Day 2

I'm going to start today by saying that I feel really good, I'm not hungry at all, had no headache last night, slept like a baby!

It's noon. I'm still on Juice #1. This time yesterday, I had started juice #3.

I want to chew something really bad. It doesn't even matter what it is. A grape. A piece of bread. A cracker. It's the chewing motion I miss right now. Weird.

I am waterlogged. I know why I'm not hungry, I haven't stopped my fluid intake! It is hard for me to get down this much liquid in a day (96 oz. of fresh juice, and about 36 oz. of water interspersed throughout the day).

I am going to modify the amounts of liquid, because I'd rather get some of the six juices in me, rather than pretty much have to punt the almond milk, like I did last night because I just couldn't drink anymore. I am going to take 12 of the 16 oz. and see if that's a bit easier. And I'll go down to 24 oz. of water in between.

I do need to admit that I did have two Triscuit crackers yesterday with Juice #3. I said yesterday that the Vitariffic juice (the green vegetable one) wasn't that bad, and I meant it. But when you're at 28 oz., looking at four more oz. to go, I needed something to help. Other than that, it's been all juice and water.

The coconut milk is fine, I got that one down without any problems. My disappointment yesterday was with the carrot, apple, beet juice. I was looking forward to that one and it wasn't what I had hoped for. I forgot to ask this morning when I went for my refill of juices if they juice the carrot and beet tops as well. I'm almost sure of it. The juice tasted like there was dirt in it. It was OK, but there was definitely a taste from the tops; it didn't ruin it for me, but I was disappointed. Hopefully today's batch will be better!

The last juice was the almond milk. To be quite honest, I got six oz. into it and quit. I was done for the day.

I never thought the amount would be a problem. I was ready for the taste to be awful, and found that wasn't a factor. I also thought I would be famished, again, not the case.

So, since I've been typing, I've gotten to 12 oz. of #1 and have started #2. The grapefruit mint is my favorite!

And instead of a one oz. shot of wheatgrass, this morning I had a two oz. shot.

I feel really good! That has been the best part of this, no fatigue, no drag, I'm alert and clear, I have been working on a project all morning on the computer and I've been racing through it and getting it done. Other than an occasional gurgle in my stomach, it's been good.

Tomorrow is the last day of the detox. Then it will be smarter choices beginning on Friday.

The Juice Cleanse

Right after I say I'm gonna post every day, I take a week off.

I wasn't ready to start for a couple of reasons. Easter was fast approaching, and while I didn't think I was going to just stuff my face with all the Easter trimmings, it seemed like suicide to start just before the holiday. Also, my kids were out of school on Good Friday and also today, Easter Monday, and I wanted to start when I knew it would be just me for the first few days.

So I spent the time doing some more research on some things and decided I'm going to start with a detox. We have a local juice place here in Boise called Tree City Juice and Smoothie Cafe, and they offer a three to five day juice cleanse/detox program. I called to ask some questions and signed myself up. I will start tomorrow morning, just the three day, as it will be the first time I try this.

Six raw juices are prepared, and I will be drinking those all day, every couple of hours or so, with plenty of water. The first and third juice of the day is the 'green' one, it's called Vitariffic and has spinach, parsley, celery, carrots, kale, dandelion greens, lemon, ginger root, and pear; the information says this helps the liver and kidneys. Grapefruit Mint is the second juice and helps with fat burning and digestion. The fourth juice is coconut water, which I know now is all the rage, but I have not tried it as I'm not a huge fan of coconuts. This juice has lots of electrolytes, more potassium than two bananas, and zero fat. Next, there is the CAB juice, carrots, apples, and beets, which promote oxygenation of the blood and revitalizes the skin. The last juice of the day is Almond Milk. Again, not something I've tried, and the only one I'm slightly leery about, as I've read in the past that almonds should be avoided by people with thyroid problems, but I figure as a detox drink it's probably OK and almonds do have lots of minerals and are a good protein source.

They will make these fresh for me tomorrow morning and I will pick all six of them up right after I drop the kids off at school. Oh and let me not forget the wheatgrass shot. I'll have one of those when I pick up my juices. Now, wheatgrass is something I've had before, I used to have an awesome trainer who insisted on a shot of wheatgrass when our workout was done. Wheatgrass is one of those things that has a distinctive taste, but the taste can be affected by how it's grown. Sometimes it was no problem to get it down. Sometimes it would make me nauseous. Tree City grows its own wheatgrass, so I'm hoping that since they are making it in smaller batches and keeping a close eye on it, it will be the former for me, not the latter. The benefits of wheatgrass are disputed, but the chlorophyll from the fresh plant does seem to have some positive effects on the body.

I'm supposed to abstain from coffee, alcohol, and snacks while on the cleanse. I am supposed to exercise moderately. I've been told that the first day is often the hardest for those who have never done a juice fast before. And that by the third day I might be feeling kinda cold. But, I should also wind up sleeping better, should have more energy and clarity, and some weight loss to show for it. Plus, with all the vitamins and good stuff coming in from fresh juices that haven't been heat treated, that has to be good for me, too.

I'm looking forward to this! I have a feeling I'll be drinking something all day, so I'll have to have a bottle with me at all times to get down the juices. Tomorrow is a new day!