Originally published Tuesday, February 7, 2012
(Some minor editing of this page was done 6 November 2017 and 8 May 2022.)
This is the most critical part of your juice fast. Breaking your fast is harder than fasting. Your digestive system is now sensitive and needs time to reactivate.
The key is eating lightly, over a period of four days, and transitioning gradually onto a new, planned and more healthy regular diet. Going back to your previous diet will return you again to where you were! What's worse is, it is a shock to your system and can be disastrous and may cause stomach cramps, nausea and weakness.
Continue with the juice and add whole food snacks.
Breaking your fast requires self discipline. After 14 days you know that is something you have a lot of! Eat small amounts to gently wake up your digestion whilst continuing to drink juice. Gradually increase the amount of raw fruit and vegetables as you go along. This can be the start of eating smaller, more sustainable meals.
Only eat when you feel hungry, not necessarily at meal times. Take salad and fruit snacks with you to work so you are not tempted by the cafe's, food courts or lunch vans. Remember that hunger is often mistaken for thirst, so keep up your water/fluid balance of 1 litre per 22kg of body weight.
Eat half as much as you want, but twice as often to gently reawaken your digestive system. Don’t overload it. Go slowly, chew your food well and keep it simple, don’t mix too many foods
Most of all, take care not to overeat! After fourteen days of fasting there are so many new flavors you want to try. Change to using smaller plates, bowls and utensils and make each new mouthful a meal in itself.
Over eating and overloading your hibernating digestive system will make you feel sluggish and tired and even nauseous. You will really notice this after the energy you have experienced fasting. If you have over eaten you will find it harder to wake up and get going of a morning.
You can easily put the weight that you released back on. Remember you have not eaten solid food for two weeks. The aim is to maintain the wonderful feeling of control that you have developed during the
fast and carry it forward into permanent changes in your eating habits.
Transition foods can include light foods such as fruit, salads, uncooked veggie soups and lettuces. Simple vegetable meals low in starch. Salads and soups. No meat, fish, eggs, cheese, milk.
Day 1
Keep drinking 1 litre of juice per day either as a meal or throughout the day as a snack. Have some raw fruit for breakfast and lunch, or a green smoothie. Eat small quantities of apples or other fruit between meals if you need to snack. Make sure you keep your water balance (1L/22kgs).You’ll probably find that you’ll need very little food to fill up on.
Day 2
Same as day one. Be vigilant of how you feel and observe how your gut is working. If you are at all constipated, lots of water and maybe a green juice, (Bit like a cow in spring). Add a raw vegetable soup for dinner or a green smoothie. Eat apples or other fruit between meals.
Day 3
Same as day two. Plus small quantity of soaked dates or raisins. You may add a small salad for dinner. Drink 1 litre of juice.
Day 4
Same as day three. You may add a small salad for dinner. Still drink 1.0 litres of juice or more.
Day 5
Move into a 10 day period during which your diet is 80% raw uncooked whole foods. You can eat as much as you want of this. Mostly fresh raw fruit and some vegetables. You could enjoy fruit salad for breakfast and lunch and a salad for dinner. The 20% cooked part of your diet may include cooked vegies, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, squash.
Day 15 and onwards
Continue juice each day. There are other juice recipes around that can be used in place of or added to cabala.
Try not to go back to your old addictions and cravings. There is a whole world of fabulous energy giving whole food nutrition just waiting for the new you to explore! If you do go back into your old habits don’t beat yourself up, you know that you have the tools to recover.
This note is for information and educational purposes only and does not in any way purport to be giving advice particularly of a medical nature. If you intend to undertake the foregoing then you are advised to seek professional advice regarding the content and its effects upon the individual.
