The other night I had a “discussion” with my mother basically over the fact that when approaching a fast, I need to be more cautious about my hypoglycemia (i.e. sugar imbalance). I have childhood memories of my mom bursting off the bleachers and down to the court to give me Skittles. Moms seem to always know when you need a pick me up! If anyone knows me, it is my mom. The only reason it could possibly have been interpreted as an argument was that it was late at night and I was defensive, probably because of low blood sugar. Mom: I heard you.
I have consulted an online physician, Dr Foster, who I have found to have good advice in nutrition intake. The doctor himself is hypoglycemic and has even experienced fainting and seizures from it. He said that on a juice fast, there are no restrictions to the amount of juice intake and therefore if drinking every hour it would be almost impossible for the blood sugar to go below the normal level. He recommends drinking an entire gallon of juice (half juice, half water) and an additional gallon of water per day. He addressed protein intake which was also a concern of mine. Many plants contain protein however he also recommends use of powdered Algae while on the fast. The four most common edible Algae are Spirulina, Chlorella, blue green algae, and Dunaliella (red algae). “The algae content is 60-70% usable protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. This is much higher than the percent protein in beef (which is only 22%), or eggs (12%) or milk (3%).” Dr Foster addressed the issue of weight loss during juice fasting as well. He brought up the point that if weight loss were a health concern, then juice fasting would not be one of the leading recommendations for cancer patients since their disease is degenerative, keeping them below average weight. Any weight loss is worth the nutrients and a superior body weight is a likely outcome of the fast.
His other recommendation was to take both an herbal laxative and a soothing colon detox caplet. These have contents such as cayenne and garlic that may be difficult to get the total amount needed in juicing. The purpose of these are to assure all toxins are completely released from the body and not reabsorbed, as well as to protect against stones from developing while the digestive system has temporarily shut down. Drinking an herbal tea such as Chai Spice will also aid in this effort. The doctor also recommended taking 3 tablespoons a day of organic apple cider vinegar which will dissolve calcium deposits from the muscles and joints and will balance the body’s pH. Here are his recommendations of the best things to be juiced.
- Greens - parsley, kale, beet greens, chard, spinach, dandelion leaf
- Cruciferous vegetables - broccoli, cabbage
- Root vegetables - carrots, beets, sweet potatoes
- Fruits - dark grapes, apples, citrus
- Herbs - yucca root (especially good for arthritis and other inflammations in the body), fennel, spearmint, peppermint, basil, ginger, garlic, green onion, chile pepper, fresh turmeric root (small amounts)
- Wheatgrass juice
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