The Juice Lady's Guide To Fasting

I fell in love with juicing a few years ago.  It was December 2013 and I was still recovering from my hysterectomy.  I had gained 20lbs almost overnight and was looking for a healthy way to lose the weight.  I had watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead and was convinced that juicing was the way to go.  I begged my husband for a juicer and on New Years Eve 2013 I juiced my first juice.  It was carrot juice and it was delicious.

I started making a green juice for breakfast every morning in January 2014 and had hopes of doing a juice fast.  I did quite a bit of research on juice fasts but I never actually did a fast.  I have always loved the idea of fasting but if I don't eat within a certain amount of time I start to have problems.  Many of my migraines are triggered by lack of food and if I don't eat for several hours I get these horrible shakes and brain fog.  Fearing these side effects has been what has kept me from attempting a juice fast.

After reading The Juice Lady's Guide to Fasting by Cherie Calbom I can say that the fire is lit in me again.  Cherie walks you through several types of fasts and what fasting means in general.

This is my first time hearing about The Juice Lady which is actually quite surprising.  She has been featured all over the media and has numerous books and programs all geared towards optimum health.

Cherie tells her story at the beginning of the book and it brought me to tears.  It sounds so much like the struggle I've been going through the past few years.

"I had been sick for a few years and just kept getting worse.  I was so sick and tired, I could barely walk around the house.  I wondered, 'Will I ever be well again?'  I'd had to quit my job when I turned thirty because I had chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.  They made me so sick I couldn't work.  I felt as though I had a never-ending flu.  Constantly feverish with swollen glands and perennial lethargy, I was also in constant pain. My body ached all over."

This is me!  Every single day I deal with pain.  I've had four surgeries and numerous tests and my doctor's cannot figure out what is wrong with me.  Everyone has pretty much given up on me so now I am taking matters into my own hands.  I truly believe food has a lot to do with my ailments and decided after reading this book that I am going to do a juice fast despite my fear of side effects.  I had wanted to do one before I posted my review but as luck would have it I got hit with the flu and bronchitis.  (I do plan on doing a juice fast once I am better and will post my results in a later post.)

There are many different types of fasts in the book that you can choose from and the author does a wonderful job of explaining everything.  There are numerous recipes that you can try as well as explanations about various supplements that you should be taking for your health.

Cherie also talks about examples of fasting in the Bible and the fact that fasting is a form of disciplining our bodies.  When we take the focus off food it can open the door to a more intimate relationship with God.

"More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us.  This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.  We cover up what is inside of us with food and other things." -Richard Foster

Anyone who has ever been curious about fasting or juicing should read this book. They don't call her The Juice Lady for nothing!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review