Another New Day

Breakfast

Could you eat all of the veggies and fruit in that picture for one meal? I didn't think so. That's where juicing comes in. With juicing, you can get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients out of an over-sized portion of produce into a 20 oz. serving of juice. Another added benefit is that since it's in juice form, it's readily digestible. Those nutrients can go right to work without needing to wait for your digestion system to break the food down. This gives your system a much needed break. When I think about all the things I'm used to eating, I can only imagine the beating I've been giving my stomach, intestines and colon. The last 4-1/2 days have been a journey, a new experience. A time to focus on my body and its main needs. I've stood strong in the face of temptation knowing that I was doing a good thing for my body.

20 oz. juice for Breakfast

I woke up this morning feeling worse than before. First, I couldn't drag myself out of bed until 10am. I was achy, exhausted and definitely not feeling the burst of energy I've been waiting for. In the past I've had this sharp pain in my lower back/upper hip area that at times makes it difficult to get to a standing position. Well, that pain is back today. It seems that with each day of my juice fast, instead of improving, I'm getting worse. Maybe it's the lack of protein? I don't know. I can't really say I'm that surprised with my results, but I am happy that I tested the whole juice fast thing out. 

Tonight I will be breaking my fast. I've been contemplating that throughout the day and am not sure I feel about it. Yes, I'm thrilled at the thought of actually chewing something. Yes, I'm ready for some processed sugar. But I'm also scared of falling back into my old eating habits. I'm afraid the weight loss I've experienced is only temporarily. Another fear is that I'll go straight back to my emotional eating. So while I am excited to eat again, I am a bit apprehensive about my emotions and thought process. 

Lunch

Throughout this journey, I have learned a few things about myself. I do have the self control and will power to be in control of what I eat. I don't have to run to food every time I'm stressed or feel the need to be rewarded. I've also learned to be more aware of what my body needs versus what my brain wants. Every time my tummy growls or my brain says "need brownies!!" I don't have to give in. I can say no to myself. I don't have to, but I can. I feel empowered knowing that I'm stronger than I thought. Do I feel healthier? Physically, not at all. If I only went on how my body is feeling, I wouldn't be able to tell I've changed my eating habits at all. But knowing that I've cleaned out my system (trust me, I know.) and removed toxins from my body does make me feel healthier from the inside out. So even if I didn't get the results I expected and hoped for, I don't consider this 5 day experience a total waste. More later tonight when I've officially ended my fast.