Juicing Q&A: Healing Your Relationship to Food & How Much Juice I Drink Daily

Another Juicing Q&A, with a question from Anna:

Hello!

I really think you are a role model in terms of living a healthy lifestyle and I want to start a juice fast to get rid of a bad relationship to food (undereating) and I was asking myself how much juice you drink per day?

Thanks, Anna! First off, I honestly can’t think of a more awesome way to heal your relationship to food. So I genuinely commend you.

For most people, the primary impetus for undertaking a juice fast is weight loss and/or to heal a physical ailment. And we all know by now that juice fasting is phenomenal at bringing about the most radical physical transformation. (If you’re in doubt, or haven’t yet watched Fat Sick & Nearly Dead, you should definitely check it out). But there’s also a whole other dimension to juice fasting that’s not as commonly discussed, though it’s an intrinsic and powerful part of the juicing equation. And that’s the emotional healing and transformation that takes place.

What few people know is that our bodies aren’t only storing environmental toxins within our cells such as pesticides, food additives, heavy metals, etc., but also emotional trauma, beliefs, feelings and all kinds of memories that have just as much impact on our physical health and general well being. My experience has been that the accelerated toxic release and cellular regeneration that take place during a juice fast bring about the kind of deep emotional transformation I honestly never thought was possible.

When I first discovered Dr Bruce Lipton’s work on beliefs and DNA manipulation a few years ago (his book The Biology of Belief is simply astounding) I was both elated and bewildered. I became obsessed with finding out the best and most efficient way of uprooting deep seated beliefs and altering the expression of my genetic makeup. Well… three years later and close to 300 days of juice fasting under my belt, I personally feel that I have found my answer 😉 And it’s the primary reason that here I am today, celebrating day 53 of my third 92-day juice fast. It’s not the quest for the best looking bod that’s keeping me going (although that’s a nice side effect, I concede 😉 but because I have found it to be the most powerful emotional, spiritual, and all around life transformational tool ever.

Unsurprisingly, juice fasting has altered my relationship to food and eating in profound ways. I’m very open about the fact that I’ve never dieted in my entire life. As a professionally trained ballerina, I suffered for years from the most ridiculously distorted body image. And dieting in my circle was definitely a hot topic. But I’ve always found the idea abhorrent. And the thing is, I could not ever bear the thought of any type of eating restriction or even going without food for a short while. And it wasn’t all in my head either (or so I thought) because I’d get the agonizing stomach cramps and pounding headaches to prove my point whenever I’d decide to skip a meal. You see, I wasn’t exactly a prime candidate for successful long term juice fasting (or short term for that matter). And obviously a lot has since changed. It didn’t happen overnight. It took me several juice fasts and some hardcore detox work, but something I thought was such an indelible part of who I am (or was) has gently faded away. To my own amazement.

Now onto one of the most common questions I get regarding juice fasting. How much juice do I guzzle on a daily basis? Let me start by saying that I do not believe in edicts of any sort. One of the most amazing gifts that comes as a result of becoming a conscious eater is that you become increasingly aware of your own body’s needs. In time, that increased clarity in terms of what’s best for you becomes your own – and best – personal guide on your path to optimum health and well being. That said, I personally and typically drink a gallon of juice a day and sometimes more. I have found that it’s super important to consume as much juice as comfortable and I’d personally encourage you to drink more rather than less. I’ve found out that the more I drink, the more I’m detoxing (which is precisely the point) and the better I feel. I feel energetic, well fed and content. So my advice would be to aim for one gallon a day, drink regularly (if you need to set up an alarm to remind you to drink every two hours, do so) and try and be aware of what quantities of juice make you feel your best.

All right, that’s it for today. Wishing you as always much glow and glory!