How a Juicing Fast Isn’t about Nutrition
It’s about grit. I decided very much on a whim to join in on a tribal juicing cleanse. I joined this “tribe” of masterminders who all have one thing in common: the desire to get better at life and live it large. We support each other and help each other in all aspects of our lives, and we hold each other accountable to reach our goals.
The tribe decided to do this 7 day juicing fast, no solid foods. I’m already vegan, and I have a really nice juicer that hasn’t been in too much of heavy rotation, so I figured, why not? I love a good challenge. I can do it. First, let me share that it is safe, we are not starving. You actually take in more calories from fruits and vegetables than you would think, once you remove the fiber. For instance, yesterday I had an entire watermelon for breakfast.
But am I seeing results? Yes, I do believe I have the abdomen of a teenager at the moment. I’m on day 5. My jeans are baggy. (My comfy ones, not my skintights, but those look great, too) My face is even thinner. Now, I did just lose 7 lbs over the past few months, so I had a headstart. I’ve knocked off another 3, but it really really shows.
Nutrition, weight loss, blah blah blah, yes all of that. But what has the juicing really done for me? People have been commenting on my energy. I ran my neighborhood 5 miles way faster than normal, and it’s all hills. But the most amazing thing has nothing to do with health and fitness at all. It’s my ability to focus on my goals and have tunnel vision clarity. Once I removed the never ending obsession of where my next chow down session is going to come from, I could take that priority off my plate (ha! I didn’t even mean to do that).
Let me be clear when I tell you that karate people eat. I am a very big eater. Being vegan does not mean I am a side salad girl. Nope. I chow the fork down. I love eating. When you remove “eating” from your life but are giving your body what it needs, It has a real psychological effect. You become aware of everything you might have put into your mouth. MOST of the time, at least for me, It has nothing to do with hunger. Your view of food completely changes. It’s as if you are watching a movie about someone and what they would eat. Every time I was offered a chocolate chip cookie, or my husband made homemade pizza, I would just think, “huh. I would have just eaten all of that without stopping to breathe. ” It’s like you are your own scientific experiment, or even social experiment.
Like I said, removing that obsession has made me focus on other things. I’ve been hyper organized and have gotten so much stuff done. I have changed my work habits, my parenting habits, and more importantly, my stress has seemed to slip away. Things that would have really revved me up are just easy peasy things that slide by in the passage of time like a log in a river. I feel like I could live this way forever.
I’m looking forward to sharing the aftermath, or afterglow, of this experiment after I re-assimilate into normal eating again. I’m certain I won’t have the flattest tummy of all time by day one of food reentry. I will probably gain a few lbs. back temporarily. I may make a few bad choices after I’m allowed. But, I am also certain that I will never have the same relationship with food that I did before. I am in control. It is like a reset button was hit. I also won’t allow the desire to eat something distract me from the task I am on.
I feel like I’ve trained for a marathon, or given up something for lent. There is a true gratification to doing something hard, sticking with it, and not quitting. You feel like a secret little Wonder Woman who could do anything. Honestly if I, Britt Taylor, professional super-eater can NOT eat for 7 days, anything in the world is possible! Challenge yourself to greatness. Think about what you can accomplish.
Above all, think about how amazingly fortunate we are to have the option to decide which way and how often we can consume nutrients for ourselves. Gratitude for the abundance we have is bursting from my consciousness. I swear, I’ve grown a third eye out of carrot juice.
So dig in, challenge yourself, show some grit and perseverance, and above all; be grateful as all get out for the fortune we have in this life. Aloha.
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