Day 9

Wow...9 days. I'm shocked I am here.  We are about to go to costco and do another large haul.  We bought some little additions along the way but this will be our first big trip since day zero.  I am sitting here writing this while smelling my brother's breakfast of waffles.  I can't say that I don't want to punch something, but I will say I was doing just fine til he woke up.  I'm quickly writing this so I can go down a glass of juice.  I'm fine once I have some again.  We have been adding 1 tablespoon of chia seeds to a little water in between one meal a day, and also adding 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed to a juice per day.  I couldn't remember if I had mentioned that before.  My mom and I don't know when our end day is, we are still taking it one day at a time.  If I am correct, Lanae is beginning her next 5 day juice fast tomorrow.  She is doing 5 on 5 off I believe.  Hopefully she will post about that later. Anyway, I have to go down some juice before I go eat the toaster. 

Day 8: 11 pounds down

Today was weigh in day.  I'm down 11, Mom is down 9.5.  She is much smaller than I am and I was surprised she lost so much as well.  We know this is lots of water weight included, but still, I needed that after the crap that was yesterday.  Now that I am consistently smelling things (after 6+ weeks of super congestion), I realize the juices I have had zero problems with tasting...smell pretty bad.  This must be why Mom hasn't liked them as much as I have...cause they reek.  So advice to new juicers- pinch your nose, juice tastes good but smells like rotting flesh sometimes.  Here is a peppy picture of my mother juicing.  You notice there is not a peppy picture of myself juicing.  That's cause I'm a fatty, and in true fatty form, I hate pictures.

~Jacquelyn

F@%$ Day 7

This was absolutely my worst day yet.  I had to work again, which probably made it worse than if I just stayed home in my protective fruit and veggie cocoon.  What is that picture?  Oh, thats my juice at work, where I serve good greasy food.  What is that next to it?  You tell me.  I came back to have more juice and there it was, taunting me.  Every waking minute I was thinking about food.  Again, I have to admit it is not that I am dying to throw whole fruit and veggies in just to chew...I want steaks and mashed potatoes and burgers and pizza.  I'm not even a big fan of pizza, but I want it.  Ugh.  I had to white knuckle the steering wheel the whole way home to keep from pulling off and getting food somewhere.  If I didn't have my mom waiting at home, all happy from juicing, I would not have made it.  That guilt was enough...for today....

Day 6: Cauliflower juice smells like poop

....but it didn't ruin my juice so I'll let cauliflower live.  Today I had to brave going to the store and only buying more fruits and veggies.  I told my mom we had to hurry up and get the hell out of there cause I wanted to rub up on all things yummy.  I struggled with hunger today for the first time.  I'm going to add more juice to my day tomorrow to help out, definitely want to listen to my body.  Speaking of, Lanae told me she was going to introduce solids back into her diet today.  She feels like she needs more and she is breast feeding so she definitely needs to listen to her body.  If I didn't have my mom to keep juicing with me I think my motivation would have plummeted, which is interesting because I really feel this is an independent, soul searching type of journey that you fight your demons in.  I guess knowing someone else is fighting theirs helps.  I'll have to update this later with the pictures and recipes from today's juice fest.  I am just too lazy right now.  On to day 7...

Day 5

Today I had to go to work and serve delicious, fatty restaurant food to people and opt to NOT eat it as well.  I cannot explain how difficult it is to see and smell good greasy food and stay on track.  Somehow, I managed but I am dreading my next shift.  I will say that I do not feel more restricted from juicing than I do from any other diet type thing I have done.  I don't have an inherent desire to chew something like some others seem to when they juice.  I just want to eat the same fatty things that got me fat.  So that doesn't count against the juicing...its not the fast's fault that I'm moo moo mooing all the way home.  I have still been pretty satisfied, and I have been drinking the low end amount of juice.  I could up my meals two more servings if things get rough.  Lanae said she was struggling a little more today, and was really craving some healthy protein solids.  I had dirty dreams about food again but, hey, day five is over now.

This is a picture of how much juice comes from 12oz of spinach...not much


~Jacquelyn

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

Day 4

The caffeine withdrawals all happened day 1 and they weren't that bad.  I was expecting them to get miserable day 2. But nope!  Nothing day 2! The hardest part of the day for me has been mid-day around 4ish, which is surprising because on every other type of food restriction I've ever done, my x-rated food fantasies were at night before bed.

Going strong!

~Lanae