“The best of all medicines is resting and fasting.” 
Benjamin Franklin

“Fasting is the greatest remedy– the physician within.” 
Philippus Paracelsus, one of the three fathers of Western medicine

“I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency.” 
Plato

Welcome to Day 1 of our Guided Juice Fast!

The fasting process takes us deep into our inner-space, inviting us to interface with aspects of ourselves that we may not be very familiar with. This is an opportunity to expand as human beings as we simultaneously cleanse our cell-space. Yes, it takes self-discipline and courage. But you are not alone! We are on this adventure together and, like trackers on a safari, we know the terrain like the back of our hands; we know how to lead you to the vistas with the marvelous, inspiring views! The other side of your self-discipline and courage is well chartered: greater life-force, renewed cells, waste-loss and inner growth. A short three days of trading in food for prana, digestion for internal rest, habitual patterns for the absence of them and you’ll have gained so much! Three days passes so quickly and your delayed gratification will pay off more than you can imagine. Just commit and let it ride. As I always like to remind myself when I am embarking on a fast (the hardest part of the fast for me is the first day, sealing the commitment), “The food will be there after the fast. It’s not going anywhere.”

Please be sure to email us with any questions you have. We will do our best to answer as many questions as possible!

Read this 10 times today!

There will be times today when you need to remind yourself why you are doing this. Food will be placed in front of you or will be consumed around you and you will think, “I should be nourishing myself not starving myself!” Co-workers, friends, family may all look at you like you are crazy, not understanding why you would choose not to eat. They may even share concerns with you about what you are doing. But remember, even though our modern society does not fast as a habit, people throughout the history of time, some modern societies today, and all animals in nature see the value…just because our society doesn’t value fasting as a regular practice, doesn’t make it wrong! Don’t let inner or outer dialogue sway your commitment. There’s a reason you chose to do this. If food was the answer you would not have resonated with the value of fasting. Expect these inner and outer voices. Be armed and ready when they show up.

An understanding of how the body works and how it heals is SO IMPORTANT when you are faced with your own and other’s doubts. Remember that we are not the healer, what we put IN to our body is not the healer, the juices are not the healer…all we are doing by fasting is giving our body the conditions to be the healer. Because we are not consuming any fiber over the course of these few days, we are giving our bodies a chance to rest and digest. Our organs are actually strengthening, resuscitating and recharging. The rest we are giving our body gives our stomach and intestines a break.

The alkaline juices you are consuming awaken and hydrate old acidic waste matter that is caked into your tissues and cells, weakening their integrity and blocking the flow of life-force. This awakened waste must be mobilized up and out of these cells and tissues OUT of the body to constitute and actually cleanse. If this waste does not leave your body, you are not cleansing but rather just awakening old waste that will resettle into the tissues again. The removal of the awakened waste is what will really create lasting impact on your health and appearance. For those of you who are focused on nutritional value from food, keep in mind that once this waste leaves the cells and tissues, the vital, nutrient rich foods you eat after the fast will be able to make a much greater nutritional deposit because the cells will be open and receptive to all those vital nutrients whereas they were previously blocked and far less able to assimilate them. Your unblocked organs will be able to perform their tasks with far more power. Clean cells and organs = increased metabolic function!

Your old programming and habits will probably result in some strong cravings and temptations, especially around the times when you normally eat (e.g. lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, etc). The best thing to do is be aware that this may happen and to be prepared. Have your juice, broth, tea with you at all times and make sure you have some distractions planned! Three days will click by like minutes once you are done with this first day so do your best to keep going and know that it will get easier with every passing day!

When you feel like eating…distract yourself!

It is not often that we recommend people distract themselves from anything as there are so many distractions in our modern society and it is a challenge to stay present throughout our lives. However, sometimes during a fast it is necessary to simply distract yourself for a short period of time in order to take your mind off of food and to get through the waves of hunger that can feel overwhelming at times. In the Pre-fast Preparation Guide, we mentioned movies, shopping, exercise…when the urge to eat is particularly strong, do your best to distract yourself and you will see that the urge passes and you will feel strong again soon. Distraction, while not something we want to use as a crutch too often (we want to become more present, not less) is the lesser evil in this case. The primary goal is to stick to the fast for the three days – if that means distracting yourself in moments of weakness allow yourself that option.

Another great way to take your mind off your body is to focus on your spirit. Go for a long walk in nature, take a candlelit bath, journal, meditate, take a nap, do some yoga…whatever it is that makes you feel connected and peaceful – today is a day to make sure you get this in! A lot of the time our cravings are more emotional then they are physical so if you give yourself the opportunity to bring these issues to the surface and address them, you will find that the urge to eat passes along with the old emotional pattern you were hanging on to.

And last, a very productive and appropriate distraction you may want to consider is to start tackling some home cleansing little by little. Each day of the fast, pick one room or section (e.g. bedroom closet, office, garage) and get rid of everything you don’t need anymore. Re-organize the room so it’s more peaceful and get rid of the clutter…this way when you end the fast you will have a cleaner body and quieter mind PLUS the added benefit of a cleaner and calmer home.

And if you can’t quite make it through the day…

A little caveat for those of you who trip up today…it is not the end of the world! If you have a desperate moment at some point today and you give in to the temptation to eat, don’t give up and throw in the towel on the whole fast or feel bad about yourself. All is not lost and there is so much to be gained by going to bed and starting over tomorrow. You may want to consider extending the fast one day past our last day but no matter how long you last on Day 1 your body experienced some benefit by any length of fasting that you did (even if it was just juicing until the afternoon!)

Before you go to bed tonight…

You may want to consider journaling about your experience today before you go to bed. How did it feel to forego food when those around you were eating? How did you get through the times of significant temptation? Were you uncomfortable doing something that is not normally valued in our society or did it make you feel empowered?

At this point, you can be really excited because tomorrow morning you will wake up and you will have made a huge accomplishment! You have gotten through what most consider the hardest day! Sleep tonight knowing that your body is resting and benefitting from the sleep, that your health is improving and you are giving yourself a wonderful gift with this fast.

In loving support, 
Natalia & the NRI Team