Begin the year fasting - Jan 2013 fasting thread - join ANYTIME of the month!

[Aleesha Sattva]

PLEASE... feel free to join this thread any time ... we loooove having new friends to fast with!!!

Here's are the 'rules' of this thread:

Please do not discuss specific food. Feel free to share "My hubby was eating and it was hard for me." Please don't share "My hubby was eating X, Y and Z..."

The reason we do this is so no one ends up getting a craving from a fasting thread. As a faster we can choose to click on a thread which discusses food but we need the safety within this thread to know food is not discussed. Juices are shared, M/C is shared, green smoothie recipes are shared... but not 'chewable' food.

Please join us... by listening to our theme song (http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741). We all come together... from around the world to fast together and support each other. Please join us!

There is a great deal of info in this stickie (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=62026). Please take a moment to read it.

And here is a thread (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=61603) where we share our favourite recipes. If you haven't contributed yours, please do!

Here's my commitment:

I'm here to fast. I'm not here to eat. I will fast until I choose to stop but I will NOT stop my fast on a bad day, at night or today. I can choose to break my fast tomorrow in the morning but not today.

I'm here to gain health.
I'm here to gift my body the time and energy to bring my body to a state of health.
I'm here to release - whatever needs to be released. Physical, emotional, conscious or unconscious out-moded things... I'm here to release them all.
I'm here to bring a greater depth to my spirituality.
I'm here to support myself, my super amazing husband Parz, and anyone here who wants support.
I am here to continue to be mindful - focusing on this moment and not anticipating the next one.
I am here to share my experience and gain knowledge from what others share.
I'm here to feel whole. I'm here to give my beautiful, cherished body a break from digesting food!!!

This is the "Fellowship of the Fasters" - unlike the LOTRs fellowship of nine, we are a fellowship of many. We welcome newcomers daily and embrace everyone no matter what they are fasting on or their personal beliefs.

Yes you can prefer green juices to fruit. Yes you can use agave instead of maple syrup or raw honey. Yes you can juice in your Vita-Mix and use a nut mylk bag to extract your juices.

We don't care how you fast... we want to support you... and in turn, we ourselves get supported... so please... join us!!!

Come on everyone.. join in the fun and grab your Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit or Human names for our "Fellowship of the Fasters"... you just make them up, it isn't from the book/movie. (if you want to participate) and put it in your signature line!

Ever wonder how the Fellowship began?

Back when I first began fasting there were the Fasting Bandits. This was a group of amazing people who fasted together all the time. The 'theme' was a convoy of truckers. I was the water tanker! :throwhearts: Over time the Fasting Bandits moved on with their lives and weren't around much at all. A few of the members are still here... but seldom fasting anymore.

I was missing the camaraderie of the FB and was always hoping to find a new group to fast with, find support with and to support myself. The Fellowship of Fasters began because Cathy and I watch the movie Lord of the Rings a LOT and we fast together a LOT as well. We began speaking to each other as though we were Golum - and our juice was our precious.

And then the Fellowship of Fasters was born!

So to be a member... you simply need to choose a name, put it in your signature line and love fasting. You can become a life-time member or one for a short time... it's up to you.

I'm here for the long haul. My water tanker is here beside me - because I'll always be a Fasting Bandit... but now my precious walks beside on a slower path than the truckers... enjoying the grass at my feet and the flowers growing out of the cracks and crevices in the rocks around me.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Parz and I will be here... stay tuned...

[GoodCat]

I will be here too.. I'm really wanting to juice as much as I can in the new year!

[Conscious Midwife]

RAWMamaSutra aka Nettle Rainbowfly when fasting ...just might pop in. Juice feasting/ fasting seems more appealing than the Master Cleanse, for me, this time around.

[Aleesha Sattva]

ohhhhhh this is going to be a goooooooood year!!!

[commoncents]

I will be back soon. Thinking of starting tomorrow, but it might be until after my birthday on January 2nd. In any event, I will be MCing and Water Fasting my way through January and February. See you all soon.

[janem]

Im in!! Starting a few days early:) cant wait for some company!!

[Cookie Monster Gone Raw]

I am in too! But I will be starting a little later in the month.

Yes I think it is going to be a great year!

[Aleesha Sattva]

We began today. It's water and more water this morning. Then we'll make some juice. We had two clients for BodyTalk today but they changed their appointment to yesterday so we are free and clear today. Great way to begin a fast - a day that we can focus on ourselves.

So we'll do BodyTalk sessions on each other, drink water, read (he reads to me), and hang out inside all day. Stayin' warm and cozy.

in light,
Aleesha (and Parz)
Lady Awen

[imaquillen]

I'll be here too. Probably starting the 2nd week in Jan as that's when my honey has to begin his fast before his surgery.

[Aleesha Sattva]

we sorta kinda enjoyed our fast for the day. we only did water and were completely exhausted the entire time LOL we are starting another fast on the 1st - we'll see where it takes us.

such a good idea to fast before surgery. i fasted after mine (not on purpose but it happened that way). it helped get all the drugs outta my system quicker.

[Aleesha Sattva]

we went to whole foods tonight and picked up 40 pounds of pink lady organic apples, fennel, cilantro, parsley, golden beets, celery, kale and two litres of freshly squeezed OJ.

we are ready to fast in the morning!!! see you then!

[GoodCat]

I'm fasting tomorrow too. I may fast for the next few days. I have grapefruit, oranges, red bell peppers, cucumber, pineapples, apples, romaine, lemons, a nice watermelon, and I picked up some coconuts today. Can't wait :heart

[Aleesha Sattva]

I'm off to Costco in the morning (I can't sleep and it's 4:19am here)... to get a pineapple or two, some toms and cukes. Then I'll be set for fasting for the week.

I'm thrilled to be fasting with you Aredhel. :hug

[Aleesha Sattva]

okay so let's take a look at my commitments and see which ones i am going to embrace on this fast.


Here's my commitment:

I'm here to fast. I'm not here to eat. I will fast until I choose to stop but I will NOT stop my fast on a bad day, at night or today. I can choose to break my fast tomorrow in the morning but not today.

I'm here to gain health.
I'm here to gift my body the time and energy to bring my body to a state of health.
I'm here to release - whatever needs to be released. Physical, emotional, conscious or unconscious out-moded things... I'm here to release them all. ***this one can be hard. When it comes to releasing emotional stuff often times it makes a fast even harder to stick to. I am committed to allow the release***
I'm here to bring a greater depth to my spirituality.
I'm here to support myself, my super amazing husband Parz.
I am here to continue to be mindful - focusing on this moment and not anticipating the next one.
I am here to share my experience and gain knowledge from what others share.
I'm here to feel whole. I'm here to give my beautiful, cherished body a break from digesting food!!!

and...

I'm here for me. I'm not here for others. I'm not here for Parz. I'm here because I need to be here. My body needs this fast. It needs a break from the world of digestion and thinking about what to eat next. It needs a rest.

I'm here to give it that rest. To give it the gift of time. Time to do what it needs. Time to heal. Time to release. Time to relax. Time to focus on itself. My body deserves that.

namaste'
Aleesha

[ykmaggie]

I'm in. See you all tomorrow

Planning to go till just before we head to Mexico on January 29. Doing juice, but plan to throw in a few water days as well

[Aleesha Sattva]

nice!!!!!

i was up all night but did manage to sleep for 3 hours. i feel great right now... we'll see what the day brings us. it's snowing outside... so pretty. huge flakes falling... great way to end 2012!

[Galaxy]

I'm in!!! I'm so excited to join! I will be starting tomorrow Jan 1st. I'd also like to share a link for those who haven't seen it yet, I'm sure this video will give you the motivation to stay firm in your resolutions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuJrfYG7oh8

Enjoy the video and wish you all a happy new year!!! :throwhearts:

[Aleesha Sattva]

Not so sure I agree with him. There are dis-eases that are caused by something other than our pH. Turned off the video early on though... 42 minutes is a long time to watch and honestly I just don't have the desire.

Good fasting day for us. We made a gorgeous juice today:

golden beets
cilantro
ginger
meyer lemons
fennel
kale
carrot (just one)
ambrosia apples

It was sooooo yummy. We have more left in mason jars in the fridge. We'll enjoy them in the morning. Always nice to wake up with juice in the fridge. We didn't make it out of the house today. I only slept for 3 hours last night and I decided to reorganize the living room. We also watched a few hours of our BodyTalk DVD correspondence course (we want to make it though all 40 lessons before mid-Jan) and... we started on a new puzzle. Oh and and a new book. The 5th book of George RR Martin. So a very productive day but we are sitting in bed with our computers and are relaxing now. (almost 5pm) and we'll read a bit and then I'll go to sleep. Parz will probably stay up awhile and work on the computer a bit.

Anyway... a good productive start to a fast and a lovely way to end 2012.

[commoncents]

See you all tomorrow. I'm on my way out to have my last meal for 2013. I am so excited about this fast. I stocked up on my lemons and maple syrup yesterday, but will start a few days with water. What better birthday present to give myself than to reclaim my health.

Happy New Year to all and the Start of Fasting Season!!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

amazingly i'm still awake and parz is hoping i'll peeter out soon cause he's tired. LOL

oh the energy of fasting sometimes... it surprises ya!

[GoodCat]

I had some pineapple/apple/cucumer/with coconut water today. I some more of the same for tomorrow plus some green lemonade . Yay for the New Year :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

I had a nice loooooooong sleep last night. Feeling good this morning. Woke to the sun shining sooooo brightly. Such a treat!

Nice to be fasting with you Aredhel. (((hugs)))

*the precious knows we loves her.... she does...*

[Supa]

We slept well and felt inspired to get up early, drink the last of yesterdays juice, clean the kitchen, peel and chop, juice and clean again. To make cleaning after juicing easier, I have been using the salad spinner bowl as a warm soapy water basin to soak the turmeric resin off the auger and screen. Also in the name of peace on earth, at least in our home, I ordered a bpa free "lawn" counter top drying rack so I can stop using my wife's bamboo tray & rack as a juicer parts drying rack.

9308

Today's juices
Celery, collards, tuscan kale, kiwi
Collards, tuscan kale, red kale, grapefruit, lemon
Carrot, orange, blackberry
Ginger & turmeric (as an all around juice/tea/water warming & zingy drink spike)

[Gianni]

Not so sure I agree with him. There are dis-eases that are caused by something other than our pH. Turned off the video early on though... 42 minutes is a long time to watch and honestly I just don't have the desire.

While I do think it's very important to keep your body in balance by avoiding or eliminating entirely acid-forming foods, I don't care for Robert Young's approach to it.

I bought his and his wife's cookbook about 6-7 years ago and it was worthless. It was supposed to be about eating alkaline-forming foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, but then quite a few of his recipes would recommend eating acid-forming animal flesh. Also, the recipes almost always included some supplements - Name brand this and that - I didn't make one recipe from his book.

[Aleesha Sattva]

just realized we hadn't had any juice so we are both sipping on more of our apple mix from yesterday.

played a loooong game of carcassonne with our daughter and now they are off for a walk. i can tell that my energy levels are not high enough to go for a walk so i'll watch from the window as they enjoy the sunshine together.

[MysticTree]

My new year starts on the 2nd. I have lots of lovely apples, carrots, celery, clementines and beetroot. Not got lemons but will get some tomorrow. Planning to juice a big batch first thing when I get into work and store in the freezer we have there. I have some nice glass bottles which had water in which I can use. Need to remember to take funnel. This year I want to treat myself to a good juicer.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Parz is making tea. I just had a nice long bath while he sat and read to me.

Now to make our brains work... time to do our PaRama DVD correspondence course.:o

[Aleesha Sattva]

Mystic, does your new year or your new year fast LOL giggling... no monday fast for you?

[MysticTree]

Both lol. No Monday fast for about three weeks now.

[MysticTree]

apple, carrot, celery, clementines, beetroot and sweet potato juice made first thing today and stored in the fridge - I put the bottles in the freezer first to make them really cold. It tastes good but I must get lemons and some greens; not sure what greens as they can be expensive but I do love broc stalks :).

Will spend lunch hour looking at auger juicers. I think it's going to have to be a Samson 6 in 1 judging by my prelim glances

[Aleesha Sattva]

I can't stomach the taste and thickness of sweet pot juice. it's soooo starchy. but then i can't stand broc either. LOL

awake, not out of bed... but fasting.

Mystic, why no Monday fast?

[MysticTree]

One Monday it just didn't seem to call so I just ate a usual raw day. Then Holidays happened and I was just plain off-plan totally. I wondered if I should switch to a different day, maybe Tuesdays! Anyway I am not overly fussed on sweet potato juice either but it was spread out over a lot of other juices. It has started to come through the other end already! That moment before you remember that you have been eating beetroot and then the moment later when you remember . . . priceless! My digestion better be thankful; it has been a little grumpy with all the over eating and I am glad to be juicing again.

[Aleesha Sattva]

ah makes sense. (on the monday fasting).

we are booking hotel and flights for another BodyTalk course in a few weeks. So we'll definitely stop fasting for that course but hopefully be fasting again after.

I have no idea how long this fast will be, if it'll be until we leave or sooner. We have no expectations.

[Supa]

not sure what greens as they can be expensive but I do love broc stalks

We have been finding organic collards greens are a great value in terms of price/quantity and price/nutrient density at the store. They are like the elephant ears of the greens world, giving you all the benefits associated with more expensive brassica oleracea vegetables like broccoli or kale, but in greater quantity and a more approachable flavor when juiced then broccoli. The slightly spicy green flavor works well juiced with lemon or grapefruit which also make the nutrients more available.

This mornings juice

collards, tuscan kale, red kale, green papaya, carrots, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi, ginger, turmeric, basil, & mint

[Galaxy]

Hey everyone,
yesterday (day 1) was a bit rough, I guess since it's my first fast I ended up spending most of the afternoon in bed. Thankfully I have a little more energy today, I separate my fruit juices from the vegetable ones (except for apples since they're compatible with veggies, something I've learned from Jay Kordich)
So morning started with my typical green juice: spinash, mallow, celeri, beets, carrots, cucumber, apples & ginger.
Mid day juice was: oranges & 1 lemon (always with the white rind for bioflavonoids) and another green juice in the evening.
Keep up the good work everyone, I love reading your posts and it feels good to know that i'm not alone :)

[MysticTree]

We have been finding organic collards greens are a great value in terms of price/quantity and price/nutrient density at the store. They are like the elephant ears of the greens world, giving you all the benefits associated with more expensive brassica oleracea vegetables like broccoli or kale, but in greater quantity and a more approachable flavor when juiced then broccoli. The slightly spicy green flavor works well juiced with lemon or grapefruit which also make the nutrients more available.This mornings juicecollards, tuscan kale, red kale, green papaya, carrots, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi, ginger, turmeric, basil, & mintwhen I get a masticating juicer - should be able to afford one this month as a late seasonal pressie to myself. Until then I have to stick to broc stalks and kohl Rabi :) hope to get some tumeric at the weekend and also some ginger among other things :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

when we went to see an Ayurvedic practitioner last year at the ashram she said you should never juice turmeric - it's too hard on the body. we juice it anyway once in awhile in our tom juice.

Today has been interesting. I had a major detox moment on the toilet. Wasn't sure if I was going to vomit or pass out. Thankfully I didn't do either but I did pass lots of feces and lots of mucus so I'm pleased.

We made it to Costco for the remainder of our juice supplies. Happily set now.

[MysticTree]

I only juice tumeric in small amounts. Ginger I am happy to have a bit more of. Once I get my new juicer I look forward to tomato season. The toms in the shops here are pretty grim or fearfully expensive; neither of these are desirable ;) The juices I have consumed today have been fabulously cleansing. I could hardly have hoped for such an effect without having to do any rushing to the toilet or anything. I am really enjoying this fasting. I am craving greener juices and I really need to get the new juicer to do that - also (raw food item), I haven't made that yet either :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i love ginger and garlic in my juices. Garlic in my tom juices and ginger in everything I juice!!!

[Galaxy]

Not so sure I agree with him. There are dis-eases that are caused by something other than our pH. Turned off the video early on though... 42 minutes is a long time to watch and honestly I just don't have the desire.


Oh dear I missed your reply, sorry about the video's length, next time I'll try to post something much shorter, something around 5 min, that should hopefully be easier to handle :)
I personally think he makes sense, I like to keep an open mind. I thought his speech was quite inspiring and humbling. God surely had a perfect plan :heart:

[MysticTree]

I love garlic in juices. Just a clove though. I'm looking forward to browsing the fruit and veg section of the shop tomorrow. I have enough staples so just need some "stars". Bf says he'll eat the broc tops while I can have the stalks :) Also thinking about persimmon juice but it may be too pulpy for my centrifugal juicer.

[Aleesha Sattva]

one time, years ago, i made some juice and put so much garlic in it... oh man did i stink. the kids were dying in the car with me = begging for the windows to be opened LOL

they have never forgotten that experience... and neither have i LOL

[Supa]

Oh dear I missed your reply, sorry about the video's length, next time I'll try to post something much shorter, something around 5 min, that should hopefully be easier to handle :) I personally think he makes sense, I like to keep an open mind. I thought his speech was quite inspiring and humbling.

The length is less a problem then his content. His over simplification of the cause of disease and the array of his own branded over priced product solutions are very off putting. He says his $39 omega oil is a unique blend of organic flax, borage, and hemp oil, but I think he might have some snake oil in there too.

[Galaxy]

Thank you Supa for taking the time to watch the video! I was talking specifically about the juicing message, how balancing the PH through juicing had so many benefits as well as a huge impact on auto-immune diseases and other illnesses.
Now concerning his products, I personally never purchased anything from him and do not intend to. I just stumbled upon this video a few days ago, loved the positive message, and felt like sharing it with you guys :heart

[Aleesha Sattva]

another day of fasting is upon us. the sun has not stopped shining since the 1st. it's so gorgeous here every morning... what a gift!

[robh]

Greetings everyone. I am starting on the spur of the moment. I have no juice here at work so I will start juice fasting starting around dinner time tonight. I'll be doing raw food until then.

At home, I have carrots, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, kale, red bell peppers and gala apples. I will be combing those for the next four days when I go to the store again. Tonight, I was thinking about a simple raw "V8" (juiced carrots, tomatoes and celery). A little fresh parsley would be a nice addition to my V8, but alas, I don't have any.

I probably would have joined sooner had I known. Thanks Aleesha for mentioning it on another thread.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Rob we have a fasting thread every month... so you can always come and fast whenever you desire. (((hugs)))

Welcome!

[MysticTree]

Hello Rob. I had no idea you had no idea about the fasting thread. I feel bad that I didn't realise.

[Supa]

A side note on yesterday's green papaya in our juice. A little research revealed that an unripe and thus green papaya has a high latex content that may cause allergic reactions in some people, and in women, uterine contractions which may lead to a miscarriage if pregnant. On the upside the uterine contractions part might be a helpful attribute for a having healthy period. A green papaya will never ripen after its picked so next time I will just buy a ripe yellow one. No harm done to either of us, but I will be researching new ingredients more thoroughly before consuming it next time.

This mornings juice

collards, tuscan kale, parsley, carrots, celery, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi, cutie, ginger, & turmeric

[robh]

Hello Rob. I had no idea you had no idea about the fasting thread. I feel bad that I didn't realise.

I guess I phrased my post poorly. I knew about the thread and I contemplated joining a few of the months. This month seems special - like an "event" - like the fasting superbowl. I read a few posts on the first page. It sounded pretty exciting. Anyway, thanks for the welcome everyone. :)

Supa, I bought a papaya once. It smelled funny. It smelled like, well, dog poo. I don't mean it smelt bad, I mean I had it in the dehydrator and people would walk in and say they could smell dog poo. Sorry for being gross, but I was curious if they are supposed to smell funny or if the one I had was an exception. I've only ever had papaya dehydrated from the supermarket (with sulfates).

[Aleesha Sattva]

hahahahaha i read "wet dog poo" and i wondered "hmmmm does wet dog poo smell different from dry dog poo and really isn't it only fresh dog poo that smells and yes that would be wet so perhaps he meant fresh dog poo?"

ahhhhh the mind and what it sees.

[robh]

I am laughing so hard that I am crying. :ROFL:

[Supa]

Green papaya juice smelled and tasted weird enough to give me pause and google it. Not like dog poop, but an odd sweet green chemical smell, I haven't smelled or tasted a ripe one. Hmm, that sounded bad.

[commoncents]

Hello All, I have started today with water for a couple of days and will switch over to MC. I am so happy to be here. I am extremely toxic so it will be a bumpy ride.

Happy Fasting All.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i've never smelled a papaya that smelled like dog poo... fresh or wet LOL

welcome common.. :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i've been having 2 or 3 really detoxing bms over the last few days (the entirety of this fast i guess)... lots of mucus coming out which pleases me greatly!!!

i could do without the cramps though.

[commoncents]

Thank you Alessha. Had an disagreement with someone and wanted to eat, but I won't. Will stay strong and steadfast. Everyone has opinions I have to release others to bask in their opinions.

[Aleesha Sattva]

(((stay strong)))

[Aleesha Sattva]

Both Parz and I had BodyTalk clients this afternoon and he made some juice when his was done. Pineapple, apple, ginger and parsley. mmm mmmm gooooood

[Aleesha Sattva]

Okay... here's a huge shout out to Rob. ONE YEAR RAW and how's he celebrating it? With a deepening of his health by fasting.

YOU ARE MY HERO!!!

Rawk on Rob. Rawk on.

[MysticTree]

3 litres of juice ready for the day. I juiced another mad mix. The greens - if you can call them greens included 1 chicory heart, 1 romaine, a wedge of fennel (next time I'll use more), 1 small pak choi, 1 head celery. The rest included 6 or 7 clementines a whole lemon, a bag of small apples, a bag of carrots, 2 persimmons (these do not work well in a centrigual juicer but I can see they'd make awesome sorbet), a small chunk ginger. I also had a little of yesterdays juice left which I tasted and it was good so I mixed the two rather than wasting it. The persimmons meant I lost a fair bit anyway as they clog the strainer and I am afraid I gave up trying to make that part of the juice strain. I slung more than I feel happy with but I don't like bits in my juice when I'm fasting. In fact I find more and more that I don't like smoothies as much. I am going to have to get into sorbets!

[robh]

Aleesha Thanks for the shout out. :) Also, it sounds like I need to give papaya another shot. Pineapple, ginger, apple and parsley are all on my shopping list. That sounds good.


My juice fast starts today. Last night, I had two juices:

1.) carrot, celery, tomato
2.) kale, cucumber, apple and red bell pepper

This is the first time I have juiced kale. It's very dry and doesn't yield much juice. The next time I hit the store, I'm gonna pick up some of those green elephant ears and see if they yield more juice.

This morning, I made the following juice:

carrot, celery, tomato, red bell pepper, apple

I put half in a cup and brought it to work. I drank the other half. I need to find a bigger, better container for bringing juice. I dislike the oxidization that is going on in my juice while I am not drinking it, but I don't really have a solution (short of dragging my juicer into the lunch room at work).

Now, I REALLY need to get working before I get yelled at. :)

[MysticTree]

I have my juicer at work :)

[laughalways]

Now I know many will comment to drink juice right away but that's not always possible. I find that lemon helps retard oxidation. I use a masticating juicer which I believe allows you to keep your juice longer. I keep mine in a thermos for drinking at work. Hope this helps!

[Gianni]

When I was fasting last month, I made plenty of watermelon juice. I put the watermelon (red part) in the blender, blended it, strained it, added the juice from ½ a lime, and then funneled into an old 1½ liter bottle.

I'm sure you could take a couple of those to work and they would stay fresh in the refrigerator as the lime juice helps to preserve it. You could also freeze them overnight although it might take 2-3 hours for the frozen juice to melt completely.

Also it helps when blending watermelon to crush it a bit with your hands as you put it into the blender so that there is some liquid juice at the bottom to blend the chunks into.

[GoodCat]

I'll be juice fasting today. I'm thinking of watermelon juice since I have a nice one sitting in my kitchen :)

[robh]

MysticTree, juicer at work - wow. I don't think I could pull that off here. I know I'd get a lot of stares.

Thanks everyone on the ideas to help combat the oxidization.

[MysticTree]

I get a lot of stares and a lot of comments but slowly the comment are turning from "yuck what's that to what are you having today. Some are even trying them :)

I store the bottle in the freezer, add lemon, use a bottle with a narrow neck to reduce surface area which is a bit of a pain to clean but I get them with water in them originally and they can be easily recycled if I don't want to wash them again!

Aleesha has a vacuum pump system I believe.

[robh]

Vacuum pump - interesting.

I'm having my lunch juice now. The one I made 6 hours ago. I forgot to mention that I put lemon in it. I added it for vitamin c. It seems to be doing a good job keeping it fresh. It hasn't turned brown and its still yummy.

All the talk of watermelon makes me want to get one to juice - yum.

[Aleesha Sattva]

kale may not give you much juice but what it gives is packed with goodness. don't give up on it!

adding lemon, lime or pineapple to every juice you make is really important - not only to slow oxidation but also to assist your body to absorb the iron. in my house... citrus and ginger are staples in every single juice i make.

i do have a vacuum system but i never use it. i have a champion (juice is good for 24-36 hours) and a greenstar (juice is good for 72 hours) and i always drink a juice within 24 hours of making it. we usually make juice, drink some and make an additional litre each (since there's two of us) and then drink that a little later in the day or first thing the next morning. so probably 12 hours max is more what i do on a regular basis but it's nice to have juicers that make good quality juice that lasts longer.

i put my juice into mason jars... filled to the top (even if i have to top up with water to make that happen), then put into the fridge or a freezer bag with an ice block to keep it cold. then i use glass straws to consume my juice.

when making watermelon juice i always juice the rind. that's where the nutrition is... don't wanna miss out on that! adding ONE strawberry to your watermelon juice is lovely... (don't forget your citrus... i like lime with watermelon)

our fast is going great. we have enough apples for a few more days and haven't even touched our toms yet. we may today... we'll see.

[robh]

Aleesha, thanks so much for that information-packed post. I need a better juicer for sure. I will be sure to add ginger and the citrus you mentioned. Any tricks on juicing kale? Can it be soaked or the stems put in water or is it just that dry? I did get like an ounce out of 1 head.

[ykmaggie]

I haven't started my juice fast yet. Planning fir tomorrow. My organic veggie order is ready for pickup so I'm excited to see what is there

I planned to start my fast yesterday, but Molly went in to be fixed and I was super stressed. She's doing much better today, and consequently, so am I:)

It's funny how sometimes I resist a fast and the realize its just not the top right time. Hopefully tomorrow is.

My daughter gave me a bag of beautiful organic bath products for Christmas. I've arranged them by the tub and I can't wait to chill over over the next few weeks and enjoy my tub and my fast

[Aleesha Sattva]

rob what kind of juicer are you using? my greenstar gets an ounce out of one stalk.

[Aleesha Sattva]

and i was thinking about that rob... i would stand your kale in a jar of water for an hour before you juice it. get more fluids in it. be sure to trim the stems before putting them in water.

in the summer i'll make bouquets with kale while they are waiting to be juiced when i run out of fridge space. LOL they are soooo beautiful arranged around the kitchen.

yk, nice to fast with you again (((hugs)))

[robh]

Ykmaggie, welcome.

I'm using a JuiceMan that bought at Target - hah. That's an crazy difference. More motivation to stop messing with the cheap equipment. My $30 blender broke last night. I worked it to death. I'm picking up the vitamix on Saturday. Juicer sounds like the next purchase.

[Aleesha Sattva]

since you are fasting... how about a good juicer first and a vitamix second?

or use your vitamix to juice. personally i find that to be a total PITA but some people love it. see if you can pick up a second hand champion juicer from craigslist in your area. it can be old as dirt and still work amazing.

[robh]

The vitamix is a done deal. I don't want to back out (Craigslist thing). I went looking for that before I started fasting then the blender broke - kind of funny. I can make do with my junky juicer while my "want money" builds up again. I need to go dog through those juicer threads. There are so many and the opinions are so varied. To be honest that why I have pulled the trigger. The choice is not clear.

[Aleesha Sattva]

start with how much you want to spend and then find the juicer that is best at that price. :~)

[Aleesha Sattva]

in the meantime, do some research on juicing with a vitamix. you'd have to add water (obviously) and then strain with a nut mylk bag (or a paint strainer bag from home depot) and when you mylk the bag (like milking a cow) you end up with juice!

and that juice will last you in the fridge!!!

[robh]

For me getting the money is just a matter of time. I'd rather save up and get the correct equipment than to cheap out and regret it. What's happening now is the stuff I had laying around the house when I found raw food is breaking down under the pressure. Why do you have multiple juicers? Are some suited for specific tasks?

[Aleesha Sattva]

i had brevilles etc and upgraded to a champion (got rid of the centrifugal juicers). used the champion and then had an opportunity to buy a second hand greenstar from someone. was going to sell my champion but the sale fell through so i held onto it. so glad i did. i love the way i have the choice as to what to use for what juice.

i use the greenstar almost exclusively. i only use the champion when i'm making tom juices. greenstar and toms don't get along well LOL

[Aleesha Sattva]

i've researched other juicers over the years, seeing if there's something better for my use - especially since fasting was such a HUGE part of my life. it still is but i fast way less now than i did. i still fast more than most people though.

anyway...

the only juicer i've found that i feel is better than the champion and greenstar is the one they use for gerson therapy. We thought about buying one but our condo was too small and we didn't have the space to have that heavy machine set up all the time. Now I have the space but I'm happy with the juicers I have so I'm not going to spend the $$ to upgrade to that one. IF I had cancer or something like that to heal with juice I may.

Here's an interesting read for you: http://gerson.org/gerpress/gerson-guide-to-juicers/


Juicers for Treating Non-Malignant Conditions
For patients doing the Gerson Therapy for non-malignant conditions, or healthy people juicing to enhance their health, it is not as strictly necessary to use a two-step juicer, though it is still recommended. Masticating juicers are acceptable alternatives for non-cancer patients doing the Gerson Therapy, as they extract a sufficient amount of juice, and preserve enzyme activity. There are many brands of masticating and twin-gear juicers out there. A few that our patients have used which are suitable for the Gerson Therapy for non-malignant conditions include: the Champion (pictured at right), Omega, Green Star, Green Power, and Angel.

I would start with those juicers... and see which one you can afford.

[robh]

Thanks so much (again) :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

Watching the Norwalk Juicer videos make me crave one...

happy to assist Rob.

[robh]

I need to bring more juice to work. I had some 5 hours ago. Maybe my appetite will decrease (its been a long time since my last fast). Right now it's pretty hard. I'm hungry and the desire to eat is intense. I will be strong, but wow it is difficult right now.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Drink a litre or two of water and have a tea with honey

[robh]

Yeah I've been drinking water like crazy. I thought tea was a no no.

[ykmaggie]

Robb, how long are you into your fast? I sometimes get hungry in the first few days but its normally gone by day 5. Hang in there

I find if I don't strain my juice enough I end up with too much pulp and it seems to stimulate my digestion and can make me hungry

Regarding the juicer. I bought an Omega 8500 on the recommendation of a friend. It wasn't the best choice because it leaves a lot of pulp and I end up have to double strain with a tea strainer, which is a PITA

Good luck with your research. I think the suggestion of getting a good used one is excellent advice

[Supa]

We are enjoying our Omega VRT 350 HD so far. Masticating with small footprint (big deal for us), gravity assists the feed of the vertical auger so I never need the plunger, pulp is very chewed n dry, and easy to take apart & rinse clean (except for turmeric resin). Not sure how it would do with wheat grass as we have never found it sold anywhere, but it does a nice job on the greens we throw at it. We don't have experience with any other juicers to compare with though, we picked it based on various favorable experiences and reviews we read online. The only issues were you need to chop everything, which we love doing anyway, and it's too new to find used, so we end up paying $325 (inc tax) from BB&B with a 20% store coupon.

This morning's juice:
collards, tuscan kale, parsley, celery, carrots, grapefruit, lemon, cutie, ginger, & turmeric

Afternoon juice:
carrots, mango, grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime, ginger, & turmeric

Wife says she is "physically addicted to freshness" and I am as well now, the juice is amazing :)

[mysticshore]

I'm here to fast with you this month, it's time for a January detox, better late then never. December was full of poor choices, mostly in the last week. Now I need my energy back. I love the clean, empty feeling that juice fasting gives me, while still leaving me with enough energy to do all the things I need to be doing. It's great to see all the regulars fasting this month and some new faces :)

[robh]

Ykmaggie, this is day 1 - so this is to be expected. :)

Thanks for the reviews on the juicers everyone.

Since my last post I drove home, made a juice immediately and I am good now. I thought I might need another juice, but that's not the case. I feel great. I'm gonna head to bed shorly - early start tomorrow.

This was my juice before:

Cucumber, carrot, red bell pepper, lemon and apple (delicious)

Thanks everyone for the juice recipes. I'm gonna be hitting the market tomorrow for more stuff to juice.

[Aleesha Sattva]

tea is totally cool!!! no black, green or white teas but herbals are fine!

we were out most of the day. had some yummy juice at a juice bar. pineapple, apple, orange, mint.

[Aleesha Sattva]

the more water i drink in the first days the quicker my digestion shuts down and hunger goes away.

[robh]

That's an interesting note on the water.

I woke up 4 lbs lighter this morning. Woohoo.

I got up at 4 and thus far I haven't had any juice. I not hungry so it's just water until I think I need some.

I am up so early because I am picking up a vitamix. I'm meeting them at 8 and its a 90 minute drive. I'm pretty stoaked about. It's new and has the dry grain container. I grind my own flour (sprouted and dehydrated oats and buckwheat). I won't be using it for a while though.

This morning I am really enjoying this fast. I feel great. Keytones are releasing into my blood stream, giving me that raw-high euphoria - I love it. I feel so great while fasting. Getting to this point is the hard part. :)

I hope everyone has a good morning I'll post again once I make a juice.

[laughalways]

I am going to fast this weekend...at least today for sure. I have pineapple and celery for my first juice. I'll decide later about what else. I have some lovely greens I need to use....spinach, kale and parsley plus I'll add ginger, apple, and cucumber!

[Aleesha Sattva]

morning all. we are awake and sipping on water. today is another big study day for us. we'll be watching a few of our hour-long dvds. we need to have most of them watched before our course so it's crunch-time.

i bought a cantaloupe for myself... going to juice that baby up today. mmm mmmm goooood.

[Aleesha Sattva]

let's talk bms. who's having them and how are they?

mine are full of mucus. i'm finding that my morning water brings me a nice movement and then, after my apple juice combo, i have two more. looking forward to some non-bm days in the future.

[ykmaggie]

Clean, empty feeling, keystones, yeah that's why I love fasting too:))

Rob you and I are both on day two. Congrats on your 4 lbs! I am jealous if the Vitamix. I wanted one for Christmas but had to settle for a stand up paddle board

Yesterday after I posted that I would start today, I realized that I hadn't eaten yet, so what the hell, I went for it it and had a fabulous first day. Every fast it seems that the beginning gets easier. Maybe psychological but I dunno. I swear two days before I actually started my body was preparing for what was coming and started the detox ahead of time

Wave to everyone, and morning Aleesha

[Aleesha Sattva]

I find that as well yk. Once I tell my body I'm going to fast and commit to it spiritually, mentally, emotionally... then the detox gets ready to start. often i'll start detoxing during the first night of my fast (so technically before my fast begins in the morning).

[robh]

Wow detox at the thought of it. I haven't fasted a lot. I started raw food on a juice fast and I've done a few short water fast. I think my body recognizes the fast quicker now. Here on day 2 and I'm not hungry.

I was going to try and do water today until I felt hungry, but my wife, being nice made me a juice before I got home from the vitamix transaction (that went very well). I should have said thank you, but I was truthfully kind of annoyed and it showed I guess we had a bit of a spat over it. I did drink the juice but it wasn't very good. The juice had:

Tomato, carrot, apple, red pepper and yellow pepper.

The tomato killed it but when you don't get a choice of what to put in it. I wasn't honest even going to drink juice but that choice was taken away too. Grrrrrrrrr I should have just said thanks but I chose to be honest. Oh we'll we are over it now.

I am helping a friend move. It's a lot of work. I could really use a juice now but I am away from the juicer (AFJ?).

Happy fasting folks.

[MysticTree]

Juice never tastes good if you are cross with the person who made it or cross with the juice itself. That's why - I think - juice and juice combos taste better when your self esteem is raised. People often say their taste buds change on raw but maybe it's self esteem that has changed? Maybe it's not that simple :)

[robh]

Good point. If I made it might have liked it - hah.

Aleesha was asking about BMs. I had one yesterday that seemed unusual. I just kept going. Gross but felt like I emptied out (kind of like after consuming fermented foods) I haven't had any since. I don't think I've had any mucus but ill pay more attention.

[MysticTree]

I broke my fast today but I had some good cleansing ones earlier in the week. Mucus and some shivery type stuff.

[India1121]

I'm in! FINALLY. I'm on my way to go shop for my essentials and let the healthynes begin! I can't wait to see how things will be 30 days from now. I may do this twice in a row. I'm am overly excited about a healthier body, smaller waist and clean body on the inside as well as outside! I'll be back tomorrow :-)

[Aleesha Sattva]

I am always grateful when someone makes me juice. It's such an act of love. Someone taking the time to nourish me

Next time perhaps just put it in the fridge for later? And add spices. That alwys makes a Tom juice yummiest.

We are at the organic wholesaler. Just picked up another case of apples. Braeburn this time. $58 for this case. Got collards Swiss chard parsley cilantro ginger carrots with greens. Beets with greens. I think that's all $90 in total. Mmmmmmmm

[mysticshore]

I haven't had any juice yet today but I'm surprised by how much energy I feel, I do feel fantastic. Coming from a long term raw backround, I guess there is not alot to detox, it just felt that way after Christmas. I'll wait until I feel hungry and then have some orange juice. I have been trying spirilina in juices lately, is that a good green to add? I'm thinking of buying some to add to my orange juice. I'm looking at buying a juicer, so far I just have an old blender and bought juices. My budjet is limited but there is one called quickclean and it promises a 1 minute clean up, this appeals to me right now.

Sounds like you have plenty of supplies now Aleesha, yummy choices there.

[robh]

Grrrrrrrrr I lost my post. :(

Summary:

Went to the store for more stuff to juice.

Pineapple, apple, parsley (forgot to get ginger) (tasted friggen awesome)

Played with vitamix and "juiced" kale with my paint strainer.

Kale, apple, celery, lemon (very good for a "kale drink")

I am doing very well with the fast. I got very hungry helping my friend move. People were eating junk around me but I was strong.

I also cooked dinner for the family (if I don't cook, my wife takes the easy route and gets them pre-made garbage food.) anyway I made dinner without even tasting it. I admit that it tempted me but I was strong.

Anyway that's about it have a good evening folks.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Just a reminder to all fasters:

We get grumpy when we fast. We do. It's part of fasting.

Our nerves get raw. Our tolerance drops.

We think the people around us are more inconsiderate than usual.

Guess what. It's us. It's not them. It's us.

When I learned this lesson (due to a dear friend sitting me down when I was fasting and letting me know that I was "snippy") it was like a light bulb moment for me. I started viewing the world and all the people in it with more kindness.

I still get snippy. I'm still grumpy when I fast. But now I have the ability to let the people around me know that this is what's happening.

(((love and hug vibes to my fellow fasters)))

[Aleesha Sattva]

oh and we had tom juice blend tonight. ohhhhhh myyyyyyyyyy

*the precious was good... we know we loves it... we do... we knows it precious*

[Aleesha Sattva]

hahahaha i keep thinking of more things to add.

oh and for those of you who don't know my tom blend. here it is (more or less depending on my mood)

8 tomatoes
celery (about 4 stalks)
fennel (1/3 of a large bulb)
parsley
cilantro
beet greens
large beet (golden)
swiss chard (one huge leaf)
lime
ginger
garlic
4 small fresh carrots
cucumber

I think that's all I added. Then I put in 3-6-9 oil and cumin, curry powder, kelp powder, smoked sea salt. Herbamere was sprinkled on top and served.

mmm mmmm good.

[GoodCat]

Oh the precious sounds so lovely.. I will be joining again for tomorrow and Monday. If I can just fast for those two days, I think I would be very happy. I've been struggling a little lately..

~The Lady Aredhel

[Aleesha Sattva]

Struggle no more my sister. Feel my love wrap around you and fill you.

[Aleesha Sattva]

mmmm I may make some for my fast...

http://www.theyummylife.com/Flavored_Water

[robh]

GoodCat, I wish I could bottle up positive, uplifting energy and attach it to this post for you. You can do it. :)

Aleesha, Thank you for pointing that out. I will try to remember that my mood may sour with I'm fasting. Also, I copied that recipe. Sounds yummy. I need a lot of the stuff though.

No juice yet this morning.

[laughalways]

I am bummed as WF is out of organic celery. I have a hard time juicing without it. I tried a couple of the conventional type shows but of course no luck. Maybe I'll just juice apples and ginger.

I am feeling grumpy today too. I hope you are better today Goodcat.

[laughalways]

mmmm I may make some for my fast...

http://www.theyummylife.com/Flavored_Water

I checked this out...it looks delicious. I may have to try it. Thanks for sharing!

[Aleesha Sattva]

woke up this morning after a very non-rest-filled night. drank a litre of water and looking forward to releasing any toxins from my kidneys.

it'll be a busy day with the kids. we have them all here today. lots of games, laughter and movement. i'm sure the xbox kinect and wii will be out.

rob, that tom juice can be done with less/different ingredients as well. in the stickie (in this section) of favourite juices there's another version of it. the key is in the spices. you can use any spices you love. my fav is the curry/cumin combo. you can even add hot spices in if you wish but try to keep those limited while fasted. too hot isn't good for our insides. (i learned that from experience and then research) it's very tamasic.

[GoodCat]

Awww... Thank you guys! I just got on here today and felt your love and encouragement! :throwhearts:

I'm drinking watermelon juice right now and loving it. I have some pineapple/apple/cucumber/coconut water waiting for me for later :)

And agreeing with Aleesha. that tomato juice is amazing especially with the oil/spices.. I LOVE it!! Make it what you want it to taste like. My favorite spice is smoked paprika :)

~The Lady Aredhel

[Aleesha Sattva]

i love the smoked cajun you sent me. it was/is delish. too spicy for parz though so i don't get it much.

(((HUGFEST 2013)))

[Aleesha Sattva]

cantaloupe for me in a few minutes... i'm off to make some now

[MysticTree]

Smoked Paprika is lovely and the one I get is not hot. I haven't added it to juices though. I'm juice fasting tomorrow for I'm not sure how long but probably up to three days as I want to crank up the D this week to make yummies for the weekend. If I can juice though the making stuff then I will try for 5 days even but we'll see.

[robh]

Aleesha, that other version is much more do-able. I need curry I don't help kelp powder. The smoked sea salt sounds very interesting.

I'm at the in-law's house. They just ate their SAD food. I finished drinking the juice I posted before.

I have some delicious pineapple to juice and its really calling my name. We shall see if I make it when I get home. I really should do some greens. I'm not sure if the pineapple would jive with kale or collards (greens I have currently). I was also kicking around the idea of hitting the store after we leave here and get curry powder, limes and mint. I could use the curry powder and make the tom blend (less kelp powder).

Not sure what I will make. Honestly, I could drink water the rest of the day. I have no hunger.

Good luck everyone.

[robh]

MysticTree, is it hard having all your equipment work? Juicer, bullet and D are all there, I think. That sounds challenging.

[GoodCat]

I've had 2 qt. of watermelon juice today and a qt. of pineapple/apple/cucumber/coconut water (its yummy robh :) .. I'm going to have another pineapple juice in a few minutes. I'm feeling a little tired and yucky but I wasn't feeling that great when I started. It's all good!

~The Lady Aredhel

[Aleesha Sattva]

pineapple with greens is lovely. ANY greens.

we had a challenging day. parz talked me off a ledge (so to speak) but we are good here. had a lovely detox bath and are cuddled up in bed ready to do some more PaRama correspondence.

[MysticTree]

MysticTree, is it hard having all your equipment work? Juicer, bullet and D are all there, I think. That sounds challenging. it's not ideal and my locker isn't very big but they are very understanding and accomodating. There is talk of us getting a generator and having electricity at home but I don't know if a dehydrator will be able to be on for hours and hours. That may have to stay at work. We have a tiny bath now with hot water. It feels like a giant leap forward:)

[MysticTree]

The day started of rather hectically. BF got a nasty burn at the weekend and he got up late so the dressing had to be changed in work during the time I normally reserve for making juice. So I had water until lunch. I am now sipping on apple, celery, kohl rabi and romaine in mine with added citrus of lemon and ruby grapefruit. I rather wish though that I hadn't put the lemon in whole. It's a bit zesty!

[robh]

MT, sorry hear that your BF got hurt. That is good news on the hot water. Will any of the new amenities change once the weather warms up?

Last night I made the kids a smoothie and nibbled a little (more than a little, maybe). Also, I was blended the babies avocado and had a small bit of that as well. Not a huge deal really but I just drank water for the rest of the evening.

This morning has water and the juice I made for work:

Parsley, celery, cucumber, red bell pepper, orange, ginger

Tonight I'm going to try a combo with pineapple and kale.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Remember... when we have a "Hiccup" as we refer to them in the fasting world... we tell our body that it's time to eat. This can sometimes be a simple thing but most times it turns into a fast being broken completely and usually not well (see faster take a taste. see faster eat pantry.) LOL

I make a point of never putting my fingers in my mouth when I'm fasting. Not even a smidge of a smidge as this can cause problems. I find the 'cleaner' I have my fast (no tastes) the easier my fast is. It's how I did 209 days. Not even a lick of a finger...

Another day of fasting is here. I'm super excited about our juice blend from yesterday being created again only with mint this time!

apple/cantaloupe/ginger

apple/cantaloupe/pineapple/ginger

apple/pineapple/ginger

They were so yummy! But needed some greens to bring them down a bit. I wanted mint but didn't have any - fortunately I picked up some up yesterday so today they will be made with some mint.

[robh]

Thanks aleesha, thankfully I didn't eat the pantry, but I wanted to. Lesson learned :)

I have added ginger to a few juices now. I must say that I find it nasty. It's the only thing I can taste. I am juicing pieces the size of my thumb. Is this too much?

[Aleesha Sattva]

in how much juice?

I use a piece of organic (stronger than non-organic) ginger in every litre. The piece I use is the size of the end of my pinkie. I am also using a juicer that gets the juice OUT of stuff - doesn't just swirl it around and around and spit it out mostly chewed and not well juiced.

My suggestion... use 1/2 that and see if you like it?

[GoodCat]

MT.. I'm so curious on your living conditions. It sounds like a way we are wanting to go. Its neat that you are making you raw life style work even without all the gadgets and electricity. So many people feel you need to have all these things to be raw, and really you don't :)
robh.. It is a victory you didn't eat the pantry :) Every time we make a good choice, its a good thing:)

Boy did I not feel that great yesterday. I had a head ache all day and night, but I'm feeling a little better today :) I'm drinking some watermelon juice and I'll be making some green lemonade a little later. I have Krav Maga tonight, so I'll see how I feel after that to determine what juice/smoothie I may have.

~

[MysticTree]

I think the only thing you need to follow raw is a desire to follow raw. People have gotten used to buying what they want - this is especially true of people wanting to lose weight for example - if you have the desire AND the gadgets then maybe it's easier but the gadgets are not essential.

[MysticTree]

I think way too much Rob. I like ginger but I can't take a lot - like chillies :)

[robh]

GoodCat, so glad you are feeling a bit better.

Those little nibbles last night are cascading into feelings of hunger today. I guess some lessons you have to learn the hard way.

Aleesha and MysticTree, it sounds like I am using twice as much ginger in half as much juice. That's surely the issue. I'll try just a little from now on.

That pineapple juice I had the other night was so good I got 3 more pineapples from the store (had to go back for ginger).

I am curious if the irritability thing is related to detox. I think it probably is. I have a simple work around: drink juice. I am only cranky until I get that first glass of juice in my belly. I am hoping it goes away because I'd rather drink water until I am hungry.

[MysticTree]

I only drank about half my juice. It was too zesty but I am not hungry so I have switched to just water. Got my period. Not painful but I do feel I bit under par. Hard to describe. I hope it carries on pain free; I don't usually get off that lightly after eating so badly! I really want to juice various fruits that just seem to go to puree if I do them n my current juicer. Kiwi fruit and persimmons don't work at all. Can't even strain them. Which masticating juicer does this kind of fruit best?

[mysticshore]

I hope your BF heals well MT, burn can be so nasty.
I have 1.5 litres of organic Tasmanian orange juice for dinner today, it is so sweet and yummy. I'm reading a great book called the juice lady Turbo diet. It's really good to read while juice fasting, it talks alot about vege juice, this is one thing I need to focus more on, I tend to take the sweet way out but I know there are many health benifits to vegtable juice. I want to get into blending the two together, there is a create element to juicing that I am looking forward to exploring.

[Aleesha Sattva]

I don't like veggies juiced... I prefer to focus on greens and fruits myself. It's all about taste. If you like the taste then go for it.

Did you know that when you like the taste of something that your body absorbs more nutrients from it than if you don't like the taste? I don't have a footnote for you all, but I learned it one of my BodyTalk classes. When they said that I thought, "Wow, I'm always saying to my clients, eat/drink what you love. The more raw (or longer you juice) the more your tastes will transform into liking more raw items (or juices). So don't worry about drinking (or eating) X Y or Z. Instead drink what you love"

Just a little something from my brain to yours.

On the fasting note: things are great today. So glad Parz kept us to our fast last night. I was soooooooo on the fence about continuing but he helped me through my 30 minutes of weakness and afterward I was so grateful. My body is loving this fast!!!

We bought new luggage today. I'm super pleased. It's black with white HUGE butterflies all over it. (Costco). We've been borrowing luggage and since we travel so much now, we need our own.

Rob, when I juice pineapple I always do 50/50 pineapple/apple. It cuts the sweetness down on the pineapple but keeps all the taste AND it makes the pineapples go twice as far! Add some mint... that's gorgeous - and consider putting in some spirulina. It's a great way to get your greens in and it's yummy as well!

[robh]

MysticTree, I don't know your juicer question. That stuff is all Greek to me (for now I suppose).

Aleesha, thanks for the info. :)

Tonight juice was pineapple, apple, parley and ginger. I use a lot less ginger and it was good.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Mystic, some items don't juice well. Papaya, mango, persimmon are three of those items. They tend to be more porridge than juice LOL

[ReneeH]

I'm a lurker.... :dance:

...preparing my mind to join you all soon!!!!

[MysticTree]

Porridge. Good description. Those must work well as sorbet/icecream ingredients. I will avoid juicing them for now. I have pineapple and apples so might get some mint this morning.

[GoodCat]

Had grapefruit/orange/apple juice for the last part of today. I drank it while doing my Krav Maga class. I always take juices when I'm working out, even when I'm not fasting. Some people think I'm crazy, but I'm the most healthy one there ..haha..

[MysticTree]

Had grapefruit/orange/apple juice for the last part of today. I drank it while doing my Krav Maga class. I always take juices when I'm working out, even when I'm not fasting. Some people think I'm crazy, but I'm the most healthy one there ..haha..

Juices make sense. If tennis players eat bananas during matches then juices during workouts is fine.

I have pineapple and apple this morning. Boy it's sweet. I need to knock it back with something to reduce the sweetness!!!

[robh]

MysticTree, yes, very sweet. To be honest, I like it! Maybe a little water would bring down the sweetness?

Renee, welcome to the thread. :)

I am still fasting. Today is much better than yesterday.

I am feeling the water today. I am not hungry and water is suiting me just fine. I also do not seem to be irritable today so maybe I am past that part of the detox. Therefore, I done see any reason to drink juice today.

I told myself if I drank only water today, that I would reward myself with some herbal tea and honey (sometime tomorrow).

Good luck everyone.

[MysticTree]

I hit it with some water and it is all gone now.

[GoodCat]

I'm switching over to blended soups and smoothies today to go along with my juices.

((hugs)) Cathy

[Aleesha Sattva]

mystic, try adding in some spirulina next time. that's a lovely drink!

i love reading this thread... so much life and healthy energy here.

i woke up with some yucky detox happening. parz read to me for awhile and gave me some juice after. then we watched two of our PaRama correspondence course (we are now done 22 of the 40 lessons!!!)

taking it easy today...

[Gianni]

I have pineapple and apple this morning. Boy it's sweet. I need to knock it back with something to reduce the sweetness!!!
I always juice a lime or two when I make apple-pineapple juice (+ ginger). I also make it about 3 parts apple juice to 1 part pineapple juice. It's still sweet but not overly sweet.

[MysticTree]

I might try the limes. I have another pineapple here :)

[India1121]

I tried to start on this challenge on the 4th and have slacked off already. My problem is that currently I have a $20 blender that is really old (probably 10 years old) and it is all I have towards juicing. I wont have a juicer for weeks to come. For the time being I blend whatever fruits and veggies together then I get a cup, throw a clean face towel over it, pour in the blended mix and this gives me pure juice (pulp free). This entire tasks is why I am not too quick to make my juices. Plus, it is said that the kidney or it may be the liver can only process about 10 or 12 ounces in one sitting...I want to know how long after can I drink more? I am basically trying to make sure I'm not too hungry especially during those first few days. Please help :-) I still want to be apart of this challenge as doing a fast like this is what I need to improve my health and weight :-) THANX AGAIN

[Aleesha Sattva]

getting a new juicer is super important obviously. can you borrow one from someone in the meantime?

drink juice whenever you are hungry or feeling the need. you can drink many litres of juice if you want. i sip my juices but usually consume one litre at a time.

welcome!

[Aleesha Sattva]

ugh... detox sucks.

*climbs back into bed clutching the precious*

[mysticshore]

It's cold here today and I'm not in the mood for juice yet, I'll fast until later in the day, that may help provide the inspiration for sipping sweet blends.

[Aleesha Sattva]

not feeling at all well today. spent the day in bed (which sucked)

we are fasting until saturday and then we are hoping to fast one week a month and one day a week on the other weeks. we are hoping to make this a reality for ourselves. we both miss fasting and what great benefit it is for our bodies.

[GoodCat]

I feel awful... I'm back to fasting tomorrow!!

[MysticTree]

not feeling at all well today. spent the day in bed (which sucked)we are fasting until saturday and then we are hoping to fast one week a month and one day a week on the other weeks. we are hoping to make this a reality for ourselves. we both miss fasting and what great benefit it is for our bodies. I have this idea of juicing during the week then eating raw at weekends. However, I like your timetabling Aleesha.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Lady Aredhel, (((hugs and juice)))

Mystic, we thought about this a lot. Trying to come up with a way to fast on a regular basis, give our bodies time to eat solids, and honour the need our bodies to also have little breaks here and there. This felt like a good way to combine all of these issues/beliefs into our regime.

Feeling much better today. My urine no longer REEKS. Oh man it was horrid. My sense of smell intensifies when I'm fasting (or pregnant) and there's nothing worse than not wanting to be near yourself LOL

Parz was kind enough to make me really green juices all day. Lots of kale, parsley and swiss chard. I totally forgot we have collard greens as well. We'll juice them today to continue with the green juices.

[MysticTree]

I think that it is important no to get into a rut with days. Mondays every week were becoming less joyous which is why I stopped doing them. Something irregularly regular would be good!

[Aleesha Sattva]

Perhaps. Or not. LOL It all depends on the person and the circumstance. We'll see how it goes. It's only in the "creation" mode at the moment. We've set down the dates for a couple of months and we'll see how we do.

[MysticTree]

you won't know til you try it for sure :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i spent much of the day researching intermittent fasting online. there are people who have been doing it for years - so (just with anything) if you put your mind to it you can do it long-term. it's just whether or not you let 'excuses' get in the way. cause really... we can fast through pretty much any situation - it's whether or not we choose to. and choice is not to be diminished as a bad thing. it's a choice. just as i can choose to break my fast right now... or not. there isn't a right or wrong answer... it just is.

so, with that in mind, our intention is to give this a try and see if it works for us. we've been wanting a more regular fasting regime for awhile so this will work for us - weaved around our courses of course. don't wanna spend all the course in the toilet peeing LOL

[GoodCat]

haha... Fasting today.. I like the idea of intermittent fasting. I'm pretty much do something like that. I'm always juicing and somedays that is all I want :)

[MysticTree]

i spent much of the day researching intermittent fasting online. there are people who have been doing it for years - so (just with anything) if you put your mind to it you can do it long-term. it's just whether or not you let 'excuses' get in the way. cause really... we can fast through pretty much any situation - it's whether or not we choose to. and choice is not to be diminished as a bad thing. it's a choice. just as i can choose to break my fast right now... or not. there isn't a right or wrong answer... it just is.

so, with that in mind, our intention is to give this a try and see if it works for us. we've been wanting a more regular fasting regime for awhile so this will work for us - weaved around our courses of course. don't wanna spend all the course in the toilet peeing LOL

Sometimes they aren't excuses they are reasons. I haven't time to type out the reasons why I think always fasting on a given day stopped working for me but when I do get time I will.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i wasn't talking about you mystic. i was speaking about everyone... and yes reasons, excuses, - whatever word you want to use.

but mystic i think you have this impression that i'm trying to get you or others to do this... i'm not. this is what we plan on doing. i didn't post it to try to get others to do the same.

[MysticTree]

I don't think that at all. I don't think you'd think it sensible. I try to have conversation online much as I would offline. It's not as easy as conversation in real life. I thought we were exchanging views on our own plans :)

[robh]

GoodCat, welcome back. :)

Aleesha, sorry to hear about your detox. I hope you feel better soon.


Yesterday, I managed to water fast all day. It was hard and I really wanted juice. Today, I had my juice (oh and the tea I promised myself). The juice today made a lot (a pitcher full).

watermelon (+ rind), lime, mint and ginger

I was skeptical about the rind, but I like it. It brings the sweetness down. The ginger and mint are nice too.

I think this I will be breaking my fast tomorrow with some easy-to-digest watermelon and work my way back to raw foods.

The fast has accomplished what I wanted. I feel like I'm back on track both physically and mentally.

[MysticTree]

GoodCat, welcome back. :)Aleesha, sorry to hear about your detox. I hope you feel better soon.Yesterday, I managed to water fast all day. It was hard and I really wanted juice. Today, I had my juice (oh and the tea I promised myself). The juice today made a lot (a pitcher full).watermelon (+ rind), lime, mint and gingerI was skeptical about the rind, but I like it. It brings the sweetness down. The ginger and mint are nice too.I think this I will be breaking my fast tomorrow with some easy-to-digest watermelon and work my way back to raw foods.The fast has accomplished what I wanted. I feel like I'm back on track both physically and mentally.Good news Rob :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

happy happy joy joy... i'm doing a happy dance!!! been cleansing the condo... i loooooooooooooove fresh clean living!!!!!

[noodle]

I am having a spinach and pear juice for lunch, I am feeling really good. Question: to supplement or not to supplement? Should I be taking digestive enzymes? Should there be some sort of roughage consumed as my bm's are "pudding" like? (I like being on a forum where I can discuss my bm's)

[MysticTree]

I don't think so but it's up to you really. One of the things that defines a juice fast is the lack of fibre. Pear and spinach sounds nice :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i like being in a place where we can freely talk about bms too LOL

IF you want to supplement... spirulina is a good one. so is cayenne.

but nothing like fibre... mystic is right, we want to remove fibre when we are fasting (unless we are doing a blended fast - like green smoothies for a week or three)

[GoodCat]

Thanks robh.. I just had some watermelon juice this morning. I also include the the white part of the watermelon or else it is just way too sweet for me :)

I'm going to go make some green lemonade right now. I think part of my problem the last few days is that I'm fighting a cold. I'm not as bad as others around me, but I'm definitely feeling it. Good thing I'm juicing ..haha

[India1121]

Thx for the holler back Mrs Aleesha! I don't know anyone with a blender or juicer. in a few weeks I'll have the money to get a juicer and I'm super excited. I guess I'll have to just deal with this mill-mix-rise-and-bake routine of making my juices lol Can't wait to get home and juice me something SCRUMPTIOUS! I can't wait to get healthy and also release 90 pounds!!!

[commoncents]

After a few false starts, my fast got underway. I knew it would be bad because I had been seriously abusing my body, but whoa . . . !!!! Feels so good to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and not drug-induced from the sleeping pills I felt I needed to rest. Nothing beat fasting sleep!!!

I am determined to continue on in spite of the way I feel. Thank you all for your posts. They have kept me going. Had to switch over to the MC because the water detox was too intense. Taking it one day at a time.

Common

[Aleesha Sattva]

Soooo happy to hear everyone is doing what they are doing. Parz and I have decided to end our fast a few days early. We were going to fast until Saturday but changed our minds today.

Good news is, we'll be back in a few weeks so try not to miss me too much LOL

[GoodCat]

That's how we do it precious... Fast as many days as we choose :)

I had some pineapple/apple/cucumber/coconut water juice. I think it's one of my favorite juices!!

Doing Krav Maga tonight. Taking another qt. of juice with me. I'm taking green lemonade.

~The Lady Aredhel

[Aleesha Sattva]

It's how the precious is...

[MysticTree]

I wonder how early my champ juicer will arrive. I will drink only water til it does and hope it gets here in the AM. I slept really well last night. Really feeling the raw high this fast. It helps that the sun has been spotted on numerous occasions, the days are getting longer and I finish early on Friday!

[MysticTree]

It's here and the first juice made.
Pineapple and apple - I added a little water to my bottle and put that in the freezer then added the juice and put it in the fridge. That will knock the sweetness back a bit and keep it cold.

The cleaning of the screen during juicing is a little annoying and there is less juice than from my centrifugal one. I am really looking forward to using the blank plate for sorbets and ice-creams.

I don't really get why there would be less oxidisation. The food is still shredded, just like in my previous juicer, on metal teeth and I still have to strain like crazy! My old juice strained better than the champion.

It is a better made machine than the old juicer and I feel more confident that bits of the juicer won't end up in the juice. The juice tastes good but I don't have a proper comparison for that yet. It isn't difficult to clean.

I think, on the whole, I was expecting a better performance than I have got so far but this is only the first juice made.
The best juice still comes from my wine press but the process is too long to do this at work.

[Aleesha Sattva]

It's also a process. The more you use it the better you'll learn to use it. For example: I find that if I put a piece of pineapple and then two pieces of apple, and repeat - I get more juice out of the pineapple. IF the pulp is still quite moist, I put it through again.

[MysticTree]

It's also a process. The more you use it the better you'll learn to use it. For example: I find that if I put a piece of pineapple and then two pieces of apple, and repeat - I get more juice out of the pineapple. IF the pulp is still quite moist, I put it through again.I tried re-processing it but it didn't make a lot of difference to be honest. I will try the alternating thing and also try using something much drier in too. The juice is actually sublime and I am very pleased with the flavour. I will try it unstrained and see it I am just making a bit of a fuss! I know things will get better. Does yours walk? I have to hold it down when in use!

[Aleesha Sattva]

Mine doesn't move at all. It's like a tank on the counter!

I can tell you, without question, that the juice I make today with it is much better than the juice I made when I first got mine. Same with my Greenstar... you need to play with it, try different things to make it 'sing' for you.

[MysticTree]

I feel like it should hold fast. I'll check its feet tomorrow in case one is loose :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

or if there's that "plastic covering" on them? you know how some things have that little 'easy-to-remove' plastic sheeting?

also perhaps dampen the feet before placing them?

i know if i set a tea-towel under the feet it moved all over like crazy.

[commoncents]

Hello All: Last night was a real bad night. I tossed and turned and threw up several times. I really prayed last night to ride out this process. I have abused sleeping aids for a long time so this fast will be a test for me. Hope everyone is having a good day and HAPPY FASTING!!!!!

[MysticTree]

Definitely no plastic film - I know the stuff you mean. I'm sure it's an easy solve really :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i agree mystic. mind is literally like a tank. it just sits there like it's part of the counter LOL

[Aleesha Sattva]

Hello All: Last night was a real bad night. I tossed and turned and threw up several times. I really prayed last night to ride out this process. I have abused sleeping aids for a long time so this fast will be a test for me. Hope everyone is having a good day and HAPPY FASTING!!!!!

hugs to you...

[MysticTree]

Hello All: Last night was a real bad night. I tossed and turned and threw up several times. I really prayed last night to ride out this process. I have abused sleeping aids for a long time so this fast will be a test for me. Hope everyone is having a good day and HAPPY FASTING!!!!! sorry to hear you are having a rough time. Look after yourself :)

[commoncents]

Thank you all. I took the day off of work and have rested all day. I feel so much better now!!!!

[MysticTree]

day 5 today.
carrot, pear and lime in a glass on my desk made by the lovely Joyce (I named the Champ already). I am only in the office for 2 hours so a long ish weekend for me. Planning to break my fast tomorrow but back to it on Monday I think. See you all then :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i've never had that combo before. how was it?

i don't know if i shared one of our last juices. it was apple, collard greens, golden beets, lime (or meyer lemon I can't remember which) and ginger. Really nice flavour.

[MysticTree]

it was nice but the pears didn't have much pear flavour so it could have been much better. I was experimenting with different textured foods and seeing how Joyce coped with them. She did well :) I broke this afternoon with yellow melon but will be back next week :)

[MysticTree]

On a bodily function note - such a friendly forum for that - I wouldn't have expected my first period after the festive excesses to be a joyful affair and it hasn't actually been joyful to be honest but it has been 100% pain free. It has been prolonged. Both of these I put down to the fasting. The length of time I take to be a manifestation of cleansing. It has been as joyful as can be expected of such a time. I have been high as a raw kite all week though. Really blissful.

[mysticshore]

I've had a couple of days off but now I've been shopping I've plenty of fruits to juice this week. I do feel lighter and more in tune with nature, am going to try juice the rest of this month.

[robh]

I want to incorporate periodic fasting into my weekly routine.

As such, I'm going to fast today and probably tomorrow. I think a juice fast today and maybe a water fast tomorrow if I am feeling up to it.

I haven't had any juice yet.

[MysticTree]

I will be juicing again tomorrow. I've had a lovely 100% raw weekend and ready to juice again.

[MysticTree]

here I am! Apple, carrot and lemon juice in front of me and water to hand also.
I had a lovely weekend and looking forward to a fabulous week :)

[GoodCat]

I'll be fasting with you all today too. I think I have the makings for a pineapple/apple/cucumber and a green lemonade. I've been dealing with a chest cold for the last week and I have a test coming up for Krav Maga. I'm a little nervous about it since I can't hardly breathe without coughing.. augh.. I hopeful though that the juice fasting with help clear things out :)

Happy fasting to everyone :)

[MysticTree]

I've made a litre of what is essentially tomato soup for my juice today. It is pulpier (though not smoothie consistency) than I think I would ideally like but it is very good. I put a bag of carrots, about 5 sticks of celery, two punnets cherry-plum tomatoes, 1/4 bunch parsley, 1 red and 1 yellow pepper and a pinch salt. I'm drinking it out of a glass but a bowl with a spoon would be just as acceptable.

[Gianni]

Sounds delicious.

[Supa]

The freezes in Cali are making some great deals on citrus appear here and there. Five navel oranges for a buck, three red ruby grapefruit for a buck. Starting to wish I could combine the organic offerings and deals from the five scattered produce laden stores I frequent into one.

[MysticTree]

Day three:
Pineapple and apple with a carrot to help push the softer fruit through and extract more juice.
Joyce is doing very well and cleaning her is a breeze. I am not sure yet whether I am buying less produce but it feels as though I am pushing less through the juicer. very pleased with how quick she is to clean. Less pleased with the fiddly nature of fitting and removing the screen but all in all we are getting on like a house on fire.

[imaquillen]

Today is day 1 for me. My honey had his gastric bypass surgery on Monday and is doing really good. Since I don't have to make any food for him, I don't want to make any for me either, hence the fast. Made some yummy juice that should last me most of the day: pineapple, 5 apples, large handful of spinach and 1 orange.
Hope everyone has a great day!

[mysticshore]

I hope he heals swiftly, it does sound like a great time for you to fast and show your support in his new regimen. Today is shopping day and I'm hoping to get loads of fresh seasonal fruits and vege's. I'm really happy at how my kids have been craving vegtables lately, having lots of healthy choices around creates the perfect inviroment for them. They love vege's now.

[MysticTree]

more pineapple and apple but today more carrot in the mix to be sure that I get more juice out! It's very good and keeps well. The tomato, celery etc. one I made earlier in the week was lovely to start with but faded by mid morning. I didn't finish that one.

I have been shopping today but probably didn't get enough. I am making raw treats for the weekend tomorrow and I bought shed loads of dates and nuts for that. I won't be eating shed loads though. Just a small amount and share the rest with my work colleagues.

[MysticTree]

breaking today because it feels right. Beautiful, ripe, organic pears.

[mysticshore]

breaking today because it feels right. Beautiful, ripe, organic pears.

I love that, because it feels right. Perfect reason to break a fast. Your pears sound lovely.

[MysticTree]

I will be back juicing on either Sunday or Monday. My fav so far with the new juicer is pineapple, apple and carrot. It is just nectar from heaven!

[mysticshore]

That does sound lovely, I am having pineapple, carrot, celery and tomatoe today. Right now I'm fasting but it's there, in the fridge for when the late afternoon warmth takes over the house and I need refreshing and revitalizing.