I hope you enjoyed the last posts on why I chose to juice detox, and how I did it. It isn’t scientific (you can find heaps of that all over the web), as much as it is a recount of the personal, physiological, and emotional effects I encountered.
Wow. What an experience.
As I write this, 2 weeks after the completion of the detox experiment, I still find myself influenced by the experience.
I’m more appreciative, thankful, thoughtful, and concious of the wonderful foods I eat.
In this post, I will give you more of an insight into what I gained from it, and what I will do differently next time. This will hopefully give you (and I) closure, and wrap the experience up with some excellent take-home messages.
My summary of the 5 days on juice
Day 1 was an adjustment to the absence of food
Energy levels were good, but breakfast was, well, a bore. Lunch was coming. Yay! Oh, wait, I’m not allowed to eat. Hunger pains, so maybe I should just reach for a tasty snack….. of yet another juice. So, so much fluid!
Day 2 was all about struggle
Struggle with the impulsive need to chew on something, and with the reduction in energy levels as my body adjusted to this new energy source. I became less and less “hungry” as I turned to replenishments of juice every 30 minutes or so, which left me surprisingly satisfied.
Despite this, I was noticeably clearer in thought and more relaxed. The juicing was having good effect.
Day 3 was revelation and hell, all in one
I awoke with good energy levels, feeling energetic and with no desire to eat anything. At this point, I had reached peace with the absence of solids in my diet. I felt great for the most part of the day, having great mental focus and energy. I was realising my desire to eat was less about satisfying a hunger, the juice was taking care of that. It was more to satisfy the habit of eating.
Then, it started.
By mid afternoon, I would find myself feeling mildly dizzy, or even “drunk”. Happy drunk though. I would stand up and have to pause, taking deep breaths to wait for the room to stop spinning. It would take longer for me to conclude my thoughts, despite having a clear mind. Life was in the slow lane.
Time for another juice, which helped restore energy momentarily.
At this point, I really questioned my reason for undertaking such a cause. My integrity and desire to complete pushed me through.
Day 4 – welcome to cloud land
After a stressful day prior, and a dramatic loss of body fluid overnight, my body was out of sorts, and the symptoms of slow thought and dizziness mildly intensified.
I was living in a cloud.
At this point, I made the executive decision to include protein supplement more frequently in an attempt to provide an energy boost. My energy returned, and I was no longer interested in the idea of food.
My commitment was strong and my desire to prove to myself that I could make the 5 day duration was empowering.
Day 5 and the joy of an immanent end
Gratitude, elation, and excitement at the prospect of food! With energy levels and my spirit high, the final day was all about reflection and focus on the delicacies to come.
A short day to end a long week without food!
What I learnt from the 5 days of juice detox
If you read the first post in this series, you’ll know that I did this juice detox not to lose weight, but to cleanse my body and reconnect with my food.
The juice detoxing experience provided me exposure to a new way of being, which didn’t include the nutritious munchies that I surrounded myself with daily.
More than anything, It highlighted just how much my life revolves around food.
If you think long and hard, I’m sure you’ll agree.
With all that goes on in life, it took isolation from food to regain an appreciation for it’s place as part of my being.
A new appreciation for:
- The meditative effect of food preparation – Preparing your meal is exciting, calming, soothing, and satisfying. To share the experience with another is to add a whole other (most enjoyable) dimension. I realised that food preparation offered a meaningful distraction from my worries, fears, and insecurities, and provided a social setting to connect with those I care for most.
- The consumption of food is a joyous experience to cherish – I had become numb to the experience of food consumption. It had become a necessity – to fuel the activity that I surrounded myself with daily. Once removed, the wonders of texture, sight, smell, and taste, became ever so apparent to me. Prior to the detox, repetitive meals, lacking in variety, were not doing the potential experience justice.
- It takes time – In order to experience any joy from food, there must be ample time available! Meal time had become a rushed chore that stood in the way of bigger and better things. I realised there is nothing more important than food, so I should devote more time to being grateful, appreciative, and respectful of the gift I am given each and every day.
Without food, there is no life.
I now can see that to enjoy the experience of food first of all with myself, then with others, is the most important thing I have.
In future, I plan to appreciate these, and more.
What I will do different next time
Committing to 5 day of juice detox was an enlightening experience, and an achievement I am proud to have completed.
If you have made it this far, and have read the first and second posts, you will appreciate the open minded way that I conducted the detox experiment. As this was my first time, there are, of course, improvements that I would like to make to have the experience even more effective.
In fact, there are 3.
1. Duration of the detox
As I have hinted throughout, I loved the juice detox experience, and I will be doing it again.
In fact, to continually remind myself of the joy of food and provide my body with a cleanse, I am committing to a 3 day juice detox at the beginning of every month.
Why 3 days?
I found that I achieved the most value from my juice detox experience by the end of the third day. The subsequent days were draining; spent floating around waiting for permission to chew into a juicy lentil burger.
2. Higher dosage of juice
My single heaped teaspoon of Vital Greens wasn’t enough. To combat this, I was consuming many more glasses (and hence more water) to achieve the nutrition level my body required.
I believe the excess water had a dilution effect, and I wasn’t getting the full benefit of the nutrient I was consuming.
Next time, I am going to do one of the following to increase the nutrient content:
- a minimum 2 teaspoon dose of Vital Greens; or
- mix Vital Greens with another green drink such as barley grass or wheatgrass.
3. Include a plant based protein source first thing in the morning
As I found in my results, I required something in addition to fuel my body through the detox process.
I chose pea protein.
The main reasons for choosing this was because it is plant based, and dissolves in water (so requires low amounts of energy for digestion).
In future, I will be experimenting with the inclusion of either half an avocado or 30-60g of pea protein first thing in the morning to supplement the detox.
I believe this will provide the energy I felt I lacked, and the ability to complete the detox without caving to the temptation of a quick fix.
There you have it! The end of my 5 days on a juice detox.
I totally loved the experience, and I think there are many more people out there, including you, that would love it too.
If you ever needed any more inspiration to give it a go, check out the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It really highlights that all types of people can get something out of the experience.
Please, if you liked this story, share it with someone who you think might benefit. I hope I can be an inspiration to the well being of others, and show just how easy you can make something which seems so radical.
Thanks for reading my work.
Like it? Please share with your friends on social media. The more people I can inspire, the happier I’ll be.
Until next time…..
Yours in inspiration,
Jason
Enter your details to get my newsletter emailed to you for free!