juice, the other white meat.

So one night my husband and I couldn't' find anything on TV. So we searched Netflix and after a few minutes of bantering back and forth, we found Fat Sick and nearly dead. This changed the entire way we look at food. We knew we had to do something and were motivated to start our new year with a new attitude about eating. I am southern and Baptist and we have a saying down here that Baptist eat first then pray second. Food is our religion. We love it. I love it. And the thought of giving it all up and changing how I eat has been terrifying for years. When I became pregnant for the first time, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was sent to a nutritionist and put on a special diet. I was miserable! I cheated, a lot and really got a glimpse into what it must be like for someone with a diet or food issue. It's really hard! And even during that time I knew I needed to change my eating habits. But I kept on and kept on pursuing bad habits. I have always been skinny so I never really had to diet. But being skinny isn't the same as being healthy. In fact when I decided to begin this challenge people actually said to me, "Why are you going on a juice fast, you're skinny."

For me, this wasn't about losing weight but about FEELING better! How many days do we drag around wishing we were still in bed? We wake up achy and tired and go to bed achy and tired. This isn't normal! STOP thinking this is normal and you are just getting old. Remember the old saying, "You are what you eat!" And I am sick of being a greasy cheeseburger!

So...Here was my week!

Day 1: I'm starving! Seriously, I poured out a can of spaghetti O's for my daughters and I wanted to lick the can! I also can't sit around thinking about it so I have cleaned out bedrooms, picked up toys and cleaned toilets. Today I want a buffalo chicken sandwich with fries. Jeff isn't doing too well. He's been chocking down the juice and sleeping. He wants to murder me.

Day 2: Last night Jeff and I discussed how much we relate eating to our emotions. Today is our first day back to work after the winter break and we were both already feeling the stress. It was SO hard to not order a pizza last night, but we didn't and life goes on! I didn't feel hungry when I woke up and I didn't sleep well last night either. I have heard insomnia can be a side effect. I had an apple juice today and it was amazing. I am never buying store bought again!

Day 3- I feel terrible, headache and exhaustion. Jeff and I both are having a hard time trying to remember why we did this. I want fajitas! I have to keep reminding myself that once this is over it will be so much easier to move into a plant based diet. I can do this. I can do this! Only 2 more days!

Day 4: I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck. I had a headache, body aches and just felt terrible. I juiced and suffered through the morning then took a nap during my lunch break. After my nap, I felt a lot better. I am waiting for this 'amazing' feeling to kick in! Today I want sushi so maybe that's a good sign. You will also urinate a ton during this. Which I hate because I hate getting out of bed at night! But I'm hanging in there. I keep thinking, I need to be healthy and while my children are still young (3 and 4) I need to get them on the healthy train!

Day 5: Today I don't feel so bad. I woke up in the middle of the night (to pee) and I felt awesome. I was tired but I felt good, like younger. I remember what it felt like to not be exhausted all the time and achy and just give out. I remember that feeling and for just about 10 seconds in the middle of the night, I felt it! This is our last day so I had my hot water/lemon first then my breakfast juice. Around 1pm I caved and ate a spoonful of peanut butter, which I normally hate. Like, I really hate peanut butter unless its in chocolate. My husband has stuck his finger in it before then smeared it on my face because I hate it that much. And after 4 days of nothing but juice, it was the most amazing bite of my life. My taste buds have changed if I can eat this. No idea why this is what my body is telling me to eat but it was really good and after a few more spoonfuls, directly out of the jar, I was good and made another juice! My husband and I went on a date this night to celebrate and we couldn't eat much! To-go boxes were stuffed! But it was really amazing!

Movies to watch during your juicing week-

Fat, sick and nearly dead

Fat, sick and nearly dead 2

And if you are really brave-Vegucated and Food Inc

Things I learned this week- I really tie my emotions to food and I never knew that. I have this instinctive craving and hunger during stressful periods and the late afternoon. Each day around 2:30 I just crash. This is normally the time I would reach for a snack- chips, candy, soda, etc.
Food is everywhere! And we live in a society that constantly throws it in your face. You don't realize it each day, its just your normalcy. But once you go on a fast, you realize so many things about the food industry that is so messed up!
About every 3rd commercial is food based and its food that isn't good for you. Why can't we have commercials that show how sexy carrots are?
I can smell things I never smelled before. The girls were eating Ritz crackers and I could smell them, from like the other side of the room.
I never knew my body could do this. Each day I wake up surprised that I am not dead.
I can't remember conversations or where I placed things. I have to really re-trace my steps and think. That is really scary to me that cleansing my body is affecting my brain this much (in a good way)!
I am becoming much calmer and patient with everyone. Either I am a really impatient person and this is helping, or having all that junk in my body was causing stress and anxiety in my life. Weird.
Your body tells you what it needs if you just listen. I have never listened to my body before, but I knew when I wanted water, when I wanted a nap and when I wanted peanut butter!
My husband and I are both really reliant on caffeine. We are coffee and coke people and we really feel that this helped us be able to do without those things now.
We both had more energy in the evening this week. We didn't binge on the couch as much and actually spent time with our kids, reading books, playing, talking, etc.

I am also really lucky in the fact that I have a partner that totally support this crazy idea. I know many people out there don't and I am so very thankful. I wouldn't be able to do this if everyone around me were eating cheeseburgers. You really need to have a support system in place to complete a juicing fast. Which brings me to my next point, kids. I have 2 and they still need to eat. That was difficult during this week. I still made grilled cheeses, chicken soup and waffles. I didn't try a bite, I just made food and served food and tried not to think. It was hard at first but got easier. And by the end of the week, I felt terrible that I was drinking healthy juice and my kids were scarfing down processed junk..but that is another show.

Update- I still drink juice daily. I really like it. I feel better and healthier. I also grocery shopped for lots of fruits and veggies and got the girls to eat their first soy dog! YAY me! I haven't had caffeine or much sugar. I haven't eaten meat since Friday Jan, 2. I don't miss any of these things. It feels really good to put really good food into your body. I knew going into this that my ultimate goal was to eat better and that taking these extreme measures was probably my last hope. I feel better, lost about 3 pounds (Jeff lost 7) and know I will have days where I slip and eat candy but I think the ultimate goal of living a better life will always come out on top!