Juicing Veggies!

So your going on a juice fast! You consulted with your primary care physician and you read up on how to do it, what to expect and now your ready to hit the road running, juicer in hand!

Here are some tips and information on what you can expect on your juice fasting journey.

1. Hunger Pangs – Lets get something straight, this part is not fun and happily can be alleviated quickly. As your diet in consisting of only vegetables and fruit, your stomach is processing food much quicker and can become empty. The pains in the abdominal region are correlated with contractions of the empty stomach and intestines. This is very common in the first three days of fasting. Solution – drink lots of water. Another solution, make a juice drink with avocado. They are very filling and still on the list of greens. Just put in blender then add to your juicing recipe. Just make certain there are no chunks.
2. Weakness – Just to clarify, weakness is not caused from the lack of food when fasting with a juicing fast. You are receiving more micro-nutrients from your juicing than you would normally get from normal food intake. Your body is cleansing and detoxifying itself from impure chemicals, preservatives, and unhealthy foods stored in the body. Your will experience the chills and be a little more colder than your normally are. Since you are not expelling a lot of energy at this time, try to rest and be gentle with yourself the first three days. You will find that later on your will experience more energy and focus.
3. Bad Breath and Body Odor – Oh crimy! Not really what you where looking forward too, but hey, let’s keep with the plan and get through the detox shall we! As your body goes through elimination of toxic buildup in your body, body oder and bad breath are very common. Add some alfalfa to your juicing recipes. Your tongue will become white and coated, which causes the bad breath. Using a tongue scraper may help and I always use ginger and some garlic to some recipes which helps with building the immune system. This stinko part is temporary and will evade.
4. Dizziness and Nausea – Experiencing these symptoms may happen in the first couple of days or they may not. Try drinking a glass of carrot and capsicum juice, it will work wonders. At times, your blood sugar levels will become unbalanced while fluctuating with your juice intake. Keep strong and rest when needed. Your body is beginning to heal itself and this is a good thing. Keep in mind sugars and caffeine withdrawal will contribute to dizziness. Stay strong my friend!
5. Bowel Movements – Hey HOOO, some people may experience diarrhea. If you do, just keep in mind, the fruits your juicing have a natural laxative effect. This can be a very common symptom to fasting while juicing. Enemas may help speed up the process. Elimination of mucus or dark stools is normal as these are elimination of toxins. Know too, not everyone goes through this symptom. Do not take medications to stop up the process. Just allow it to take its course. Balance a nice blend of veggies and fruits through out the day.
6.  Aches and Pains – As your body is detoxifying, muscles may become tighter resulting in pain or discomfort. The body is pushing toxins out of the body as it is going through a healing process. Its a lot on some people and resting is essential. its not harmful, just a healing action taking place. Drink plenty of water and potassium in some fruits may help to subside some discomfort. If you experience severe pain, stop fasting and always keep in consult with your primary care physician. Continuing on with a healthy diet when breaking from fasting is important. Listen to your body and if you need to reconsider your fast, do so.