Several Breville employees recently went on a 10-day juice fast as an experiment in raw juice health and as a challenge to themselves. Luis Sanchez captures his personal experience.

The body craves solid food

Anyone who has ever done a juice fast can tell you that the first three days are the toughest, no disagreement here. Breaking the habit of eating food is not easy, it totally is an addiction. Throughout the first three days, the feeling of being hungry was constant, even right after consuming some fresh juice, the stomach still yearned for actual food.

You’re only juicing

Drinking water throughout the day helps, but your body is so used to food that there is no quick fix. Concentration starts to become a challenge as the thought of being hungry continues to go through your mind. There is definitely a lack of energy during the first three days.

Thoughts of forgoing the fast also go through your mind, and it becomes a struggle within oneself to stay committed and continue to work towards your goals. I found that staying busy helps.

Speak up

It also helps to inform those around you that you are on a juicing fast and what you are trying to accomplish. They might not totally agree with you, but nonetheless they can still be supportive and encourage you to meet your goals.

Get proper rest

Staying up late becomes a challenge as your body starts to feel run down and weak, but that is simply a result of your body breaking the food addiction. It is recommended that you go to sleep early, as this will allow your body and mind to get extra rest and it also helps get past that hunger stage.

While at work, I found it helpful to go for a walk outside and get some fresh air. This allowed me to go back into the office feeling re-energized and refreshed.

It is not an easy journey, but if you are able to get past the first three days, then you will be well on your way to meeting your goals.

My Favorite Juicing Recipe

I like to have this juice in the morning, as the extra fruits provide a bit more energy to kick-start my day.
JuicingFastGlass

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots
  • 1 celery stalk
  • broccoli
  • kale or spinach
  • cucumber
  • ginger
  • orange
  • apple
  • strawberries or pear
  • pineapple

Instructions

  1. If you have a juicer that can handle pineapple rinds, trim the ends and cut into 3-inch-wide pieces lengthwise. Peel first if your juicer requires. Remove the zest on the orange (you can leave the pith for extra vitamins).
  2. Process ingredients through juicer.