What I Learned From My First 21 Day Juice Fast

After summer in 2017 I felt like doing a bit of cleansing, but this time I wanted to take things further than I had before. Prior to this fast my longest was 15 days, during which I also did a psyllium husk and bentonite clay cleanse, which added some intensity to the last leg of that detox marathon. Like fasts often do, this one had it’s ups and downs. Without any sort of buffers or immediate means of stress relief, when the going gets tough, there’s no shying away from the challenges. On the other hand, when the body is so flushed out and nourished by fresh juices, unbelievable peaks arise making the whole experience a 3 week long physical, emotional and spiritual roller coaster.

The holidays are more important to me than ever as my family had been going through some challenges and I wanted to foster connection as much as possible. I felt if I was juice fasting it would add a poorly timed layer of alienation so I knew I wanted to wrap it up before Thanksgiving. After a summer filled with travels and various explorations it was time for some detox and I knew this window of days would be perfect, and that’s the first key to a successful juice fast. If simply having to juice so frequently is going to add an overwhelming amount of disruption, then it’s not a good time to push yourself. I juice regularly and know I can clean my juicer in 10-15 minutes. It’s a Green Star Elite juicer which produces juice that keeps for 3 days. This is a major help because I’d I could make big batches and run off them for a few days. I knew I could seamlessly shift my diet to liquids and still work my regular schedule while leaving enough time to actually focus on what’s happening internally which is incredibly important.

Juice fasting isn’t simply about passing the days. It’s about removing obstructions to allow deep physical and spiritual work to be carried out. Sleeping the days away during a fast is a disservice in my opinion. There certainly will be challenging days if you’re detoxing heavily or going for an extended period of time, days when getting out of bed seems like a monumental victory. The best advice I can give from my experience is to keep water near your bed so in the morning you can drink something right away. During the night major detoxification occurs whether you’re juice fasting or not. Our kidneys go through dialysis and flushing those expelled toxins out with a large serving of water is the best way to regain your clarity. When fasting, our bodies are able to release a lot more toxins that have built up both in the form of solids and gases. When those toxins are released, it’s best to get them right out. I use enemas to work through the detox during fasting, not to get it over with, but to get through more of it. The more this is done, the further the detox can progress. Enemas should be done on an empty stomach anyways, but when you’ve been fasting for several days it’s easy to really work on that older stuff. This is when enemas are really eye opening, but I’ll dive into that topic more in another article : )

I’d been on a raw vegan diet for about a year at this point, coupled with regular detoxification practices I’d gotten through a lot of detox ahead of this fast. Sure, there’s some initial hunger pangs around the 3rd day, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t worked through before. After about a week the physical aspects had balanced out letting the emotional and spiritual work take center stage. This is why I wanted to go for the length of time I did.

When you’re fasting, any internal issues you may have been grappling with will come right up to the surface. Food and drink can be great distractions. They help us to deal with our troubles, allowing us to work through them at a pace we’re comfortable with. When our buffers are taken down, there’s no turning away. This allows for some major internal progress if we’re present and active through the experience. During this fast, it seemed like I had heightened levels of stress coming at me from every angle and without the reprieve of a hearty dinner or even a piece of fruit to lighten some of the burden, I was left engulfed in these stresses. So rather than just read or watch movies to distract myself, I contemplated what was on mind mind and why it was there. I thought about what aspects troubled me the most, and why I let them have that power. Though this, I continually learned that most of the anxieties in my life, whether short term or large scale, are my own creation.

This heightened level of stress was a classic “chicken or the egg” situation. Was my fasting making the issues more grandiose, or were the circumstances already going to be on a seemingly new level of difficulty regardless of whether I was fasting or living my typical way? I determined it was a mix of both and that ultimately I was meant to be fasting during this period of my life. With family, work and personal problems seeming to grow, I felt best equipped to combat them with a relentlessly focused mind rather than using distractions to let me handle them at a decreased rate. From my sharpened verbal communication, to my extra time focusing on the tribulations, the results made it clear that this was the best state to be in for handling the issues and those involved with them. By working through the challenges, rather than deflecting, working around them or succumbing to their weight, I was able to take control of these strenuous circumstances.

Around days 13 - 15 I was on the verge of quitting. I was looking for something to tell me that’d be ok. When I prayed, I knew quitting wasn’t the answer and by talking things out with a close friend who is well versed in fasting I knew I had to stay the course and I’m so glad I did. Fasting can feel lonely at times, while other moments bring a connection of profound heights. You’re simply vibrating on a different wave length than those around you. Being on a raw food diet, I’m used to this, but fasting takes it to another level. I needed to talk, not just just about fasting related challenges, but all the tribulations that were seeming to build up faster than I could handle.

Aside from feeling terribly lonely, I was starting to question whether I should even create this blog. I wondered if the content I was making was even worth sharing. Would I run out of ideas soon and sheepishly end up abandoning the project I’d been so passionate about? I had trouble writing when I was in the later part of my fast because of the internal and external struggles and from a creativity perspective, only making juice was getting old. I wanted to work on new recipes besides just juice. I wanted to spend my hours writing, but I just couldn’t. It just felt like the bottom was falling out on everything. Having a friend to talk with and a strong faith in God served as a reminder that I’m not alone, ever. Just like juice fasting, verbalizing emotional difficulties is therapeutic, and at times, crucial.

I’m a firm believer that He never gives us more than we can handle and by focusing on why I felt the way I did I was able to learn more about myself and why I was where I was at that point in life. I knew going into the fast that feelings of alienation and loneliness were building up in me and a juice fast would certainly exacerbate them but it was undoubtedly the right thing to do at the time. I knew how much I wanted to start this website because it’s vital stepping stone on my path towards a life where I continually dive deeper into what I’m passionate about.

I felt lonely because of being single for so much time. The apparent distance I was putting between myself and those around me as I pushed forward in an uncommon direction made me feel guilty. It felt like what had been such a clear truth to me was actually a selfish and misguided path deeper into my own anxiety.

Though prayer, conversation and meditation, I learned how much of a blessing the perceived loneliness genuinely was. If I had a romantic relationship or was going out every night, I wouldn’t have the time, energy or attention available to devote towards realizing my dreams at the level I’d like to be right now. Since this juice fast, I view my time so differently. I used to find as much time to be social with my spare hours and filled the remainder with creating content. Now, my free time is mostly used creating or learning and I go out when I need a break so I can come back recharged. Each minute or dollar spent on recreation unrelated to turning my dreams into reality is a conscious choice. I still have my fun, but I know dreams don’t just realize themselves so I stay mindful of where I’m sending my energy during an era when I have so few distractions.

On the 16th day it felt like I was on the best drug of my life. My confidence was through the roof, with my ego absolutely silenced. It was freezing outside but felt like a beautiful summer day. I drove with the windows down carelessly while boisterously singing along to music loud enough to be heard a block away. Peace was restored. I felt like a snake that had shed it’s skin. I knew a rebound was imminent after the low points I was trudging through and God pulled me up in a way I’d never felt before.

Fasting isn’t about bringing on struggle. For me, it’s about chipping away at physical, emotional and spiritual buildup as a means of letting more of my inner light out to better serve God and understand my path. Letting go of spiritual binding I’d been complacent with through focus work and praying were both quintessential practices in allowing allowing me to absorb the burdensome feeling and converting them into deep, resounding joys.

Now, a few days after concluding the fast, I can honestly say that I feel like a new man. There are undoubtedly physical benefits, but I really perceive them as side effects of the spiritual and emotional progress because they’re all so intricately connected. My relationship with God has strengthened, I’m better able to help my family and I can better understand what predicaments actually garner apprehension and which ones are just external forces trying to bring me down.

As our bodies become cleaner our eyes can see with new clarity. This enhancement alone makes fasting worth it. I believe fasting can help to dissolve so many of our internal problems, which often cause the external ones, and it’s something I’ll be continuing to practice throughout my life. 2 years ago I did a 3 day juice fast and thought it was the most difficult physical challenge of my entire life. At that time, my diet was relatively clean vegetarian but my drug intake, particularly alcohol, was the most strenuous aspect to abstain from, even just for those brief 72 hours. However, in those 3 days I learned what my habits had culminated into and what I needed to work to move forward with my health and spirituality.

So whether it’s a 3 day juice fast or an extended venture into detoxification, I can assure you there are insights to be had, and that your life, perception and understanding will be changed. During the difficult times of those 3 weeks, fasting felt like a curse. Later I would realize the timing was a blessing and that He knew just what He was doing when events aligned as they did.