Juice Fasting

I recently read a book on juice fasting (Juice Fasting and Detoxification by Steve Meyerowitz). It’s a well-written book, very well researched and has a fun, casual tone that makes it a breeze to read. It was fascinating, not only for the facts and figures about fasting, but also about the benefits of drinking juices and all the wonderful things they do for your body. It’s amazing when you realize how Mother Nature is so well suited for humans, and how she sustains us so perfectly with all her health giving fruits and vegetables. These truly are the gems of the Earth, and they make us feel magnificent if only we let them do their thing and consume them regularly.

Though this fast was a short one, it was certainly educational. I made a few mistakes along the way, and what better way to learn something than by making a mistake? The key thing I learned (and learned the hard way) was about the state of our digestive systems. Under normal circumstances, our bodies are coated in a thin layer of food residue and bacteria. This bacteria is both good and bad. It’s good because it helps the digestive process occur. It also protects our bodies from harmful fried foods and tequila shots and other bad things we put in our bodies sometimes. However, when that layer gets to be too thick, we don’t get all the nutrients from our food that we should. Food just sort of slips in and out of our systems, and we only extract a small percentage of the vitamins and minerals. This also leads to overeating and feeling bloated, as well as unhealthy weight gain. This is where fasting comes into play.

After about 24 hours without food, depending on the speed of your metabolism, much of that food matter and good bacteria gets eaten digested and eliminated. This is good. You are eliminating food matter that may have been chilling in your digestive tract for months—years even. Flushing that stuff out is a necessary thing to do, for sure. Once that layer is gone though, your body still needs energy, and so it starts tapping other parts of the body. You start digesting some of the fat you may have built up, and even some of the diseased or sick areas of the body. This is why they say fasting is an especially good idea for sick people.

When you are finished fasting, whether it be 24 hours or 24 days later, your digestive tract is in a VERY sensitive state. That whole protective layer of food and good bacteria is long gone. It may take as long as the time you fasted or even longer to build up that protective layer again. Once you start eating again, man are you hungry! That hunger comes on fast, and you feel like you could eat anything and everything, just as if the fast never happened. Well, let me tell you something brother—no matter what your stomach may tell you, you are NOT ready for full on food. Steer clear of any sort of meat or fried food for at least a week. It is a bad idea. If you eat any of that unnatural stuff before you are fully ready, you are going to experience a whopper of a stomach ache. Ohhh! It’s not good. Believe me.

In closing, fast for your health, it will make you feel and look great—but when returning to food, be PATIENT. That’s the most dangerous part of the fast and where everyone messes up. Good luck.