Organic Avenue LOVEdeep: Day 5 + Reflections on the Fast

Welcome to Day 5 of my Organic Avenue 5 Day LOVEdeep fast from all solid foods. Click here to read my entry about why I decided to forego solid foods for 5 days. Then read recaps of Day 1 and Day 2 and Day 3 and Day 4.

I’ll go through my last day of the fast and then discuss my reflections on my experiences during this week overall. First, the menu:

• LOVE DEEP #1. (approx. 8/9am) Chlorophyll Elixir: Chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the intestines, the uterus, and the lungs. It is therefore a tonic which, considering its stimulating properties, cannot be compared with any other. (Dr. Bircher)
• LOVE DEEP #2. (approx 10/11am) Fresh Pressed Lemonade: (Lemon, lime, alkalized water, ginger, agave, Himalayan sea salt) FYI: Lemons are an abundant source of Vitamin C which is known to stimulate collagen and accelerate the healing process of various skin wounds. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #3. (approx 12/1pm) Young Love: (Spinach, cucumber, celery) FYI: Cucumbers are a natural diuretic and can support the health of the liver and pancreas. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #4. (approx 2/3 pm) Masters Tonic: (lemon, purified water, yacon, cayenne)
  FYI: Lemon water is a good morning drink to start the process of removing impure chi in the body. It cleanses the digestive system and relieves symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching. Also, it controls constipation and diarrhea by eliminating waste more efficiently. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #5. (approx 3/4pm) Gazpacho Madrileno: (Tomatoes, cucumber, celery, bell peppers, carrots, cayenne, lime juice, sea salt) FYI: Celery can reduce a reddened face, high blood pressure, dizziness and headache. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #6. (approx 5/6pm) Fresh Pressed Veg 8* (Swiss chard, spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, romaine, carrot, tomato, green apple, lemon, lime) FYI:Cucumber has a cleansing action within the body by removing accumulated pockets of old waste material and chemical toxins. It might help in the treatment of arthritis since it helps eliminate uric acid. Cucumber’s liquid has the reputation of being a rejuvenator and makes us feel and look young. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #7. (approx 7/8pm) Coconut Water: FYI Coconut water is one of the highest sources of electrolytes. Coconut water is identical to human blood plasma which makes it the universal donor. Plasma makes up 55% of human blood. By drinking coconuts we give ourselves an instant blood transfusion. (read article)
  *Dori’s note – I had Almond Mylk in place of Thai Coconut Water.

Sorry the formatting is sometimes off in these descriptions. I don’t know why some days it works and some it doesn’t, but when I go into the code it just won’t fix itself!

I woke up with a smile knowing it was my last day without food. I drank the chlorophyll, brushed my teeth, flossed and scraped my gum. Then I brushed my teeth again. If you’ve ever had chlorohpyll, you’ll understand why.

When I got to work I took out my first juice, lemonade. I was disappointed to see this on the menu because I consider the masters tonic lemonade as well, and I don’t like it. Needless to say, I didn’t like this one either. I am not a fan of sour foods. I had to force it down, all the while mourning the fact that I didn’t get another orange/grapefruit juice.

Next up was my love the Young Love. As always, I loved it. And then . . . masters tonic. MORE LEMONADE. Blech. I got it down.

I started getting very hungry and knew it was time for soup. Oh, filling soups, how I love you. The soup of the day was GAZPACHO SOUP, Rimmer’s last words (Red Dwarf reference anyone? Anyone??). So in love with the idea of this soup as I was, I emailed my brother and CC’d Mallory (fellow Red Dwarf fanatics) to see if they could guess what I was eating with only the hints (1) Red Dwarf and (2) Drink, not eat. My brother sadly fell short of the correct answer with his guess of “Beer Milkshake.” A good guess, nonetheless.

I had gazpacho soup a few months ago and enjoyed it, so I was expecting good things. I poured some into a cup and was pleased to see small chunks of veggies. Yes, chunks. As in, SOLID FOOD. I would get to chew! My teeth perked up with happiness and my jaw let out a huge sigh of relief.

I dipped my spoon. I put it to my mouth. Chew, swallow. Not bad! After a few more bites, my mind changed. I didn’t love the soup after all, especially not the aftertaste. It took me a long time, but I ended up eating almost all of it. I was very hungry and while I did enjoy the chunks, the soup itself was very thin. I was really missing Thursday’s heavenly, thick cauliflower soup. Oh how delicious it was.

After I finished the soup it was time to leave work and luckily my hunger had subsided. The soups are so filling — a big reason I prefer the Organic Avenue program to BPC, although I might be willing to try out one of BPC’s fruitier options in the future. I went to my cousin’s to hang out and it was hours later that I began to feel any hunger. This time, I drank Wednesday’s Veg 8 (saving Thursday’s and Friday’s for the weekend to guarantee freshness). While I did not enjoy it, I got it down and was once again full and satisfied.

After I left to go home around 8:30, I drank my final Almond Mylk and once again it was like drinking heaven. It made the entire day so worth it! Organic Avenue advises you each day to “chew your juices” and only with the Almond Mylk was I truly able to comply. It begs to make its flavor last as long as possible. Why did I not think to ask for this after the very first day!

Chew chew chew. Mmmmnmnmmnmm.

When I got home, I was feeling pretty good. None of the weakness I experienced on Monday (more to come on that below) and I was happy to be DONE. Except that the boy had ordered a salad again and there as the tiny roll of bread that comes with it and, well, I am me. I tore it open and took a bite and wow it tasted fresh and delicious and I never knew bread to be SO GOOD. So, so, so good. Strange how all the times I had tasted it in weeks past I never cared for it. How silly of me! It is the best bread ever! Right?

Ha.

So there you have it, my little indiscretion. I went to sleep feeling happy, content and not at all hungry.

And now I reflect.

Reflections and Review

• By the end of the night on Day 1, I was not doing okay. I felt weak and out of it, and the boy said I looked ill. It took a little piece of bread to literally make that disappear and give me back my much-needed energy. I honestly could not fathom bringing the empty juice bottles downstairs to the doorman, that is listless I was. To be fair, I skipped the masters tonic, the veg 8 and the coconut water. I did not finish the soup. So I don’t blame Organic Avenue or juice fasting as a whole for my feelings because I believe that if I drank all the drinks for the day I probably would have felt fine. But I just couldn’t drink them. I wanted to, but couldn’t possibly get more liquid down. I guess this is how my body dealt with no solid foods for a day. The bread was necessary and I am so glad I had it.
• Day 1 became a major mental challenge by the end of the day. As I mentioned, at one point I had my computer on my lap and an email to Organic Avenue open to try and get out of the next 4 days. In the end, I never did send that email. GOOD THING I DIDN’T. I would have regretted that decision. I was not thinking rationally, as evidenced by how out of it I was.
• Each day became easier than the one before it. Day 2 was no problem at all! The more I got used to not eating, the less I craved foods. On Day 1, I had serious cravings for pizza and egg & cheese sandwiches. As the days went on, these cravings all but disappeared. As you might remember when I was on Blueprint Cleanse, I was craving tacos and Chinese food on the first day!
• A treat at the end of the day makes the entire day easier. I need something delicious to look forward to. I do not like coconut water. I had already known this, but this fast brought it all back. I want to like it. I gave you all 5 reasons why it is awesome for you. But I just don’t like it. And I am SO happy that Organic Avenue was so accomodating and replaced it with Almond Mylk! If only I had asked sooner! On BPC, the cashew milk at the end of the day was amazing, and I was really missing that treat until I thought to ask Organic Avenue to switch it up. I can’t say for sure, but I don’t know if BPC would make substitutions quite so easily.
• Yes, I had a teeny amount of bread some of the days. At first, I felt really guilty about this and bemoaned “ruining” my fast. As the days went on, I stopped feeling as much guilt (although it never fully went away). The point of this 5 day fast was to FEEL BETTER. I wanted to experience no stomach pain, no discomfort, maybe fit into my clothes for a few days, not feel weighed down with all the food that is taking up space in my body and most importantly, give my “diseased” digestive system a REST! A break! We all need a break and believe me, my GI tract needed one too. If I felt awful the entire time, then what is the point? I’d be feeling ill, just a different shade of ill. Worth it? Not at all.
• I learned about some delicious Organic Avenue creations that I love — particularly the Young Love, Almond Mylk, Orange/Grapefruit Juice and Cauliflower Soup. The last two I probably would never consider getting if not for this fast, so I am happy to have some new choices I love — and to visit the store more often and try even more!
• Each day was a mental challenge. It is important to note that I was NEVER hungry on this fast. Not once. And I am a generally hungry person. After a big meal, I am still hungry. An hour after eating lunch, I am still hungry. During this week, however, I was full most of the time. The drinks and soups provided more nutrients and nourishment than I could ever imagine putting into my body myself on a single day — let alone an entire week. The challenge was not in being hungry — it was in WANTING to eat. As in, the physical act of eating. I missed chewing, I missed mealtimes, I missed smells and textures and flavors. I love to eat. The more I didn’t eat this week, the more I wanted to eat. We are human. We are meant to eat.
• I had energy. I ran 2 miles on Tuesday and 3 miles on Thursday of the juice fast week. No problems there.
• I loved that the menu varied each day. It was so refreshing to be able to try different drinks and soups each day. On BPC, you get the same thing each day. Having variety made the fast more interesting and gave me new tastes to look forward to. This was especially good given that I liked some juices and soups more than others, and it would have sucked to have one I didn’t like every day. It was also great because I got to try Organic Avenue products that I might not have tried on my own. I never would have known how much I love cauliflower soup or orange/grapefruit juice! I think a good idea for Blueprint Cleanse would be to offer a 3- or 5-day cleanse in waves, so instead of choosing one level for the entire time, each day it would change around. If they come up with this idea, I want credit! This is documented on the interwebs for eternity!
• I loved the information and links that went along with each day’s menu. Even though many of the juices were the same every day, the descriptions of the health benefits always varied. I learned SO much. I hope you did too!
• I experienced, for the first time in more than 2 years, an entire week without any GI pain or discomfort. Goal ACCOMPLISHED. This is all I had hoped for. One pain-free week. One week without the constant and strange loud sounds emanating from my midsection. One week without rushing home from work to lay down. One week without calling my doctor in tears begging for something, anything, to take the pain away. One week to wear pants my own size and not maternity- or too-big-for-my-body-clothing. One week off from the hell that is my digestive system. And I got that. This entire week was worth it if just for that.
• But there’s more! I am now on the road to even cleaner eating than before. I am now a pescatarian, albeit with very little appetite for fish. I will be making more blended salads (already had one and it was delish). I will be attempting more vegetables. I will *try* to cut down on the sugar. With some exceptions of course (see: Buttercup cupcakes at a family party the other night). I will not be afraid to ask for foods I want (at said family party, I asked for a plate of vegetables instead of the chicken/veal/fish options available — and they gladly obliged). I hope these changes improve my overall health for the better (decreased chances of cancer) and I also hope they can cause some positive result on my stomach. I’m not holding my breath, but I can hope.

While I did not love every drink, I did enjoy most of them and I am so thankful to Organic Avenue for allowing me — and encouraging me — to do the 5 Day LOVEdeep at a discounted rate. I was only going to do the three day but I am very happy I took the challenge and fasted from solid foods for 5 full days (with a couple minor indiscretions). I would recommend this program to anyone interested in not only a juice fast but a fast that incorporates food as well. I happened to do Organic Avenue’s most difficult fasting level, but they have two easier levels – LOVEeasy and LOVEfast that incorporate both food and shakes (YUM). I didn’t choose those because I know the problems my body has and I know I would benefit most from not having my GI tract do any work over this week. It needed the biggest rest it could get.

However, if you are interested in starting out on something like this, I recommend talking to a doctor or health counselor or other professional and looking into one of the easier levels like LOVEeasy and LOVEfast. If you’re ready for a challenge, LOVEdeep is a great way to go — particularly given Organic Avenue’s fast and friendly customer service. I mentioned once that my friend who got very sick doing Blueprint Cleanse was unable to get in touch with anyone there for hours upon hours — and when she did, they told her she had the flu. In July. A flu that magically cured itself once she ate the blended salad that Gena recommended. Right.

Do your research, get professional guidance and visit Organic Avenue. Even if a fast from all that is processed and wrong in the world is not right for you, I can promise you will find some tasty and healthy treats — and it might just convince you to eat a little cleaner.