A "Slow Fast" is the best term to describe the weeks leading up to my 30-day JF." I have been "Very Gently Detoxing", and eating Mindfully. I feel Light and Healthy. I adjusted my eating habits, read a variety of topics, both pro-juicing, and the skeptics. And meditated.

Date:   2/26/2006 2:11:44 PM ( 18 y ago)

I haven’t written much lately, but have been reading a great deal of CZ blogs, and other sites in preparation for the 30-day Juice Fast.
February has been a pre-fast month. I prepared for the 30-day JF in several ways:

• Caffeine withdrawal. Coffee consumption from 6-8 per day, down to 1-2 per day (with 1/2 & 1/2 and sugar). Feeling much better, had several days of dull headaches going on in the background for the three weeks before the start of the March 1st JF. The addition of juice to a “normal” diet is a great improvement. Again, I believe that I have been very gently detoxing over the past three weeks. I feel Light and Healthy, with just simple and easy adjustments to my daily food intake.



• Watching my portion sizes. (My husband’s friend had “gastric bypass” surgery several years ago and is now down to an ideal weight. If I could watch my portion sizes and stick to it, I could achieve the same result, right? Easier said than done! ) While eating I listen to that small whispered voice that ways, “you’ve had enough, stop”. That “voice” is in conflict with the voice that tells me to “clean my plate”.
  (There’s humor in here somewhere about all those “voices”, lol!)
  
  
• Mindful Eating. Cutting back on high fat foods, and sugar. Making healthier choices to make the transition to JF easier. For example, an Avocado Sushi Roll is a healthier choice than, say, a Big Mack.



• Adding fresh fruit and veggie juice to my day. I still have the same challenges with how best to bring fresh juice to work, while causing minimal damage to the quality of the juice. From what I have read, it is far better to drink the juice fresh, immediately after juicing. Because I get to work so early in the morning, its easier for me to juice the night before, by then the juice is already about 12 hours old. Definitely an area for improvement here.



• Taking a meditation class. I am finishing an 8-week stress reduction and meditation class. Some of the topics covered can be adapted to my juice fast, such as mindful eating, and concentrating on your breathing as a method of stress reduction. Mindfulness and focused attention on breathing.
  Friday evening and all day Saturday was a silent meditation retreat. We spent the weekend in silent meditation, with gentleness and self-acceptance. Topics covered were “The Buddha’s Path to Happiness”, and “The Liberation Teachings of the Buddha”. We had a wonderful instructor from the Insight Meditation Society in MA. I am grateful for the timeliness of the class and retreat before the JF.
  Meditation (and Buddhist teachings) are new to me, I have learned a lot about helping myself.



• Exercise. Ok, I confess I really haven’t added this to my pre-JF plans. Exercise is a critical part of an overall healthy program and it will be added in March. At this time the most exercise I get is the walk from the parking garage to the office and back (about a quarter mile each way), and the stairs. I always try to take the stairs at work - its also much quicker than taking the elevator! Neither of these are aerobic, and so I really can’t count them as exercise.



• Loving Kindness, and Self-Acceptance. I am going into this (the 30-day JF) as a way to improve my health. I know there will be days that are difficult, and some withdrawal symptoms. I will try my best to continue, but won’t beat myself up if I slip, but will pick myself up and continue. In other words, I am giving myself “permission” to fail and begin again.

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