Julie Andrews sang, "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, in the most delightful way." For us, juicy feasts are nature's medicine—high octane, full throttle transfusions of living energy that are absorbed almost effortlessly—a wonderful way to love the body.

Rex and I learned about juice feasting, masterminded by David and Katrina Rainoshek, last April. A group of people had joined together in January for what was to become a 92 day global juice feast! The dietary principles behind this feast are to drink a gallon of freshly made juice each day (using two pounds of greens and other veggies and fruits), plus two additional quarts of water, along with some very potent and nourishing superfoods, like bee pollen, and powdered greens. By doing so, the body becomes rehydrated, and receives ample caloric intake so the metabolism stays active. The body is literally flooded with nutrients, restoring what's been missing, along with the benefits of cleansing. We were intrigued, and juice feasting for one week to one month max seemed feasible. We hadn't done any fasting for many years and were excited to try. We'd been talking with Jes Foster, raw food chef from Orcas Island (just one island over from us), who was organizing a 92 day juice feast that was to begin on July 11th. We took the ferry over to see her exciting presentation, and made the decision to go for it.

We bought a Vitamix, which came with a thirty day money back guarantee, so there was no pressure to keep it if we didn't like it. As soon as it arrived, we just loved how it worked. Green juices had never come out so well. We got the recommended nutmilk straining bags for straining pulp from the juice, and ordered some intestinal cleansing products. A few days before the 11th, I sent an email to Jes which said: "The juice feast is likely to completely transform our lives—at the least it will bring huge changes, and this is what we want. Our goals are to youth, rejuvenate, experience heightened states of spiritual awareness, become more energetic in how we choose to interact with the world, and open more to the consciousness that is flowing into the planet!"

July 11th came, and as the day progressed we felt the need for a little more solids, so we modified the feast by adding in one or two blended meals made from either fruits or veggies, which is why we're calling this a "juicy feast". These helped to keep us from being so hungry, yet gave our digestive system a rest from processing solid foods. And the blended meals slowed the detoxing down to a manageable level. For the next six days we maintained this combination of one quart or more (for each of us) of juice, with water, herbal teas, and blended meals. We had good days and not so good days when emotions were coming to the surface, or when we were detoxing, but these times would only last for an hour or so. Overall, we were changing day by day, and could feel it. After one particularly strong emotional wave passed, I was sitting in the sun and a stream of consciousness came: Every breath is rebuilding my body, and is bringing me closer to my highest potential—a potential which is ever-expanding! Every glass of juice is making me anew, and each glass of water is refreshing my whole being. I anticipate miracles and welcome miracles into my life on a daily basis. This change is a sacred agreement between Soul and the Holy Spirit. I am ready to become more holy.

Every time we went through a rough patch, we thought we were crazy to be on the feast, yet as soon as these episodes were over, the feast was the best idea in the world and we wanted to continue!

After six days the detoxing had ended, and we were getting quite hungry—a sign to start eating solid foods. We decided to end our juicy feast on the 7th day, and ate a small salad with some avocado for dinner, feeling wonderful about what we had accomplished—a seven day cleanse! Juicing became an integral daily practice. Our mental clarity increased and we both experienced a great reduction in the reactive mind. Habit foods just disappeared, and sweet cravings went away. We became champs at growing flats of wheatgrass. We made progress with the intestinal cleanse programs. Our intake of blended meals, and "energy soups" (complete meals containing veggies, liquids, fats, and proteins) have become new staples. We experienced emotional cleansing and physical detox, spiritual expansion, and started to feel like our bodies were being rebuilt from the inside out through the powerful green juices. The following juice recipe and "chaser" (see below), emerged as our favorite new juicy recipes! Here's why.

We read in David Wolfe's book, The Sunfood Diet Success System, that oil is a delivery vehicle for getting minerals into the body, and, oil also slows down sugar absorption. So when we're drinking fruity juices or smoothies and want the sugar intake to slow down, a tablespoon of hempseed oil accomplishes this.

Likewise, if we want the minerals in veggie juices to penetrate deep into the cells, oil helps to get the nutrients there. Sun-gold bee pollen and chlorophyll-rich, deep golden-green hempseed oil are both complete proteins, and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, amino acids, and more!

Since hempseed oil and bee pollen are part of the superfoods listed to take while on a juice feast, we got the idea of making a "chaser" from these two awesome foods to take right after drinking the juice. The energy we receive "opens up" our heads, clears the mind, goes down the spine, and into the bones of our arms, legs and feet! Important: Before eating bee pollen, make sure you are not allergic to it! Take one little pellet to test for any reaction. 1 whole head of super-fresh green or red leaf lettuce, or, 1 whole bunch of chard
1 whole large lemon, peeled, or, 2 small lemons, peeled
1-2 fuji apples, washed well. Leave on peel. Remove seeds if moldy.
1 cup pure water

Push ingredients through juicer, adding water afterward to dilute. Or, process in a Vitamix with the water (adding a little more if necessary) for one minute on high speed (use earplugs!). Pour through nut milk straining bag. Drink immediately. 1 tablespoon bee pollen, ground into powder in a coffee mill
1 tablespoon hempseed oil
3 tablespoons water

Mix ingredients with a whisk. Drink immediately following juice. After weeks of juicing and eating blended meals, we understand more about how we create our future each day, in this moment, right now! The effects of a stronger, more vital body are the results of our efforts! It's exciting to know that this program actually works!

We're doing this new diet just for love—love for our bodies, love for Soul so that its light and energy may come through stronger and brighter, love for the planet, and loving compassion for all things growing and alive!

Coming next week: Curl Your Toes Pistachio Nut Pate!