Day 4: The Curious Case of the Furry Tongue

before running and brushing

I just got off the phone with Lanae and I had been telling her than my tongue felt like I just ate too much pineapple.  That weird feeling that isn't quite any of these.. but resembles: numbness, a very faint stinging, and it just feels thick.  Some google searches later and I find out that a white and coated tongue is common in initial stages of juice fasting. I immediately jumped up and looked in the mirror and there it was.  A disgusting white and furry tongue.

After some more research I find out that it is the result of excess protein secretions that bacteria have giant orgy love affairs with...in my mouth.  I now sit here writing this post with a sore tongue from scrubbing too long and hard with my toothbrush and rinsing with mouthwash.  Twice. Now I would like to note that I brushed my teeth this morning, and I brush my tongue when I do so, so that build up was from only a half of a day.  According to http://www.izocleanse.com/article/different-juice-fasting-stages-detoxification, "headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, glazed eyes and a heavily coated tongue are signs of the first stage of cleansing. Hunger can be the most intense in this period unless the enema is used which quickly assists the body into the fasting state by ending digestion in the colon."  If you are considering a juice fast, that enema idea may not be as bad as it sounds....

after furiously scrubbing

So now that I was the last to know about furry tongue, I looked up what other surprises may be lurking.  Second half of week one and the following is (allegedly) supposed to happen:

"Fats, composed of transformed fatty acids, are broken down to release glycerol from the gliceride molecules and are converted to glucose. The skin may become oily as rancid oils are purged from the body. People with problem-free skin may have a few days of pimples or even a boil. A pallid complexion is also a sign of waste in the blood. Ketones are formed by the incomplete oxidation of fats. It is suspected that the ketones in the blood suppress the appetite by affecting the food-satiety center in the hypothalamus. You may feel hungry for the first few days of the fast. This effect is temporary. The desire to eat will disappear. Lack of hunger may last 40 to 60 days, depending on whether you are on water or juice.
The body embraces the fast and the digestive system is able to take a much-needed rest, focusing all of its energies on cleansing and healing. White blood cell and immune system activity increases. You may feel pain in your lungs. The cleansing organs and the lungs are in the process of being repaired. Periodically, the lymphatic system expels mucoid matter through the nose or throat. The volume excreted of this yellow-colored mucus can be shocking. The sinuses go through periods of being clogged, then will totally clear. The breath is still foul and the tongue coated. Within the intestine, the colon is being repaired and impacted feces on the intestinal wall."

After 10 days or so...."the body's healing process is at optimum efficiency. As the body scours for dead or damaged tissue, the lymphocytes enter the older, damaged tissue secreting substances to dissolve the damaged cells. These substances irritate the nerves in the surrounding region and cause a reoccurrence of aches from previously injured areas that may have disappeared years earlier. The pain is good as the body is completing the healing process. The muscles may become tight and sore due to toxin irritation. The legs can be the worst affected, as toxins accumulate in the legs. Cankers are common in this stage due to the excessive bacteria in the mouth. Daily gargling with salt and water will prevent or heal cankers."  All that sounds cool.  Get me there.

I've had mucus issues since Thanksgiving resulting in bronchitis and a sinus infection that laughed at more than one antibiotic prescription.  I can say that I have been able to breathe through my nose for the first time in over 6 weeks since I have started juicing.  That could be coincidence with my body just finally getting better or a benefit of juicing, I don't know.  I am not 100% clear by any means but I am able to smell things occasionally which is a novel feeling at this point.

Speaking of smelling, mom says she does.  Must be those "rancid oils" oozing out of her pores. For all I know, I smell too, considering the only smells I have noticed are very fragrant...like onions.  And my brother's damn fried chicken strips baking in the oven.  Anywho, she said even after she showered she said she still smells...off.  Apparently this is all normal  and means our bodies are cleansing.  So yay for furry tongues and body odor!  Errrr...yeah?

~Jacquelyn