Juice Fast

It’s easy to fall into habits without realizing it. Three years ago, I was running a wellness program that included several different classes and activities. To support the instructors and help build community, I participated in all of the classes myself.

At the time, I regularly practiced Tae Kwon Do, Belly Dance, water aerobics, and taught swim lessons. After a few months, I had reached the healthiest and most active point of my adult life. At 6’2”, I was down to a size six, the smallest size I had ever worn.

Then I broke my foot.

Recovery and Changing Habits

A fall from a back deck onto concrete badly fractured my right heel. After surgery, doctors inserted a metal plate and nine screws into my foot. Unless complications arise, they will remain permanently.

Recovery took nearly a year. During that time, I became increasingly attached to my couch, television, and convenient snacks like Doritos. Slowly, those comforts turned into habits.

Today, I am still working to regain the strength, health, and ease my body once had.

Recognizing Unhealthy Patterns

Healing has been gradual, and many of my less healthy routines continued long after my injury. Rebuilding healthy habits requires effort, consistency, and willpower.

One evening, while sitting on the couch watching television and eating snacks, I came across the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. The film follows a man attempting to improve his health through a sixty-day juice fast.

I had fasted before, but never for that long. Watching the documentary inspired me to reconsider my own habits and health goals.

Beginning a Juice Fast

A juice fast would also require me to step away from other habits, including coffee and tobacco. Giving up coffee felt manageable, even though I enjoy espresso. Tobacco, however, would be much more difficult.

I had quit smoking two years earlier, but after experiencing a significant personal loss, I returned to the habit during a stressful period in my life. Since then, I had attempted to quit several times, though none of those attempts lasted very long.

This time felt different. I felt ready to try again.

Taking the First Step Safely

Before beginning the fast, I decided to schedule a visit with my primary care physician. The documentary emphasized the importance of medical supervision during extended fasting, especially for long-term juice cleanses.

Although I had completed shorter fasts in the past, I had never attempted a sixty-day fast or relied entirely on liquid nutrition for such a long period of time.

For something this significant, professional guidance felt important.