I had to laugh this morning when I heard on NPR (national public radio) that health officials are suggesting people juice with kale to help avoid the flu. Apparently, kale along with other fruits like blueberries and mango, can help to build your immune system, making it easier for your body to resist viruses like the flu. It doesn't seem that long ago that standard/conventional medicine claimed foods could not aid people with illness, or prevent it.
If you are concerned about staying well during flu season here are some other tips you might be interested in. According to flu.gov, you should do the following:
What everyday steps can I take to stop the spread of germs?
There are steps you can take in your daily life to help protect you from getting the flu.
Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
Over the weekend I continued doing 16 hour fasts and juicing. My day has been going something like this:
11 am 1 cup Kefir, probiotic milk
2:00 p.m. Juice: Mean Green recipe or Carrot juice
4:00 p.m. Snack on fresh fruit or veggies
6:00 p.m. Dinner- grains such as quinoa or brown rice, fish and salad
7:00 p.m. Start 16 hour fast
I am walking the dogs every day in the morning 2-3 miles. During the week, I often go to the gym or spin class in the evening. The weight is definitely coming off, and I am very please with my results. I plan to stick with this routine indefinitely.
Yesterday my diet was a combination of juicing and eating fruits, vegetables and grains. This worked out really well, and I plan to do it again today. Since Tuesday (1/8/13) I have lost another pound, which brings my total weight loss to -3 lbs. More importantly, I feel better. I think my improved diet and juicing is giving me more energy, and just a general sense of well being. I know that sounds weird, but it's true.
Here's what I ate on Thursday:
noon: 1 cup of Kefir, probiotic milk
2:00: Juiced Mean Green- recipe here.
3:00 Juiced apples
4:00 Ate 2 cups brown rice, 1/2 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup peas, 1/2 cup carrots.
5:00 2 pairs
6:00 Handful of almonds
I just completed a 24 hour juice fast, only drinking freshly juiced organic produce that I prepared myself. I'm not going to lie, it was difficult, but only because I was hungry. I didn't experience a headache or lightheadedness, just the opposite, actually. I felt pretty good. At the 24th hour I was extremely hungry and decided this time I would not extend it to 48 hours.
Today I am drinking more juice, but also eating fruits, vegetables, and some grains.
I use the following two recipes for juicing:
Mean Green (all produce is organic)
1/4 - 1/2 lemon
5 or 6 kale leaves (and stems)
1 small cube of ginger (about the size of your thumb)
5 or 6 stalks of celery
1 green apple
(you can also add cucumber, but I didn't this time)
Carrot Juice (all produce is organic)
5 or 6 big carrots sticks
1 small bunch of curly parsley
1 green apple
I've decided to start a juice fast today. If I can tolerate it, I'd like to fast for two or three days. I have a juicer at home and am headed to the grocery store for some organic produce. I will blog my experiences with juicing over the next couple of days, reporting how I do.
Here's more information about the kind of juice fast I am doing.
The following video is of Scott, a person inspired by Joe Cross's film "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead," who decided to try a juice fast for the first time:
This video is an interview with Joe Cross about the benefits of juicing:
Q: Why can’t I drink caffeine while juicing?
A: When we drink caffeine our system needs to work to metabolize it and safely process it. The purpose of the Reboot is to give our bodies a break from as much work as possible.
Q: Can I chew gum while juicing?
A: Yes, absolutely but look for a gum without any artificial sweeteners and one that is natural.
Q: Why can’t I smoke while juicing?
A: Smoking introduces toxins into our body and the purpose of juicing is to help boost up phytonutrients from plants and process. Q: Will I get enough protein during my Reboot?
A: Please read Stacy Kennedy’s article on protein and Rebooting here.
Q: Where can I find juice recipes?
A: In our Juice Recipe section here. Q: Is there a ratio to fruits and veggies that you recommend for the reboot?
A: 80% veggies, 20% fruits
Q: How many calories a day should I consume?
A: This differs from person to person. We advise not going below 1200 per day. Our meal plans range from ~1200-1800 calories per day.
Q: How many times a day should I juice if I am on a juice fast?
A: 4-6 times per day, 16-20 ounces for each juice.
Q: What are the risks of extending a juice fast longer than 5 days?
A: Following a juice fast for an extended period of time may lead to developing a nutrient deficiency in some individuals. If you plan to follow an extended juice fast check with your doctor first and work with them along the way so they can monitor your health. Q: Peels and stems: lose them or juice them?
A: Stems – juice them! It will yield more fluid. Peels – it’s a personal preference. the zest or peel contains important phytonutrients but lends a bitter flavor. If you juice the peel choose organic and wash well.
Q: How much weight loss is too much weight loss?
A: This would be different for each person.
Q: What is the difference between juices and smoothies?
A: You can find more information in this post. Q: How much juice should I drink when doing the Reboot?
A: The amount you will drink varies.
Q: Is soy milk, rice milk, almond milk ok to use in my juice?
A: We don’t advise using these products during the time you are juicing. These can be healthy choices for fluids best for after your Reboot.
Q: Can I add protein powder to my juice?
A: We do not recommend including protein powders in your juice, but you may add a plant based protein powder to your juice if you feel you need it. For example chia seeds, hemp or spirulina. Because you are using such a large quantitiy of vegetables in your juice the protein amounts are much higher than you might expect. Please read this post for more information on protein and your Reboot.
Q: Can I juice with rinds on my citrus fruits?
A: Yes, this is a great idea but a personal taste preference. The rinds of citrus have zest and important phytonutrients but lend a bitter taste that some enjoy and others do not. If you choose to juice the rinds we recommend organic and wash well. Q: What is the difference between water weight and REAL weight? Am I just losing water weight during the juice fast?
A: Your weight loss will likely be a combination of fat, muscle and some water however staying active and drinking enough juice and water will help to promote more fat loss comparatively. For example, Joe’s weight loss was 70% fat and 30% muscle. After your Reboot you can minimize regaining weight by following our guidelines for easing into a healthy diet, staying active, and drinking plenty of water. You can learn more here.
I have successfully completed one week! During that time I never ate outside of my 8 hour window. Each day is logged, showing exactly what I ate and when. So, the results are in for the 8 hour diet: I lost a grand total of -2 lbs. this week. That's a pretty respectable weight loss. Over the past 7 days I ate whatever I wanted, basically. Some of the foods I consumed included: grilled cheese, fried rice, lasagna and pizza. Not exactly health food. I also had two soft drinks and one cafe latte this week. However, at the end of most every day, I had eaten 8 power foods. And that's all that is required.
Considering everything, I'd say the 8 Hour Diet is pretty exceptional. It's not very difficult to follow; intermittent fasting is only mildly uncomfortable. The flexibility of the diet is what makes it so great. You don't have to count calories, no food is off limits, and you don't have to exercise a lot for it to work. Put all of those things together and you've got a dream diet. So, yes, I will continue to fast intermittently, but I also want to try something different. Logging my food for a week made me more aware of what I eat. I thought I ate more healthfully than I do. For the most part I do okay, but there's definite room for improvement. I'm not just interested in losing a few pounds; I'm also very concerned about health and nutrition, wanting to ward off cancer if at all possible. That said, I think I will start including juice fasts into my plan. Maybe one or two days a week? I'm not sure just yet, but I will come up with something and blog my new schedule.
noon: 1 cup of coffee (with milk)
2:00 1.5 cups Kefir Probiotic milk
3 p.m. 1/2 turkey sandwich on wheat, lettuce, tomato (dry) baked lays
5:30 p.m. Spin Class
7:00 p.m. second half of sandwich, apple and carrots
8:00 Start Fast
The scale stayed the same again today. I have one more day of blogging my experience with 16 hour fasting to complete a full week. After the week is up, I will decide whether I want to continue with this program or not.
I've been reading a lot about fasting over the last week: intermittent fasts, juice fasts, and fasts that consist of nothing but water or herbal tea for 24-36 hours. They all sound intriguing. About a year or so ago I watched the documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" about an overweight Australian, Joe Cross, who goes on a 60 day fast, drinking nothing but freshly juiced produce. During that time he loses 100 lbs., and perhaps more importantly, he gets off of all his steroid medications for an autoimmune disease he acquired, too. Inspired by his experience, I began juicing, but only as a supplement. I have never tried a juice fast. I might be open to trying it now.
Well, it's back to work this week. I don't think intermittent fasting has affected me very much, but the real test is today. I also don't think fasting on a work schedule will be very difficult either.
11:30 a.m. Tall 2% latte
Lunch: 3:00 p.m. Deli turkey on brown bread with avocado, lettuce and tomato (dry)
Workout 5:30 p.m. Spin Class
Dinner 6:30 p.m. 2 small slices of pizza (extra thin crust) and a salad
Start fast 7 p.m.
