Juice Fast - Day Five

My wife posted the above picture quote on my facebook timeline this afternoon.  The fact that I can relate to it as I sit here sipping herbal tea with honey is a testament to the truth of the statement.  I don't know who wrote it but it touches on a theme I have known for a long time but haven't always put to use. 

I'm not always gonna choose the really healthy food.  I'm not always going to make the perfectly balanced choice of nutrients.  I'm also not always going order the chicken breast meal at a restaurant.  I will have steak!  What I can do, however, is balance things out in a much better manner than I have throughout my life except for two time periods.  The first half of 2005 and the first half 2010.  Two 6 month periods that I took that first step deciding I was not going to stay where I was.  It adds up to one year!  I'm 35 years old and there is no reason why the decision can't be for good.  Why didn't it continue?  Will this one continue?  I can only learn from how I handled my past circumstances and all I can do in regards to this time is try.  I do feel that this time I am not only adding lots of exercise (mostly running) but I'm also becoming aware that without a good intake of nutrients found in vegetables and fruits I cannot maintain a healthy balanced body.  Juicing seems to be the best solution for this and I'm happy I found it. 

My breakfast and snack this morning

Citrus and greens (kale is missing from the picture)

Food has always been a part of my life.  Not because I grew up a fat kid but because I simply love it!  I was actually very skinny up until I got married. lol Ever since I was a little kid my dad says that going out with me for Brazilian BBQ or pizza was pure joy.  I ate like an adult!  Once I took over the kitchen in our house the passion has grown to a whole new level.  I believe that food is what unites us all.  It brings everyone together and it makes a party a party.  Nobody gets together without food!  At least I don't. lol  You come to my house you're eating something :)  I don't want the joy that food brings to go away.  All I want is to be aware that eating 12" Italian subs 5 straight days for lunch does not create balance.  Eating huge burgers and fries 4 nights a week on my way home from work is not the behavior of a health conscious person.  I'm hoping that this fast will shock, rest, and teach my body that balance is a MUST.  It's not only about "joy" and "comfort".  There is room for all of that but perhaps reducing the junk and in many cases cutting it out completely (Soda, McDonald's, Wendy's, BK, etc...) is a much better way to live.  In fact, after seeing how I have felt these past five days, I know it is.  I have decided not to stay where I am.  

ABC's juice (missing the cabbage that I added later while juicing... just for fun)

I felt much better today than I did yesterday.  My friend Andrea from AndiDornelas.blogspot.com asked me if I felt I was over the hump today.  I told her I definitely feel I am!  This is the time I really need to focus though.  The weekend is here and it's not going to be easy.  I have to stay focused on my 10 day goal and not get too happy about what I think I have accomplished.  

Running was not as easy today as it was yesterday but I'm glad I was able to run 2.75 miles.  If I didn't have a race coming up in March I would've taken a break from running during the fast but I'm so far behind race shape that I have to train whenever I can.  

Summer drinking fresh apple juice

Summer, my daughter, has been enjoying fresh orange and apple juice.  I have a few recipes I want to give her but I figured I'll let her get used to fresh juices with those two.  My favorite juice of the day was one I got from jointhereboot.com.  They call it ABC's.  I changed it somewhat because I don't have chard but it tasted great!  It was my dinner tonight.  All 4 cups of it! 

Variation of ABC's drink from jointhereboot.com 

2 pears, 2 apples, 2 kale leaves, 3 handfuls of spinach, 1/4 of a cabbage, 4 carrots

Very sweet and yummy

Thank you for following my blog and keeping up with my juicing experience.  All the comments on Facebook have been extremely encouraging and uplifting. Feel free to look at some of my recipes and share.  I am slowly adding some more pictures to them after they got deleted by mistake.