Project Self: Juice

Most of you who regularly read already know that my husband and I are doing a juice fast. Today is day 7 and we've both had some ups and downs from last Saturday to this point, but I think we're happy to keep going after talking through our feelings. Husband is very confident that he can "go the distance," while I have wavering cravings between lentils and salad or pizza and pasta. Obviously, I don't want to break my fast on a pizza/pasta kind of day.

Another challenge facing us right now is hurricane Irene. She's headed right for our area on Saturday afternoon and while everyone is boarding their windows on the coast, inland, I'm worried about the electricity going down for a length of time, in which case, we can't juice. Also, produce will go bad in the fridge after 24 hours, so we're praying and crossing our fingers that everyone stays safe and that we have access to the juicer. I know that sounds so lame in comparison to the millions who've been hit and for what's to come. I'm really not shallow, but it's something we have to face this weekend if the time comes. Most canned/dried foods aren't exactly "healthy."

If you're interested, keep reading to see some of my favorite juice recipes to date and a photo of ... a ton of produce at once.

8 cups of kale, 8 large carrots, 4 large beets, 2 red delcious apples, 2 inches of fresh ginger

My friends, that is a picture of TWO juice servings pre-juice. You ingest so.many.nutrients on this fast, it's not even funny. In the same vein, you are not ingesting several of the things your body is used to, so you have to weigh the pros and cons if this is a fast you're interested in trying. Barring the last two days, while I've had a really bad head cold, I've felt pretty good. I had a headache on day 2, which is totally normal. And colds are normal as well, but I still attribute my virus to the kiddos since they all have runny noses and slight coughs. We all woke up with it on the same morning and they're not juicing. The math is pretty plain to me.

Our favorite juices so far are: Blackberry Kiwi and my creation, "Watermelon Wonder."

Watermelon Wonder Juice

- 1/4 small watermelon, sliced and cubed, use rind!)

- 1/4 c. fresh pineapple, cored and diced

- 1/4 c. fresh blueberries

- 1 c. purple cabbage

- 1 heart of romaine

** Place ingredients in juicer, stir to blend. Enjoy.

Yes, we like fruit in our juices. Yes, fruit is high in sugar. And yes, I'm a little nervous about all the sugar I'm taking in by juicing a zillion fruits a day. I also juice tons of veggies and greens, but just because I have lots of those doesn't mean they cut the sugar I'm taking in. We were also nervous about protein, although I've read tons of mixed reviews on worrying about protein while fasting. One school of thought is that your muscles will break down if you don't eat the right amount and right type of protein, so a fast is depriving you of that. The other is that a fast is a cleanse- a detox, and while your body might not be taking a certain nutrient, now is not the time to build. It's the time to break down so you can be a clean slate to build upon when done. Now, if I planned to go a ridiculous amount of time on juice only, I'd be a little nervous about the protein thing. But we're not getting crazy up in here. Promise. And we do eat two egg whites each day + kale and spinach are packed with protein! Usually you wouldn't get the amount you need via eating a green salad each day, alone. But with the quantity of greens we take, I'm not that concerned.

I really appreciate ALL of you who are supporting and encouraging me to continue this fast. Your comments, emails, and tweets have been pushing me forward when I get weak. I hope I can make it to my projected goal date, but I also want to break my fast in time to re-introduce solid foods and feel comfortable enjoying my best friend's wedding! So everything is day-by-day and in stride. We do what we feel and right now, we're moving forward with juice tomorrow! Now, for the weigh-in!

last week's weight: 189.6

current weight: 182.4

down: 7.2

lbs. to go:  62.4

Obviously the fast helps you lose weight. But it's tough to keep it off since this is such a drastic way of "eating." I'm also painstakingly aware of that, but if you've read over the week or watched my video diary, you know that I'm in this for the cleanse, not the weight loss. It's just an added perk and good motivation to keep healthy when we move on!

Check out my juice diary!

Now, link your healthy self up!