By Natasha Julius
Some people start the New Year off with a few poxy resolutions scribbled down somewhere only to be forgotten by February. Me? I’m going on a two-week juice fast.
Day 3: Sipping point
Today I faced my first major test of the young fasting season. I went back to my job. Teaching yoga. I’m not going to try and compare the physical demands of yoga instruction with those of, say, building a house or lumberjacking, but the fact of the matter is it’s an energy-consuming enterprise. All things considered, I think I managed to pull it off. Fortunately, the spigot that is my nose stopped dripping for the duration of class, and no one seemed to notice any abnormal spaciness. I did learn one thing for certain, though: I need to drink more juice.
Yeah, yeah, that may not seem like much of a revelation, but when I started researching juice fasting I found there wasn’t a lot of information out there on how much juice to consume in a day. Most estimates put the proper quantity somewhere between 32 and 64 ounces. I’m assuming the low end is for people who either a) want to lose weight or b) sit on their duffs all day. As someone with an active job, I should probably park myself at the high end of that scale.
I’ve learned something else over the past three days that will serve me well. When I first started juicing, I treated each glass like a meal. I drank fairly quickly and rode the subsequent wave of energy. The key to this fasting thing lies in one simple motto: ABS. Always be sipping. If you take the juice in slowly, allowing maybe 5 minutes per ounce, you’ll have a steady stream of nourishment throughout the day. Also, when you’re not sipping juice you really should be sipping water because . . . well, I’m getting to that.
So in conclusion, I learned two important things today, which means this fast has already made me significantly smarter. With some careful planning and consideration, I might just survive the whole two weeks.
Day 3 Hunger Level: Much better than yesterday, probably due largely to my new sipping strategy. The nature of the hunger itself is also different. What was a pulsating supernova of emptiness yesterday has collapsed to a dense neutron star of need. There’s a pit in my stomach, noticeable most of the time but no longer agitated. I’m hopeful that eventually it’ll fade out altogether.
Day 3 Energy Level: Consistently high, except for a brief period after my last class. I had run out of juice and, while reading on the bus, experienced a rapid drop in energy. At first it freaked me out, but to be honest it wasn’t too much different than what usually happens when I try to read on the bus. They heat the crap out of those things, you know? Anyway, I had a generous serving of juice when I got home and I’m feeling just fine now.
Day 3 Physical Condition: OK, folks, things are starting to get a little weird around here. First of all, my eyelids ache. I’m serious. They’re achy. I’m also experiencing an odd sort of fleeting hypersensitivity to touch. Every so often, I’ll suddenly become acutely aware of everything that’s in contact with my body. If I touch my fingers together, they feel ticklish. Delicate waves of warm and cold flow over exposed skin. I’m well aware this quality may have distinct advantages if properly harnessed, so for the moment I’m not complaining. Finally, I mentioned that my nose has stopped running. However, that doesn’t mean toxic scum isn’t still trickling into my nose, ears, eyes and throat. Like I said, always be sipping. Otherwise, you’ll find out what the crap that’s been hiding in your sinuses tastes like.
Day 3 Mental State: Pretty chill. I keep thinking someone’s going to ask me a question and I’ll just stare blankly at them and get a nose bleed, but so far I’ve actually managed to respond to every inquiry in fairly clean and concise fashion. Damn, maybe this fast really is making me smarter.
Day 3 Juices:
#1: Lime, Orange, Pear, Seltzer Water
#2: Blueberry, Pineapple, Cucumber, Grape
#3: Carrot, Beet, Cucumber, Red Pepper
#4: Beet, Parsley, Red Pepper, Apple
#5: Purchased Odwalla Superfood Drink (full bottle)
Total amount: approx. 54 oz.
Previously:
* On The Juice: Day 1. If you can’t beet it, juice it.
* On The Juice: Day 2: Fire in the glory hole!
Posted on January 3, 2007