Reboot

I stumbled upon a documentary on iFlix called “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” last week and thought, why not give juicing a whirl since it’s the only thing I haven’t done? The documentary was about an Aussie guy’s journey to being healthy just by juicing for two months. Joe was diagnosed with a rare type of disease which involves rashes which might’ve been related to his being obese before. Joe lost weight because he also partnered juice fast with exercise and his journey towards becoming healthy was really remarkable thus served as an impetus for me to give juicing a try.

I’ve tried pretty much everything to lose weight, some are healthy and some are not. Yes I’ve tried diet pills before which eventually led to health constraints so I wouldn’t go back down that road just to lose weight (aside from I’m now hypothyroid so losing weight is definitely a challenge). I’ve tried healthy smoothies (beets, strawberries etc.) and juicing by far is something I haven’t done before so I’m willing to give it try not just for the sake of losing weight but to be a healthy 'new me.'

It doesn't taste as bad as I initially
imagined 👍🏼

For a start, my sister and I decided to buy a juicer and loads of vegetables last week, I tossed in lots of greens and fruits for my sweetener. The first one I tried consisted of Kale, Spinach, Celery, Parsley, Cucumber, Green apples, Lemon, Ginger, Romaine Lettuce, Ginger and it wasn’t so bad at all. I had headaches during the first couple of days which I attributed to not eating anything solid. I tried to replicate what Joe did (pure juicing and nothing else) but did not last a day not eating anything. The goal at first was to ‘just juice’ and not eat anything else but my headache went from tolerable to unbearable so I decided to eat real food during my first day of juicing which instantly solved the problem. I know the whole juicing thing might’ve shocked my entire body system thus caused the splicing headache. 

Moving on, I also read online that the headache is due to the cleansing speed the body has to go through (while detoxing) which is fast enough for the liver to process.  I think this might be true especially if it’s your first time juicing, just imagine how much toxins your body is required to release during juice fast. Another reason for the headache according to the articles I’ve read was due to the vegetables not being blanched/cleaned properly prior to juicing which I think could be true as well. The headache eventually subsided after couple of days (which might’ve been because i blanched the veggies in lukewarm water or the toxins were already released by my body, who knows right?). I also noticed the long and frequent urination which is also part of the detox process perhaps (although it wasn’t really alarming). I tried to reduce juicing though from thrice to just twice a day because juicing could be costly quite frankly since a bunch of veggies once juiced can only fill up 1-2 glasses so just imagine how much vegetables you have to juice to come up with a liter! I’m planning to continue on with my juice cleanse hopefully for as long as I could because you can never go wrong with fruits and vegetables. I’m also looking forward to trying more healthy flavors someday. 

If you’re looking to give it a try, make sure to gradually do it. You may try it first while eating regular meals then gradually reduce your solid intake perhaps if you know you can. It’s your body so you should know when to stop. In my case I’ve been eating veggies and fruits since I was kid (not because my Mom will scold me) it’s ‘cuz I really love greens so just imagine how difficult for your body to go through a reboot/juice cleanse if you never tried eating vegetables in the past. Based on my research as well, others claimed that juice fast will eventually reunite you with your previous health ailments only to make you feel better in the long run.  I also found this to be true because my allergic rhinitis came back the other day whilst I’ve never had one in months, my eldest sister (who I also conned into juice fast) told me she’s experiencing unusual effects brought about by juicing but she planned on continuing this endeavor because she’s feeling a whole lot better compared before. And oh, I also advised my sister to give turmeric tea (ginger ale) a whirl to combat her high cholesterol issues and we we’re surprised when her blood results came back the other day, her cholesterol level dropped significantly. 

the first recipe that I tried 

The effects brought about by juice cleanse btw may vary depending on one’s lifestyle as usual. My eldest sister is not a fan of greens growing up that’s why she felt different when she started her juice cleanse (body pains and sleepiness). The sleepiness is also something I noticed myself (although in a good way) because I usually sleep very late in the evening prior to juice cleanse, now, I feel sleepy even in the afternoon and sleep soundly at night. I would also suggest to buy vegetables not from supermarkets because they are so costly there, I often buy greens in wet markets because it’s so much cheaper plus you get your money’s worth. 

I did not consult any physician prior to juice cleanse so if you have a serious health condition I would suggest to check with your doctor first. As for myself, I’m still taking my thyroid meds whilst juicing. I have only been juicing for a week and I can already feel significant changes to my body (better breathing when walking uphill/exercising). Let me also share that I have been working out at home for a minimum of 15 minutes/day for couple of months now and I’ve never felt better. You may also check out these short workout videos on Youtube below which I scoured online. Just be reminded that eating healthy should be coupled with proper exercise as well. You may also check out Pinterest for great juicing recipes. What's the best time to juice? My research suggested to drink it up on an empty stomach so your body is able to absorb the nutrients from fruits and veggies better.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 1 & 2 (must be signed in to iFlix)

Home work out videos