So here I am, beginning Day Three of my experiment.
Except for a lingering lassitude, I seem to be just about over the cold I had yesterday. I don't credit the veggies and fruit for that--it's pretty much the way my immune system works. Of course, I'm sure the vitamin C I took in helped a bit.
Along with drinking orange juice, I made hibiscus tea yesterday and drank it over ice. Hibiscus, the main ingredient in Red Zinger tea, is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants and has been shown to lower blood pressure. It's very tart, so I added some stevia to it. No caffeine, no calories, and beneficial to boot. My blood pressure is on the high side and I would really like to avoid blood pressure medication. Yeah, I know: get some exercise!
I'm going to need to buy some more produce shortly. I'm going to try hard to stick with organic, although that's not always possible. If buying all-organic isn't possible for your budget, allocating your dollars to the organic variety of the "dirtiest" veggies and fruits--those that tend to be loaded with pesticides--is a good alternative. Especially on a juice fast, where the object is to detoxify your body, avoiding pesticides is a priority.
Here are the "dirty dozen" according to the USDA, Consumer Reports, and The Environmental Working Group:
- celery
- peaches
- strawberries
- apples
- blueberries
- nectarines
- bell peppers
- spinach
- cherries
- kale/collard greens
- potatoes
- grapes (imported)
Produce with the lowest levels of pesticide (the "clean fifteen") are these:
- onions
- avocados
- sweet corn
- pineapples
- mangoes
- sweet peas
- asparagus
- kiwis
- cabbage
- eggplant
- cantaloupes
- watermelons
- grapefruit
- sweet potatoes
- honeydew melons
Whether you're juicing or just trying to choose the best fruits and vegetables for your meals, being aware of what most needs to be purchased organic can help you avoid toxins without totally wrecking your budget.
Of course, buying locally from organic gardeners and farmers, and buying in season, is always your best bet.
I didn't have any hunger pangs yesterday, possibly because my appetite was down due to the cold. I had only two juice drinks yesterday:
- orange, beet, and carrot
- orange, lemon, celery, tomato, red onion, and radish
I know--the second one looks weird. But it was actually very good. The onion really made the drink! I was just what I needed, feeling all clogged up with the darn cold. I didn't have any appetite around dinnertime so I just drank water.
I've now lost a bit over two pounds. I know that high-speed weight loss is not the answer to keeping the weight off. Usually keeping the weight off isn't a big deal for me, but a series of stressful events and situations pushed me (or I let myself fall) into some binge eating that really added the pounds (about ten) over the last couple of years. I also wanted to try "cleansing," which I've never done before and, frankly, have always been skeptical of. After seeing Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, though, I thought I'd give it a try.
Phil, from the documentary, advises people to stick with juicing for the first four days because around day four, any detox effects are gone and feeling good starts. I haven't really had any problems and at this point am feeling fairly confident that I can do this for ten days. I'm really enjoying experimenting with juice combinations and I'm loving the juices.
On with day three!
[cross-posted to View from the Loft]
Comments