Note: I wrote this post midday Wednesday but am first getting around to posting it Thursday morning. I will write a Thursday post that picks up where this one left off.

Click here for recaps from Day 1 and Day 2.

Hello from Day 3 of the Organic Avenue 5 day LOVEdeep. The day that would have been the last day had Organic Avenue not convinced me that 5 days would be much, much more beneficial to me. And then offered me a discount on said beneficialness.

Yesterday did go much better than Monday. Part of the reason was that I was working from home, so I didn’t have as many external cues taunting me – no people carrying food, no office lunchtime smells, no counting the hours until I leave with such intense boredom the only thing that could possibly pass the time is food…

So, yeah. Much better yesterday. I even drank more juice! I drank about ¾ of the Masters Tonic yesterday. The cucumber basil soup was out of this world delicious. I finished almost all of it. And while I felt okay, I did have a tiny bite of bread. Out of habit. A habit I established on Monday. I really hope I am not completely messing this all up…

Both nights so far, the soup ended up being my last juice. Really, it is supposed to be the fifth. The first day was all screwy for me, as you know, and yesterday I had to change the order around to accommodate my dentist appointment. I didn’t want to arrive at the dentist with green teeth, and I didn’t want to stain my new filling green after, so I waited to have the chlorophyll elixir and also drank the Veg 8 earlier than advised as a way to avoid the master tonic. I really hate lemon/sour.

I felt fine and once again, slept deeply. If you are ever craving a deep, long sleep, I recommend juicing the entire day. Seriously amazing sleeps as a result. I had not an ounce of energy left, all I wanted was bed.

The only juice I did not drink yesterday was the coconut water. I want to like it, I really do. I just can’t stand it though. I gave that one away. I wish, oh how I wish that the last drink was a nut milk instead of the coconut water. I just emailed Organic Avenue to find out if it is possible to replace this last juice with something different. And guess what? They said that going forward (ie, the final 2 days) they will replace the coconut water with their almond mylk! PERFECT! I am mad at myself that I didn’t think to ask them this yesterday! I might just stop in there and buy one later though . . .

Waking up this morning was hard. But I woke up a little early to make sure I had all my medical records in order so I could get them uploaded to the computer. Ah, technology! I am seeing the surgeon on Monday, so I need to have everything as organized as possible.

Next week is Spa Week. I have an appointment for a $50 deep tissue massage. A much needed deep tissue massage, as my entire body has been hurting for awhile now. Especially my feet and back. I blame the back on the boy’s computer chair which is not so much as a computer chair as it is a dining room chair. Dining room chair + working from home more often = ouchie back. A new chair and a deep tissue massage should resolve this all.

Today’s menu is as follows:

• LOVE DEEP #1. (approx. 8/9am) Chlorophyll Elixir FYI: Chlorophyll can cleanse the body, fight infection, help heal wounds, and promote the health of the circulatory, digestive, immune, and detoxification systems. It also contains components that are nearly identical to hemoglobin, therefore increasing red blood cell count. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #2. (9/10am) Fresh Pressed Green Apple Juice with Alkalized Water FYI: Apples have WHOLE-BODY HEALTH BENEFITS: Lowers blood cholesterol, improved bowel function, reduced risk of stroke, prostate cancer, type II diabetes and asthma. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #3. (11/12pm) Young Love: (Cucumber, spinach, celery) FYI: Cucumbers are rich in silicon and sulphur, making it an excellent hair growth aid. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #4. (1/2pm) Master 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 and cleansing the digestive system. It relieves symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching. Lemons also control constipation and diarrhea by eliminating waste more efficiently. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #5. (3/4pm) Carrot Ginger Soup: ( Carrots, orange juice, shallots, coconut, agave, miso, cumin, water) FYI: Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. Carrots’ antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially night vision. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #6. (5/6pm) Fresh Pressed Veg 8* (Swiss chard, spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, romaine, carrot, tomato, green apple, lemon, lime) FYI: Spinach is loaded with energy-promoting iron and folate, a B vitamin that prevents neural-tube defects in the fetus. It is also important in red blood cell formation, protein metabolism, growth and cell division. The leafy green is also one of the best sources of lutein, an antioxidant that benefits eye, skin and cardiovascular health. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #7: (7/8pm) Thai Coconut Water FYI: Coconut: promotes heart health, promotes weight loss, supports immune system health, supports a healthy metabolism, provides an immediate energy source, helps keep skin healthy and youthful looking, supports the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. (read article)

*Dori’s note: I had Almond Mylk in place of Thai Coconut Water

I smartly drank the chlorophyll at home before coming to work today so I could brush and floss away the evidence. I was pretty hungry when I arrived at work and the apple juice was perfect! By far my favorite of the fruit juices so far. Once again I loved the young love (cucumber, celery, spinach). I am up to the master tonic now and trying to get it down.

I realized that I did something stupid without thinking this morning. Before leaving for work, I took the coconut water out of the case and left it at home. As much as I don’t like it, I am going to be in my 3 hour writing class from 7-10 and I will be going crazy!

I am very excited for today’s carrot ginger soup. There is still quite a bit of time until I can dig into it though… I have to say, this is getting harder. Yes, there are only 2 days left after today. After today I will be more than halfway through. But I really, really, really miss food. And breaking the fast doesn’t mean eating french toast either. It means sticking to a mostly liquid diet for days. This fast is a commitment that exceeds 5 days. But I do believe it will lead to something much better.

I am concerned because I am going through the juices must faster today than I have been. I am nervous about sitting in class for 3 hours while other students eat. I hope no one brings anything to share because honestly, I can’t say I could resist it.

When I think of upcoming days/events, my thoughts always go to “At that time, I can eat  food again!” Next week’s work event? Can eat! The Seattles at the end of October? I can eat! Time is divided between days I can and can’t eat. Crazy. I’m ready to be done.

2 days left. I can do 2 days, what is 2 days? I did BPC for 3 days! 2 days is less than 3 days. Right? Yes. I can do this.

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Read about Day 1 here.

Well, now I see why they call it Veg 8. It tastes like a better version of V8. Although I generally don’t prefer tomato in my juices, in this case it seems to mask the taste of the romaine. Always a good thing.

Day 2 is upon me and I will now grace you with the menu:

• LOVE DEEP #1. (approx. 8/9am) Chlorophyll Elixir FYI: An interesting benefit of chlorophyll is its amazing healing effect on cells such as skin and the intestine. Chlorophyll, taken internally, topically or injected, has shown no toxicity what so ever. This means that it can be used virtually anywhere in treating the body. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #2. (9/10am) Fresh Pressed Grapefruit Juice: FYI: It is well established that citrus and citrus products are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber (non-starch polysaccharides) that are essential for normal growth and development and overall nutritional well-being. However, it is now beginning to be appreciated that these and other biologically active, non-nutrient compounds found in citrus and other plants (phytochemicals) can also help to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.(read article)
• LOVE DEEP #3. (11/12pm) Fresh Pressed Young Love: (Spinach, cucumber, celery) FYI: Due to its high content of minerals, vitamins, pigments and phytonutrients, spinach supports healthy eye function and can prevent age-related macular degeneration. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #4. (1/2pm) 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 and cleansing the digestive system. It relieves symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching. Controls constipation and diarrhea by eliminating waste more efficiently.
• (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #5: (3/4pm) Cucumber Basil Soup (coconut meat and water, cucumber juice, avocado, garlic, basil, sea salt) 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. Its liquid has the reputation of being a rejuvenator and makes us feel and look young. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #6. (5/6pm) Veg 8* (Swiss chard, spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, romaine, carrot, tomato, green apple, lemon, lime) FYI: Celery contains coumarins, phytochemical compounds that have shown to be effective in cancer prevention, as well as in elevating the activity of specific white blood cells. Coumarins also lower blood pressure and reduce migraines. (read article)
• LOVE DEEP #7: (7/8pm) Coconut Water FYI:Coconut: promotes heart health, promotes weight loss, supports immune system health, supports a healthy metabolism, provides an immediate energy source, helps keep skin healthy and youthful looking, supports the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. (read article)

I really like how they vary the menu a little. I am excited to see what tomorrow will bring.

So I left you last night while I was eating my soup. I never did finish the soup. Or Veg 8. Or Coconut Water. Or Masters Tonic. It was past 9:00 and honestly, I wasn’t feeling so hot. I could barely move from the couch. The prospect of bringing the day’s bottles down to the doorman to return to Organic Avenue was more than I could handle. I couldn’t even stand up, let alone make a trip downstairs. The boy said I looked very ill; ghostly. I was crashing. I knew I wanted to run this morning, but how could I if this is how I felt? And I wanted food. And I yelled at the boy for not talking me out of doing a 5 day juice fast. What was he thinking, letting me get involved in this?!

The boy had ordered a salad for dinner and it came with a very little roll. I knew what needed to be done.

Sorry to all of you who were cheering me on. I am human. I took a bite from the roll and it was like heaven on earth. Almost immediately I got some strength back and was able to get up to start packing up the bottles. I’m not sure why I never had this issue with Blueprint Cleanse, but I suspect it had a lot to do with the mental aspect. That one was 3 days. Practically nothing! But the prospect of 5 days, of 4 MORE days of this. More than I could handle. I also suspect it had to do with the deliciously satisfying cashew milk that served as both treat and nourishment at the end of the day. Looking forward to and drinking that milk got me through it. Now, I contemplated quitting. I even started composing emails to Organic Avenue to inform them of my decision not to continue the juice fast.

And then I had another bite of bread. And I felt stronger yet again, and it was such a small piece of bread but it made such a huge improvement in my condition and attitude. I decided I could do this. I was not going to quit. The boy made a great point to me. He said, “why do you need to do this 100%? Why can’t you do 80%? Isn’t that still good? Who says one little piece of bread undermines all the hard work you put in today?” And then he asked, “Is following this perfectly worth how you were just feeling?”

The answer, of course, is no. Although there are some people who would disagree. But the boy was right. Why did I feel like if I let a morsel of food pass through my lips during these 5 days, it meant automatic failure. That is ridiculous! I was setting myself up to fail.

But it is impossible to hold ourselves to standards of perfection. Always remember that. All we can do is our best.

That got me through the rest of the night, and I slept deeply and well (I noticed the same thing from BPC). This morning I woke up feeling great. I recalibrated my Polar on a track and then I went on a much more accurate 2 mile run! And I was back on the juices! A minor setback was not going to toss this entire week down the drain.

I started with a grapefruit juice which wasn’t bad at all, although it took me a long time (read: 4 hours) to finish. I once again loved the Young Love – cucumber, spinach, celery juice. That one I drank quickly because it was just so delicious. And I waited until the afternoon to attempt the chlorophyll again, since I had a filling put in this morning and was concerned about the greens mixing with my gums! I also sipped it through a straw to lessen the impact to my mouth.

Now I am drinking the Veg 8. It is going slowly, but it is going. I am VERY excited for the cucumber basil soup, with coconut meat. Mmmmm. I don’t care for coconut water though, but I found someone willing eager to take it off my hands. And while my stomach is still bloated, it does not hurt.

Only 3 more days. 3 more days. I can do this. Even if it means having another small roll tonight. 3 more days. I can do this.

And what are you waiting for? Just one week left to take my survey for a chance to win a Physique 57 or Core Fusion DVD!

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