diary of a first-time juicer.

Ah, yes: food. How I have missed you.

I am proud to say I completed my first juice fast successfully, that is, with practically no cheating (damn, you, peanut butter!) and I am very happy with myself. As someone who feels like I am constantly on the run, it was such a relief being able to put certain parts of my life on "pause" while the rest of me continued with the going, going, going. I honestly cannot wait for my next attempt at juicing, and I have plans to revisit this experience over Christmas vacation. Winter break is one of the few times of the year I really get to re-boot amidst the chaos and stress that is being a non-tenured teacher. I am hoping Douglas will join me (please, oh please?!) for at least a few days of the cleanse. I will probably do five days again, and this time neither Doug nor I will have to worry about being stuck indoors with homework. I am actually contemplating the idea of dedicating every Sunday in December as a "juice" day. I have several friends who fast once a week and rave about it. I think it could be a great way to help me "reclaim" those Sundays that I want to spend reflecting and relaxing but always end up spending with errands, chores, and school work. Maybe this could be my own version of Advent.

For those of you considering a juice fast of your own, here is some feedback I hope will be useful to you:

1. You may feel a bit tired during your fast, but my suggestion is to keep busy. I don't know about you, but on days when my schedule is chock-full, particularly with things I actually LIKE to do, I find that I almost have to remind myself to eat. The hardest times for me were when I was stuck inside with mind-numbing tasks (grading research papers, anyone?) and my mind kept searching for distractions, most particularly food. I tend to snack when I am bored (one of my main diet foilers) and not being able to felt like torture at times. Again, it was not really hunger, but simply an overwhelming desire to put food in my mouth. If you decide to fast, try to schedule fun activities or focus on to-do list items you would really like to check off.

2. Plan ahead. Once I went back to work, I was not prepared with the proper amount of juice for my work day, and that was real trouble for me. I did fine during the morning and early afternoon, too busy with my lessons and other activities to think about a growling tummy... but the minute the school bell rang and the day was over, I was headed for disaster. If you cannot be at home during times you would normally snack or eat a meal, be sure you have a pre-made juice with you. I do not recommend trying to push through without food (unless you are doing a complete fast) because you will be much more vulnerable to temptations. My weak moments came during times I tried to extend myself too far and ended up reaching for the easiest nourishment possible.

3. If you cannot afford the BluePrint juices I mentioned in an earlier post but would like to find other pre-made raw juices you can use as back-ups for when you are not at home, I discovered that some Whole Foods markets offer freshly made juices and nut milks that are available at about a quarter of the price. Still more expensive than juicing at home, but a more affordable option for those who need something on the run. 

Those are just my two-cents from my first experience. I hope to become more familiar with juicing recipes, which I may share with you the next time around. 

A lot of good things are coming in December. Not only Christmas (hooray!!!) but in a few days I begin an East Asian history workshop at Princeton University with my friend Alison and I will be starting my yoga classes. I have plans to see my good friend Theresa soon (it has been too long) and will be done with my final two formal observations of the year. In a few short weeks, Douglas will officially have only one year left of school. I am so excited for what is coming next and I cannot wait to relax with him over Christmas break, celebrate another semester of hard work, and plan all of the exciting adventures he and I want to get into during his last year as a Rutgers student. I am so proud of him and so full of joy and dreams over what is to come. 

juice cleanse, day 4

Little juice experiment update: I am almost through day four and I caved and ate one (heaping) spoonful of all-natural peanut butter. I am trying not to let one little setback devastate me but I do feel a little guilty. Now, granted, I did successfully meet my three-day goal, but with my updated push for five days I still have just over 24 hours to go... I was interested to see how the fasting would go now that school is back in session and my response is so-so: on one hand, it was easier because I am frequently so busy at work I don't even have time to think about food. Most days I spend my lunch "hour" (40 minutes) nibbling on something while I lead a club meeting or help a student with work. So, I made it through the day surviving on my two pre-made juices... But on the other hand, trying to make it from our 11:00 AM lunch break and the conclusion of our department meeting at 4:30 was a disaster waiting to happen. Getting home, famished, at 5:00 with no juice prepared... enter peanut-butter. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day.

So, overall I did find it easier to feel comfortable on the cleanse while keeping busy at work. One of the hardest parts about being home and fasting, besides the boredom, is being around a partner who is NOT fasting. Watching Doug eat some of my favorite snacks, smelling his food while I prepared meals, staring at his glass of wine while we cuddled on the couch... torture! I would imagine this whole process would be easier if I had a juice buddy. Douglas said he might like to try a short juice cleanse like this over Christmas break, although I think he may have reconsidered after he caught a whiff of my leafy-kale beverage last night. I hope he will try it so we can do it together next time. Yes, I plan on there being a "next time."

My goal for this last day of fasting is to really take it all in and decide where I would like this whole experience to lead me next. How do you hit the "restart" button?

juice cleanse, day 3

So here I am, three days into my juice cleanse. Everything is still going pretty well. My energy level is up a little bit (I spent Day Two in bed, boy was I tired!) and my hunger levels are about the same. One thing that is really getting to me, however, is the boredom. I am realizing how much of my focus, entertainment, and pleasure are oriented around food. While I am not physically hungry I do feel my mind craving the excitement and fulfillment of eating. That is something I am trying to overcome. I know that I am providing my body with the nourishment it needs - my vitamin/mineral intake is substantial and my caloric intake is around 1,200 calories a day (not what I would need for weight maintenance but enough to keep me from going into starvation mode). It is really just the wonderful distraction and satisfaction that food gives that I find myself craving. It was not such a big deal while I was out and about running errands on Friday, but the past two days, spent indoors with only the unpleasant act of paper-grading to distract me, that I have found myself dreaming of food. I decided I want to extend the cleanse for two more days to up the effects. I am excited to see what happens.

Today's drink of choice was this blend of kale, green apple, and pineapple. Doug thought it was gross but I actually quite liked it, you just had to get over that "freshly-cut grass" aroma.

juice cleanse, day 1

Who is that crazy girl who has not eaten a single piece of solid food all day long? Oh yeah, it's me!

I am proud to say that today I successfully began my three-day cleanse. I decided to stick with my original intentions to pursue a juice fast (thank you, everyone, for your advice!) and have been solid-food for about twenty-four hours now. Of course, rebel and rule-breaker that I am, I did not follow any of the recommendations to ease into the cleanse and instead overindulged in stuffing, red wine, and cheesecake. Douglas and I went with my family to my cousin David's house in western New Jersey for a day of fun, food, and friendly competition. It was such a great time... we got to take a spin on my cousin's four-wheeler, catch up on good conversation and relive some old memories, and we even came victoriously out of a very long game of trivial pursuit. I have to say it was quite the evening.

With the late night we had and the obscene amounts of food and beverages we consumed (I was still full when I woke up this morning) I was sure that my stomach would be growling all day long. Surprisingly, though, my system has yet to receive the shock I was anticipating... I am not as hungry as I expected. Other than a bit of fatigue, which could be related to lack of sleep as easily as it could the caloric restriction, I am actually feeling quite good.

After doing some research and considering the advice I received, I opted to follow something similar to the BluePrint Cleanse. Though not following it to a tee, I am supplementing some of my own juices with raw (unpasteurized) juices offered through the company - you can order them through delivery but I got mine at Whole Foods. I cannot afford to purchase all of my juices and I do think there is an added benefit to freshly-squeezed juice, like enzyme potency, so I am preparing about half of my juices at home using Doug's family's juicer. So far, so good! I cannot say that it would not be nice to chew something right about now, but the hunger is seriously minimal. In addition to the fruit/veggie juices, the cleanse includes one fresh nut milk a day, which adds some substance and fiber to the regimen and helps provide a feeling of fullness. The caloric intake is not much lower than my usual routine, so it is really just the gratification of chewing something hearty that is missing. I do not want to speak to soon, but so far I like it. Without my normal preoccupations of purchasing, preparing, and consuming food (which I am finding takes up a substantial amount of my day) I have been able to focus on some areas of my life that need a little bit of attention and rehabilitation... precisely why I wanted to do this in the first place. I will let you know how it goes on Day Two!