Free Zone

Juice Fasting Stages of Detoxification

The Different Juice Fasting Stages of Detoxification
A single cell within the human body is more complex than the most modern supercomputer. The process of removing a hundred thousand antigens, each with unique molecular properties, from trillions of functioning cells is indeed a complex process. Imagine three trillion cells being repaired during the function of countless biochemical processes needed for life. Even the best mechanics have to turn off the engine. Yet, the body has millions of micro mechanics that do this with ease.

One of the body’s automatic maintenance processes is the destruction of foreign microorganisms. When looking through a dark-field microscope, countless parasites are clearly visible. I observed parasites living inside blood cells. Several could be seen eating cholesterol, and I was amazed to see one swim. Watching lymphocytes moving in the blood was like a science-fiction movie. These complex, lymphocyte organisms attached themselves and engulfed toxins. As they did, their colorations flowed into fascinating patterns leaving me with a sense of wonder and respect for the miraculous ability and infinite complexity of the human body.

Fasting Detoxification Stages
Here is an overview of the detoxification stages during a juice fast. The time periods are a general estimation.

Stage 1 (Day 1 To Day 2)
On the first day of fasting, the blood sugar level drops below 70 mg/dl. To restore the blood to the normal glucose level, liver glycogen is converted to glucose and released into the blood. This reserve is enough for half a day. The body then reduces the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The rate of internal chemical activity in resting tissue is lowered to conserve energy. The heart slows and blood pressure is reduced. Glycogen is pulled from the muscle causing some weakness. The first wave of cleansing is usually the worst. 

Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, glazed eyes and a heavily coated tongue are signs of the first stage of cleansing. Hunger can be the most intense in this period unless the colon cleanse is used which quickly assists the body into the fasting state by ending digestion in the colon.

Stage 2 (Day 3 To Day 7)
Fats, composed of transformed fatty acids, are broken down to release glycerol from the gliceride molecules and are converted to glucose. The skin may become oily as rancid oils are purged from the body. People with problem-free skin may have a few days of pimples or even a boil. A pallid complexion is also a sign of waste in the blood. Ketones are formed by the incomplete oxidation of fats. It is suspected that the ketones in the blood suppress the appetite by affecting the food-satiety center in the hypothalamus. You may feel hungry for the first few days of the fast. This effect is temporary. The desire to eat will disappear. Lack of hunger may last 40 to 60 days, depending on whether you are on water or juice. 

The body embraces the fast and the digestive system is able to take a much-needed rest, focusing all of its energies on cleansing and healing. White blood cell and immune system activity increases. You may feel pain in your lungs. The cleansing organs and the lungs are in the process of being repaired. Periodically, the lymphatic system expels mucoid matter through the nose or throat. The volume excreted of this yellow-colored mucus can be shocking. The sinuses go through periods of being clogged, then will totally clear. The breath is still foul and the tongue coated. Within the intestine, the colon is being repaired and impacted feces on the intestinal wall start to loosen.

Stage 3 (Day 8 to Day 15)
On the latter part of an extended fast, you can experience enhanced energy, clear-mindedness and feel better than you have felt since childhood. On the downside, old injuries may become irritated and painful. This is a result of the body's increased ability to heal during fasting. If you had broken your arm 10 years before, there is scar tissue around the break. At the time of the break, the body's ability to heal was directly related to lifestyle. If you lived on a junk-food diet, the body's natural healing ability was compromised. 

During fasting, the body's healing process is at optimum efficiency. As the body scours for dead or damaged tissue, the lymphocytes enter the older, damaged tissue secreting substances to dissolve the damaged cells. These substances irritate the nerves in the surrounding region and cause a reoccurrence of aches from previously injured areas that may have disappeared years earlier. The pain is good as the body is completing the healing process. The muscles may become tight and sore due to toxin irritation. The legs can be the worst affected, as toxins accumulate in the legs. Cankers are common in this stage due to the excessive bacteria in the mouth. Daily gargling with salt and water will prevent or heal cankers.

Stage 4 (Day 16 to Day 30)
The body is completely adapted to the fasting process. There is more energy and clarity of mind. Cleansing periods can be short with many days of feeling good in between. There are days when the tongue is pink and the breath is fresh. The healing work of the organs is being completed. After the detoxification mechanisms have removed the causative agent or render it harmless, the body works at maximum capacity in tissue proliferation to replace damaged tissue. While a short fast will reduce the symptoms, a longer fast can completely heal. Homeostatic balance is at optimum levels. The lymphatic system is clean except for a rare discharge of mucus through the nose or throat. After day 20, the mind is affected. Heightened clarity and emotional balance are felt at this time. Memory and concentration improve.

Stage 5 (Breaking the Fast)
The sticky, toxic, mucoid coating on the intestinal wall is loose, and the first meal frees it from the intestinal wall. Toxins enter the blood through the colon. The gallbladder dumps its waste in a heavy discharge of bile. This can cause an instant bowel movement upon eating followed by intense diarrhea.

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Drink Recipes

A useful inclusion in a healthy diet plan is making fruit juices and smoothies. These are very nutritious, thirst quenching, hunger satisfying alternatives to the ubiquitous carbonated and excessively sweetened beverages. It takes a little planning, but we should take the time and make the effort to plan such an important part of our life as our health and longevity. There are many delicious combinations of fruits. The very juicy fruits such as pears and grapes may be combined with a host of different berries, such as strawberries, blueberries to make 'to die for' flavors. Apples are a standard staple for juicing. Peaches, and cherries in season are excellent. You might experiment by juicing a variety of fruits separately and blend combination in a small container to determine what you like the best. As the seasons progress and we go from strawberries to blackberries, and peaches to apples, we have an extensive palate of flavors to blend into a cornucopia of delicious variations. Of course, you will want to use fruits at their juicy best. I see people eating hard pears, peaches and plums. They may look pretty but they lack the flavor and nutrition, the 'deliciousness' of the fully ripened fruit. Most commercially grown fruits are picked and shipped green and are intended to be ripened at the point of delivery. Plums are a good example of this practice. They are full formed but not fully ripe when you bring them home. (Ideally, you would buy tree ripened fruit ready to eat, but this is not how commercially grown fruit is handled. A trip to a farmer's market is a treat when you find fully ripe and ready to eat fruit in all its glory.) The fruit should be kept in a warm place and covered with a paper bag to hold in the ripening gas (ethylene) that is emitted by the green fruit. The warmer the fruit and the more gas is retained, the faster the fruit ripens. This offers the opportunity to control the ripening speed so a relatively large supply of fruit will not ripen all at once, the fruit that is kept cool and ventilated will not ripen at the rate that warm and enclosed fruit will ripen. The ripening process converts starch to sugar, the texture becomes soft and juicy, and the acid nature of the green fruit becomes neutral. The fruit becomes aromatic and smells' ripe'. Then it is at its most nutritious and delicious best. On the other hand, strawberries are not ripened by ethylene but by genes. As the berry ages, more ripening genes are developed to accelerate the ripening process.

FRUIT JUICE RECIPES Lemon~Lime Ginger Ale (Serves 1) 1 apple, cored and sliced 1/4 lemon 1/2 inch fresh ginger (less if you find the taste too strong) 1/2 lime handful of grapes sparkling mineral water ----------------------------------- Remove the grapes from the stem. Juice the apple and ginger together, then juice the rest of the fruit. Pour the juice in a large glass and fill to the top with sparkling water and serve with ice. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gingered Apple Cider (Serves 1) 1 inch piece ginger 3 apples or 1 cup apple cidar Process through a juicer and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peach~Pear~Apple Juice (Serves 1) 2 peaches, remove seed 1 apple, cored and sliced 1 pear, sliced Process through a juicer and serve.    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fruit Punch (Serves 1) 6 strawberries, fresh or thawed from frozen 1 apple, cored and sliced 1/2 orange, peeled and sectioned Process the fruit in a juicer and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fruit Nectar 1 orange, peeled and sectioned 1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or thawed from frozen 1 nectarine, pitted and sliced Process the fruit in a juicer and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sparkling Tropical Fruit (Serves 1) 1 kiwi, peeled 1/2 mango, peeled and sliced 1 orange, peeled and sectioned sparkling mineral water Process the fruit in a juicer.  Pour the juice in a large glass and fill to the  top with sparkling water and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blueberry~Cherry Juice (Serves 1) handful of cherries, pitted 3/4 cup blueberries 1 apple, cored and sliced Process the fruit in a juicer and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More Fruit Juice Recipe Ideas ... 1 cup strawberries 2 med. apples 1 tsp. lemon juice -------------------------------- 1/2 red grapefruit 1 med. orange 2 handfuls cranberries -------------------------------- 1 pear 1 peach 1 apple -------------------------------- 1 orange 1 mango 1 apple VEGETABLE JUICE RECIPES Cucumber~Celery Cooler 1 apple, sliced 4 medium carrots, greens removed 1 stalk celery 1/2 lemon, peeled (optional) 1/4 medium cucumber, peeled Process the ingredients in a juicer and serve. ~~~~~~~~~ Garden Salad 1 apple 3 medium carrots, greens removed 1/2 green pepper, sweet 4 leaves romaine lettuce 1/2 lemon, peeled (optional) 1 tomato Process the ingredients in a juicer and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Calcium Drink  1/2 cup fresh broccoli pieces 1 apple 3 medium carrots, greens removed small handful fresh parsley 1/2 lemon, peeled (optional) Process the ingredients in a juicer and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sweet Potato Carrot Juice 2 medium carrots, greens removed 1 celery stalk 1 small sweet potato 1 apple 1/2 lemon, peeled (optional) Process the ingredients in a juicer and serve.   Back to Contents