Fasting Question

[Allegra]

I'm starting a 3 day juice fast and was wondering, how much juice? I mean, can you drink too much juice, where you might as well be eating, or does it not matter? Should I limit my juice intake, or just drink as I please?

Thank you,

Allegra

[swingbolder]

I can only speak from my experience, but I've done 3 long juice fasts in my life, and basically, I drank as much as I wanted. Which usually turned out to be 3 or 4 huge glasses of juice a day and lots of water in between. In the morning I'd have fruit juice and in the afternoon, vegetable juice. Dinner was either fruit or veggie juice depending on how I felt.

[Halo Aglow]

I'm on my 3rd day of juice fasting and it's turning out like swingbolder with 3 to 4 glasses a day along with water in between. This is from drinking as much as I feel like.

[Sweet lips]

From leading people and fasting, you may start out drinking a lot of juice - I have consumed 64 -100 oz of juice in a day, however, the longer, I went the less juice and more water I consummed. The key is to keep yourself hydrated, and cleaned out - either by enema, colonic or salt water flush.

[RawTruth]

Well, ladies, this is probably the wrong place to ask this, but now I'm confused. I think maybe it's that I'm a stickler about semantics, and the language being used is not really accurate as description. What the heck am I talking about?

First, I'm not critcizing you for this thread or questioning what you're personally doing -- I'm just trying to figure it out, truly, really, sincerely, kiss-kiss-hug-hug.

Okay -- to fast means to abstain from anything but water (Jesus fasted, Gandhi fasted ) ... right?

So, to drink juice and not eat anything solid seems to mean that the person is simply going on a liquid diet -- they're not actually fasting.

Alright then. Now, my question is .. why? If it's to give the digestive system a "rest," well, it still needs to digest the juice (liquified fruits and vegetables) in order to process the nutrients, so it's not really resting, right? I mean, I can see the benefit of it for people eating cooked foods -- it would really be giving their systems a rest from the chaos that's created by their bodies trying to digest all that dead food. But, where does it fit in a raw lifestyle?

I've seen so many threads about juice fasting in my 4 months here. Why are raw food folk so into this? I have many raw food books and have attended seminars, lectures, and raw food events, but none of them go into this subject as part of being raw. In fact, in her book, Alissa warns against doing this as a way to jump-start weight loss.

I'm not being facetious or snotty, here, friends. I'd just really like to know.

[swingbolder]

Technically rawtruth, you are right. A fast means abstaining from all food and drink except for water.

In popular usuage however, people do call a diet of just fruit and vegetable juices a "juice fast," when really it should be called a "juice diet." However, since I'm not a stickler for such things (like insisting on never ending a sentence with a preposition), I just refer to a "juice diet" as a "juice fast" bc that's how most people use and understand the term.

[swingbolder]

As for your other questions, from what I've experienced and read a juice fast is very cleansing bc it gives your digestive system a partial rest so that the body can heal and remove toxins. A water fast does this too and much faster, bc the body isn't digesting anything at all, so all its energies and resources can go to healing.

A lot of times when you water fast the cleansing is so radical that the faster is often left with no energy. Water fasters are advised to rest and maybe do some light walking (like around the yard) or stretching. Other than that they should be lying or sitting down. Also, the rapid cleansing can make you lightheaded and you're not really supposed to drive or operate machinery. People are supposed to treat it like a retreat even if they're water fasting at home bc you really aren't supposed to (and are oftentimes unable to) participate in your normal activities.

Juice fasting is a lot more gentle on the body, you often have a lot of energy while you're doing it, you can exercise and go to work and have a normal life. Both water and juice fasting are very beneficial.

I've done 3 3-week juice fasts in my life. The most recent one I did in December (that one lasted a month) and I went straight into raw from there. Fasting is a good way to jumpstart your body into more healthful practices.

Some raw fooders fast on a regular basis, like once a week or for a week or so once or twice a year. Once I'm deeper into raw I'd like to start water fasting one day a week, mostly for spiritual reasons.

[RawTruth]

Yes, I absolutely understand the value of fasting -- whichever type one chooses. I met a guy at a raw picnic over the weekend who fasts at each new moon. I could get into that.

Currently, I have an intestinal freeloader that causes my digestive system to cleanse on a frequent basis -- thus sapping my energy. So, for me, I'm not going to be fasting till after this guy is long gone and my body has had a chance to really take advantage of the raw food I've been eating rather than having them stolen by this intruder.

(I intentionally tried to end a sentence with a preposition just for you, Swingbolder, but either my thoughts or my years as an English teacher blocked it. I'll try harder next time. :D )

[Allegra]

I tried a water fast a while ago, and could not see it through. I felt like poo, and had to go to work every day. This is my 2nd day on a juice fast, and I just feel good.

Allegra

[brandilynn]

I had been on the Master Cleanse for 9 days before I went raw - I honestly believe that it has been the reason why thus far (only a week 100% raw - but still some folks have to grit and grunt to get past one day 100%) I havent really had any craving for the SAD stuff, even though I cook food for my husfriend - but maybe that does not really count because its not considered a "fast" as much as a "cleanse." ??

[RawTruth]

Did you actually drink maple syrup? That's what's always stopped me cold about Master Cleanse. Ugh. I did meet a raw foodist at a picnic over the weekend who does it occasionally -- but he omits the maple syrup.

Congratulations, by the way, on one week raw. It sounds like you were really ready for it. Are you doing Alissa's 30 Day Challenge?

[brandilynn]

Well.. I had it all in warm water, the juiced lemons, maple syrup and cayenne. I did not notice the heat of the cayenne because I have always really enjoyed spicy foods - and maybe the maple syrup cut down the heat?

Anyway, I did consume maple syrup, and I am saddended to say there was probably a time in my life where I could/would have actually just drank it.. but.. I had 1 tbsp in each warm lemony drink. I guess if you did not like it that sure would stop you though! I only found the raw food information during the cleanse, so I was not thinking about the syrup being raw or not!

I suppose I AM doing the 30 day challenge!! I was a cooked vegan a couple of years ago for 6 months. I got sick (flu) and craved meat for a good month, ate them (in hopes they would be nasty tasting and make me feel horrid) and they did not bother me (except for the massive hormone mood swings!) and so I just went back to eating meat. I really am looking forward to feeling SO much better eating this way that nothing else ever would make any sense. So - thirty days and beyond challenge I guess I am partaking in!

[RawTruth]

Hey -- why don't you officially join the challenge on this forum? I found it was a great way to keep focused -- the food diary alone is a tremendous help -- and the support from others is great, too.

Are you working from Alissa's book?

Yeah, the maple syrup has been cooked to death -- back before raw, I loved it on my whole grain pancakes, of course. Geez ... how far I've come.

[brandilynn]

I did indeed! I put my journaly 2-days-raw-full-body-starting-line picture and a commenty picture up!

I did get Alissa's book and I LOVE IT. I got the DVDs too and am going to the Living Institute's Graduation feast this Sunday (it costs a chunk o change to actually go there for the schooling, but I am taking fella to see the boundless raw uncooking that can be done) but Alissa's DVD is a great raw uncooking school in a box!!

You have come so far Raw Truth friend!! YOU KEEP ON GOING! Thanks for being such a welcoming and groovytype human on this board!

[Shininjatti]

where are you?

allegra, you should talk to misslinda....she has loads of information on juice fasting it seems as she sent me a message with all of her insights on it.

[rawpriestess]

I fasted only once in my life for 3 days.

Water only, and I got very ill, and weak, I found out from that, that I was hypoglycemic, and the WORST thing I could do was to fast.

So, I haven't done it since, although there are many days, that I hardly eat anything, and I drink only water or orange juice, so I just do what feels right.

It was a very controlled fast with a professional, they just kept telling me to write down my feelings, and thoughts.

Which I did, I didn't take anything in but water.

I was eating meat and cooked at the time.

I still don't understand why anyone would want to fast.

I mean, I'm not trying to be difficult or argumentative.

So, please don't take it that way, I am probably just un-informed.

But if you are eating 100% raw food, and you are drinking fresh fruits and water every day, why would you want to, or even need to fast?

Why not just eat when you are hungry? and drink when you are thirsty?