Day Three: Raw Juice Detox Diet

When my wife asked me if I wanted to go on a three day juicing detox diet, I was skeptical. Hell no, I don’t WANT to go on a three day juicing detox diet. I want to order a pizza and wash it down with a Bloody Caesar or beer! Then to top it all off, she asked if I wanted to have a raw, vegan Thanksgiving dinner! Once again, hell no was the first thing that came to mind. However, I agreed, knowing that it was good for me, and resigning myself to the fact that if it meant that much to her and it was going to be good for me, then I should at least give it a try. It’s hard to argue with the fact that eating healthy is good for you.

First, Thanksgiving: We did not have the traditional turkey dinner, we had a fresh salad, topped with a vinaigrette we made ourselves. Next we had stuffing made from Olive oil, Portabello mushrooms, walnuts, Braggs amino acids, apple cider vinegar, sage, thyme, carrots and raisins. No, it did not taste like Thanksgiving stuffing, but it was great! I couldn’t believe it tasted so good.  Along with the stuffing, we had a sweet potato and turnip mash with cinnamon and nutmeg, which also tasted very good. She then made raw cranberry sauce to add a bit of sweetness to the mix. I have to tell you, this meal was filling and tasted amazing. I had never eaten like this before, I was under the influence of societies norms and had always followed tradition, but this was something new and delicious and I could feel the meal energize me. I wasn’t tired, or bloated, or miserable, like I usually am after thanksgiving dinner, I felt wonderful. I am definitely open to doing it again next year, even though I might throw a turkey in there next year to appease the man-beast that craves meat, we’ll see.

Next is my three day juice detox diet. I really didn’t know if I could do this. The thought of only drinking fresh juice for three days and not eating anything didn’t sit well with me, but I did it as an experiment to see if I could I do it and how would my body react. I have never liked vegetables very much, I would eat an occasional salad to make myself feel better about my diet, but the earth taste of most vegetables was too much for me. We began by watching a movie called “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” (You can watch the entire thing on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia-gi9IQzSs), which gave me a man’s perspective into the consequences of what I eat and what I don’t eat. We bought this huge, expensive juicer and started. After only two days, I feel amazing! I can’t remember the last time I’ve had so much energy and have felt so clearheaded. I have lost almost seven pounds and I still have one more day to go! My sense of smell has improved so much, I had to quit using my AXE body spray because I can smell all of the chemicals in it now and it overpowers my nose and gives me a headache. I’m not advocating a lifestyle here, or trying to advertise anything, I am just telling you my experience.

I actually like the taste of vegetables now, my taste buds have adapted quickly and now the thought of eating raw beets (which by the way turns your poop blood red, which was scary at first), turnips, broccoli, onions, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, kale, parsley, cucumbers, radishes, celery, carrots, swiss chard, cabbage, sweet potatoes (yes, we juiced sweet potatoes), romain lettuce, tomatoes, and countless fruits, seems tasty. Don’t get me wrong, it has been difficult, my body wants to eat and while it is detoxing you may have to stay close to the bathroom. But, I can tell it is getting rid of stuff that shouldn’t be there. I can feel myself getting healthier by the hour. I can’t do this forever, I like to eat and can’t wait to chew something again, but I believe I will still do a two day juice fast once a month or so, just to keep my body running clean. Oh yeah, my blood pressure has gone from a hypertensive average of 140/80 to a normal average of 100/68, which protects my kidneys and keeps me out of ELana’s dialysis clinics. It has done this in TWO days! I am not a vegetarian and I will continue to eat meat, fish etc., although grain fed beef or venison is what I will seek out, but I will eat it in moderation.

In closing, I tried something out of my comfort zone and found an amazing source of health and nutrition that I wasn’t getting daily. I also found that I began to really like vegetables, which was a huge change for me. I am happy I tried it, and I will do it again. In the meantime, I can’t wait to eat something tomorrow! This has motivated me to make better decisions with what I eat, at least as much as possible, we still live in a fast paced world and I still crave fried catfish and hushpuppies, and I will still give in once in a while and eat things I shouldn’t, but moderation is the key. I wonder what I will break my fast on, something halfway healthy, I hope. If you’re not feeling well, need to detox your body, or just wouldn’t mind running on all eight cylinders for a while, give jucing a try, I am hooked! ELana, thank you for asking me to do this and for opening up my eyes to what I can do if I put my mind to it. Here’s to a long healthy life!