“I no longer associate juice fasting with deprivation – it is a pleasurable process that rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit”.

This fifteen day juice fast has been a life-changing experience. I’ve enjoyed doing it, and I’m now experiencing a real sense of renewal in my life. The motivation for this period of fasting came from a desire to beat my sugar cravings and to improve my self-discipline. I also wanted to make up for failing to complete a 15-day fast last year. I’ve achieved my goals, and this feeling of renewal is a wonderful bonus.

Juice Fasting is Life Changing

There is a great deal of talk about the powerful detox effects of juice fasting. I’m not qualified to provide a judgment on this, but I definitely do feel as if my body has been completely cleansed. There has also been a definite shift in my thinking, and I feel far more positive and in control of my life. It could be that by freeing the body of the chore of digesting solid food meant there was ample time for repair and rejuvenation. I do feel rejuvenated not only physically, but also mentally, and emotionally.

I’ve achieved lots of great stuff since walking away from the life of a drunkard seven years ago. I’m deeply grateful for my second-chance, but I do sometimes take it for granted. The last two years haven’t been so great for me. I’ve had financial worries, and I’ve given my fears too much control over my life. This has meant periods of depression and sometimes even feelings of hopelessness. I’ve felt cheated because life hasn’t been serving up all the good things that I’ve come to expect. I can now see that this way of thinking is self-defeating bullshit – the only thing I deserve in life is what I’m willing to go out there and take.

This juice fast has brought me to a new turning point– maybe that’s the real purpose of undertaking this type of challenge. Many great spiritual teachers underwent a period of fasting before they began their mission. I’m no spiritual teacher, I can barely take care of myself, but I now understand why they did this. What better way is there to enter a new era of your life than going through this process of rejuvenation and renewal?

Weight Loss from My Juice Fast

I didn’t weigh myself during the fast but at my weigh-in this morning I felt delighted to see that I’d lost 6.2kg (13.6 pounds). I’m still overweight at 82.2 kg (181 pounds), but my next challenge is 10 weeks of 5:2 intermittent fasting so that will mean a further reduction. It is easy to put the weight back on after a juice fast, but this is part of a process for me – it will ultimately lead to a sustainable way of healthy living.

I felt so excited about eating again today that I woke up at 4am. I ate an apple but afterwards felt too full to eat anything else. It’s now the afternoon and so far all I’ve had is a bowl of cereal and some Philadelphia cheese on cucumber slices (fewer calories than crackers). My wife predicted that I’d raid the fridge after the fast (I did the last time), but it hasn’t happened. I don’t even feel hungry.

I’ve no plans for my next juice fast, but this is something that I do want to do again. It might be a good idea for me to do this once a year. I no longer associate juice fasting with deprivation – it is a pleasurable process that rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit.