there's a couple I haven't seen:) Also, awesome to find another vegan on the forum. Being vegan also allows us to share a lot of our human foods with our birdies:)
 

chris-md

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Iā€™m actually doing a 7 day water fast right now. From my research hunger is a lot worse during a juice fast because your digestive system is active and looking for something to digest, where as during a water fast (I replace electrolytes as well) this does not happen

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I donā€™t know how you do it. I attempted a water fast once, and got a nasty, filthy headache by 4 PM on day 1. That fast was abandoned quickly.
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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I donā€™t know how you do it. I attempted a water fast once, and got a nasty, filthy headache by 4 PM on day 1. That fast was abandoned quickly.

Are you a regular coffee/caffeine drinker who stopped drinking it for the fast? I've given up/gone back to coffee enough times that I can tell you, mid-late afternoon on the first day without coffee/caffeine is when the intense, skull splitting headache sets in for me (and doesn't let up until about the 4th day). Caffeine withdrawal is very very real and I'd suspect that above anything else as the biggest contributor to the headache you describe, regardless of what you did (or didn't!) consume that day. Caffeine is a miserable *%^&$ to quit if you're addicted to it like the majority of people are.
 
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SilverSage

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Iā€™m actually doing a 7 day water fast right now. From my research hunger is a lot worse during a juice fast because your digestive system is active and looking for something to digest, where as during a water fast (I replace electrolytes as well) this does not happen



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I donā€™t know how you do it. I attempted a water fast once, and got a nasty, filthy headache by 4 PM on day 1. That fast was abandoned quickly.



Were you replacing your electrolytes? Thatā€™s really important. Also as mentioned, if you have a caffeine habit and quit that cold turkey at the same time you are in for a world of hurt.


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chris-md

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Back then the caffeine intake wasnā€™t enough to give me withdrawal symptoms (believe me, Iā€™m intimately familiar with those). I however wasnā€™t replacing electrolytes. But that shouldnā€™t matter after just 8 hours given that religions such as Islam fast for 12+ hours a day with no problems.

Plus what I didnā€™t mention was the headache went away soon after I ate something.
 

SilverSage

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Interesting. There may have been an underlying medical difference at play; Iā€™ve never experienced headaches as long as my water and electrolytes were sufficient.


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Tami2

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Good to hear from real people it actually boosted your metabolisms. It's always allopathic doctors saying it'll screw up your metabolism and I usually take what doctors have to say with a big grain of salt because they're in the business of keeping people as sick as possible for as long as possible. There is no profit in healthy patients after all.

Tammi2- I'd love to see your list of documentaries! I think I've seen most of the ones that have come out in the past few years, but always like watching those kind of docs and maybe there's a couple I haven't seen:) Also, awesome to find another vegan on the forum. Being vegan also allows us to share a lot of our human foods with our birdies:)

So true. Thereā€™s no money in wellness. That in my opinion is the big lie. Itā€™s a disgrace.


ā€¢ Below are links to enlightening food documentary trailers.

~ 'Forks Over Knives'
[ame="http://youtu.be/O7ijukNzlUg"]Forks Over Knives - Official Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://youtu.be/vPJbYAYzP04"]Forks Over Knives - Trailer #2 - YouTube[/ame]

~ 'Food Matters'
[ame="http://youtu.be/r4DOQ6Xhqss"]Food Matters Official Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

~'What the Health'
[ame="https://youtu.be/Jf44vLndiRM"]WHAT THE HEALTH Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

~ 'Fat Sick & Nearly Dead'
[ame="http://youtu.be/Gv3vEXy_EwU"]Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead Extended Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

~ 'Hungry for Change'
[ame="http://youtu.be/8_sFROfKXfA"]Hungry For Change Official Trailer 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

~ 'Fed Up'
[ame="http://youtu.be/aCUbvOwwfWM"]FED UP - Official Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

*~ ā€˜Eating You Aliveā€™
[ame="https://youtu.be/M8sGE5n-i1Q"]Eating You Alive - Trailer 1 Extended - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://youtu.be/ZnZr2S8bQ1w"]Is Our FOOD KILLING Us? What Is On YOUR Plate? Could a Whole Food Plant Based Diet Be the Answer? - YouTube[/ame]

*I havenā€™t been able to find how to watch ā€˜Eating You Aliveā€™, but the trailers look really good. Itā€™s new 2017 so, Iā€™m anxiously awaiting it to come to Netflix or Amazon. If anyone has seen it please give me some feedback.

There are a lot more really good ones as Iā€™m sure you are aware. But, these I feel are the most impressive. IMHO :)
 
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Tami2

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I also eat 50%+ Raw. So, Leviā€™s favorite room in the house is the kitchen. Im constantly handing him food as Iā€™m making my own. :smile049: :D
 

Tami2

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Iā€™m actually doing a 7 day water fast right now. From my research hunger is a lot worse during a juice fast because your digestive system is active and looking for something to digest, where as during a water fast (I replace electrolytes as well) this does not happen.

In my experience I never get any more hungry than I get if I skip only one meal.

I have come to love fasting (no, Iā€™m not anorexic, and yes, I am under the supervision of a provider). Iā€™ve never felt so good in my life! Giving my body a chance to recover from all the things that have made me chronically ill for decades! In my case, thatā€™s pretty much all grains, sugars (including fruit), most dairy products, and all sorts of fake ā€œhealthā€ foods. You know, the things the doctors kept telling me to eat...


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I have never done a water/electrolyte fast.
However, I have done a cleanse occasionally over the years. Your H2O/electrolyte fast sounds more like a cleanse to me.

If you donā€™t mind can you please elaborate more about it.

Thanks.
 

Aquila

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I've had issues with disordered eating and used to do a lot of fasts, it definitely screwed with my metabolism.
 

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