As a response to my raw Christmas overindulgence (raw chocolate, cakes, desserts, oh my!), I decided to embark on some sort of green smoothie/juice fast. After such a wonderful (and healthy) holiday season, I was still feeling a tad lethargic and "full", and my digestion certainly needed a turnaround.
"the glow" juice blend from Sarma Melingailis' Living Raw Food
I have never attempted a 'full on' juice fast (or 'feast' as some raw foodists lovingly refer to it), as I always felt I might lack the willpower and stamina (I love to eat!). So, what I decided to do was my own mini-2 or 3 day break from heavy foods, and attempted to "live light". For my 'feast', I've opted to stick to mostly liquids: green smoothies, watery fruit such as melons, pineapple, raw honey/hot water/lemon, regular water, and most importantly, various juice blends! I thought the combination of smoothies and juicing with some occasional fruit would help rest my digestive system from heavier foods, at least for a little while.
I am such a lover of fruit (I seriously could live on fruit and greens), and I just love how fruit is so easily (and quickly) digested. Although, I definitely do recommend proper food combining with fruits, and tend to reserve dried fruits for 'special occasions' (whatever those may be haha). Also, I really do enjoy (and crave) my green smoothie blends, and have one every morning.
Anyhow, here is how my few days of "living light" turned out. Keep in mind that I drank lots of water and some herbal tea in addition to what is mentioned here:
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Day One
3 green smoothies:
(one for breakfast*, lunch, and dinner: these included a version of 2 bananas, 2 handfuls of spinach, 2 leaves of kale, 1 collard green leaf, 1 mango, handful of blueberries, and 1 tsp bee pollen).
*note: the breakfast smoothie had 1 tbsp hemp protein powder, 1 tsp spirulina powder, 1 tbsp cacao nibs in addition to the above mentioned ingredients.
1 juice blend:
(beet, carrot, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger)
Drinks:
hot water, lemon, raw honey
peppermint tea
water
Note: I found that I was buzzing all day from the fruit sugar, which inadvertently disrupted my sleep at night. I had a hard time falling asleep, and attribute this to the green smoothie for dinner around 6:30pm. On a similar note, I found that incorporating raw honey and lemon with hot water for a week or so prior to my mini-feast helped my sleep tremendously. Alkaline anyone?!
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Day Two
Breakfast:
1 green smoothie for breakfast: 2 bananas, 4 strawberries, handful of blueberries, 1/2 pomegranate (seeds), 3 handfuls of spinach, 2 leaves of kale, 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp hemp protein powder, 1 tbsp cacao nibs, 1 tsp bee pollen, spoon of avocado
Juice Blend:
The Glow, from Sarma Melngailis' Living Raw Food
Snack/Lunch:
1/2 small watermelon, cubed
Drink:
hot water, lemon, 1 tbsp raw honey x 2
Juice Blend:
celery/grapefruit/apple/carrot/collard greens (picture at right)
Dinner:
two bowls of red miso soup (with one piece of nori)
1/2 an avocado
Post-Dinner snack:
3 skewers of pineapple
Note: After reading Bitt's blog, A Bitt of Raw, (which, by the way, provided me with some much needed juicing inspiration!), I quickly realized that I've not been consuming enough juice, hence my cravings for food. For tomorrow, I will definitely try to down the recommended 4 quarts (3.8 litres of juice). Also, while the miso soup helped to curb my cravings, the sodium made me crave food, which I suspect led me to my late night pineapple consumption :-0
Must remember: 4 cups or 2 pints or 1 quart :-)
Day Three
Breakfast:
1 green smoothie (3 large handfuls of spinach, 2 bananas, 1 large kale leaf, 1 cup blueberries, 5 strawberries, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp raw cacao nibs, 1 tsp spirulina powder, 1 tbsp hemp protein, 1 tsp bee pollen)
Juice Blend #1:
This has been my favorite juice blend so far! Very yummy; a perfect balance of green juice with a touch of sweetness! This blend made one pint of juice.
2 red apples
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2 collard green leaves
1 kale leaf
1 small orange
I made another pint of this for my 'brunch', omitting the orange (I had none left) and added 1 lime. Delish!
Juice Blend #3:
pineapple/celery/carrot/cilantro/collard green/kale/parsley/ginger/strawberries (eek!) 1 pint
Snack:
Juice Blend #4:
1 cup pineapple/cilantro/celery/ginger - mixed with some sparkling water
hot water/lemon/raw honey x 2
Snack:
1/2 pomegranate
Breaking the 'living light' fast: some raw applesauce, 1 banana
Note: My sleep was very light, and not that restful on the eve of day two. This could be due to the sugars or lack of food. Not sure;-) Also, the green smoothie for breakfast felt SO filling on the third day, and it felt very heavy in my stomach. I wish I just had juice for brekkie! My sleep on the third night was not so good as well, I woke up quite early!
the place where the juice feast magic happens!Overall, I had a great experience and really enjoyed living light. I'm very glad I took a break from my regular routine, at least for a few days! However, I knew it was time to get back to my regular food routine by the end of the third day (I started to feel slightly light headed - I wasn't drinking enough juice and become super tired). I would definitely like to try a more proper juice feast/fastat some point in the future, when I don't have everyday distractions that sometimes disrupt the flow of juice preparation and consumption :-)
