Juice.

I'm tired of drinking it.

Juice on!

As many of you know, I recently started a juice fast. Many of you have asked about it (how I'm doing, what's actually in each glass, etc). I thought I would spare the Facebook/Twitter world the details, and blog instead, for those who were really interested {two blogs in a week?! Be impressed}.

The deets: 10 days. Juice. Only juice. And water. No chewing. No coffee. NO COFFEE! Juice. A lot of juice. 

The benefits: In a nutshell, to consume an insane amount of plant based micro-nutrients (you would have to eat platters and platters of whole, un-juiced produce to get the same amount), and to give my hard working digestive system a rest from breaking down all the animal products and garbage I feed it regularly.

Pre-juice: Before Sunday (my start day), I would say I made pretty healthy choices. Health nut? Not even close. But I made a conscious effort to eat clean and organic, and worked out regularly (side note: I'm still a huge junk food junkie...don't be deceived, people). Whether or not that has affected/will affect my juice fast results, I'm not super sure, but it's something to consider.

Saturday night: I'm not gonna lie...I ate a giant plate of nachos. They were amazing. I don't regret it for a second. I was totally freaked out about what I was about to get myself into, and wondering if it was too late to back out. Luckily, I filled a cart full of colorful produce, and I was ready to go!

Day one: My alarm goes off an hour earlier than usual. Half asleep, I stare at it in confusion, change it to it's normal time, and drift back to sleep. Yep, already winning; totally how I wanted to start my juice fast. High five, Cyn.

After church, I head home to make my first glass. Kale, Spinach, cucumber, apple, and a lemon. I'm nervous. It's green...like, REAL green. It smells like plants. But to my surprise, it tastes wonderful!! "I can do this," I thought. 

Dinner on day one rolls around. I can hear the beets calling me from the crisper. Carrots, celery, kale, spinach, apple, beets, and fresh ginger. Oh boy...

Actually, not bad. Not quite as easy to swallow as my green drink, but not horrible. Another win!

Day 2: I kept waiting to feel horrible. I had read countless blogs/websites/etc that stressed how awful the first few days would be. How intense my cravings for food would be. But honest to goodness, I felt amazing! I had a bit of a dull headache (which, considering I had just dropped caffeine cold turkey, I was more than okay with), but overall, felt great! Woo hoo!! Started feeling more comfortable with the juicer, and playing with juice mixtures/recipes. 

Day three: woke up feeling great! Added cantaloupe and strawberries today. Trying to maintain a 70/30-60/40 veggie to juice ratio, but wanted something sweet and easy to drink for brekkie. Another great day...even went for a run! Still a little headachy, but feeling energized and full (haven't been hungry once), and I haven't had any of the crazy bathroom issues I have read so much about (I'll just leave it at that).

How pretty is juicing?!

So "the worst" is over. I kind of don't believe it. I'm pretty sure I'll want pizza in a couple days, but I guess we'll see! If you have any questions, just ask! Juice on!!!

The Best Part

I think the best part about always forgetting you have a blog, is the part when you remember that you do.  Then you go to said blog, and {after three unsuccessful login attempts} you read your last post. It's full of hope and excitement, and it's full of plans. Then you sit back and realize that those plans fell through. You're nowhere close to where you thought you would be. You're a different person than you had ever imagined being. And instead of feeling defeat, you breath a sigh of relief, and whisper, "thank you."


If I had to try and sum up the last six months of my life in one word, that word would be grateful. I've never felt grateful the way I feel it these days. I can feel it in my physical body; in my core, my bones. Sometimes, I almost feel like I might explode. 

I'm grateful for this peace I feel in my heart. I'm grateful for this beautiful city that I get to live in. I'm thankful for a job that supports me, and allowed me to buy this pretty teal nail polish that's on my toes. I'm grateful {overwhelmingly so} for grace, and for the God who gives it. I'm grateful for new friends who are wonderful, and for old ones, who are faithful. I'm grateful that my life is a life free of fear and full of promise.

A little vague, maybe. But it doesn't matter. I don't think I could put it in words if I tried.