Photo by abbyladybug
Note to self: Never go on a juice fast. Will result in maddening headache, extreme hunger mixed with a large dose of the grumpies, followed by the need to strangle husband and toss children out the window.
Steve and I had high hopes for our juice fast. We bought a juicer, about twenty pounds of kale, carrots, beets, and apples from the farmer's market and hired a babysitter to come over at 5:00 so that we could take in a movie and forget about our hunger.
We started the day with a cup of miso and some green tea. For snack, we downed kale, ginger, carrot and lemons, juiced down to a small glass.
We took the children to the key park and distracted ourselves catching up with our friends as the kids played and fought. Then, Sebastien had a tempter tantrum and I started really needing a cup of coffee.
Once home Sydney began to cry because we weren't eating lunch with him. I wanted to cry too. Steve stomped around the house, banging dishes and grumbling about stupid detox plans.
Around 1:00 I started feeling extremely lethargic and, after cleaning up the kids lunch dishes and putting Sebastien down for a nap and plopping Sydney in front of a tivo'd Scooby Doo, I fell into a restless, sweaty, miserable sleep. By 3:00, Steve and I were counting the minutes until the sitter arrived and downing more juice, followed by green tea in an effort to clear our heads and rid ourselves of the pounding pain in our temples.
We argued and bickered about who cleaned what when. We juiced. We drank miso broth.
By 5:00, when the sitter arrived, we were about to rip each other's hair out. A night out alone together, for the first time in over a month, was too precious to spend hungry and pissed off. So we ditched the fast, feeling slightly guilty, and headed over to this vegan restaurant in the East Village called Angelica's Kitchen for some steamed veggies and brown rice and corn bread with this crazy-good spread. Fasting just isn't for us.
Afterwards, with our bellies filled and our sanity restored, we went to see that new George Clooney movie that I can't remember the title of. It was great.
The Miso-Tahini Spread That Brought Us Back From the Edge
Recipe from Angelica's Kitchen Cookbook
1/3 Cup mellow barley miso
1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cup tahini
Combine the miso with 1/2-cup water in a food processor. Puree until creamy.
Add tahini and process until smooth.
Cover and refrigerate. It will keep up to 5 days.
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Fasting is not for everyone but, with all due respect, you have to get through the first two days to really experience the benefits of fasting - it's about breaking mental and cultural habits as much as detoxing the body.
ReplyDeleteDid you do anything to move your bowels as you were detoxing?
Sounds like your problem is caffeine withdrawal, not the fasting itself. Wean yourself off the caffeine and try it again when you're ready.
ReplyDeleteGreat article. I am on day 2 of my fast. If I had a husband or kids I would definately want to kill them. I am locked in my room haha all by my self. No one to irritate me...but me!
ReplyDeleteI am on my 14th day of a veggie juice fast. Like you I experienced mild headaches, some hunger and some irritation during the first few days. Then things changed. I have no headaches, feel like I have heaps of energy, and hunger (when it strikes) isn't really a problem.
DeleteOriginally I planned to stay on the fast for just seven days, but as it became easier and more comfortable, I decided to continue for another two weeks.
In my spare time, I work on a new food plan, and will attempt to stay away from my old habits.
On the fast, I stay away from fruit juice. I find it too sweet, but do have a small glass of apple, pear and lemon juice for dessert sometimes.
For the first week I didn't do much exercise, but now I talk very long walks and do a mat routine (situps, push ups, stretching, etc.
I won't speak for other people, but my overall impression is that I feel much better. I sleep better. I look better.