I decided to do a juice fast or juice feast as some like to call it. It's something that I had been thinking about for awhile, but 2 things kept me from diving in.
#1, I wasn't mentally ready. I've done short fasts before and it is as much a mental task as it is a physical task. I'm definitely ready now! I've been using food too much as a way to get through tough times and a way to celebrate good times. I've not only stopped losing weight from my pregnancy, but started gaining it back again. I went through this same scenario after my daughter's birth and I told myself I wouldn't go down this road again, but here I am. It's a combo of misusing food, finding difficulty scheduling workouts and separation anxiety.
I'll write more about my postpartum journey soon. So much happens after baby get's here, mentally and physically. I thought I had it all figured out after my 1st, ha!
#2, I'm nursing my son and I didn't want to do anything that would negatively affect his health or our nursing relationship. I remember hearing that when fasting, one of the ways toxins are released is through your breastmilk. Some recent research suggests that it's not true at all and breastmilk is not effected. It's also been said that you won't have enough nutrients to keep your milk supply up. I definitely wouldn't try any type of fast with a newborn nursling or one that is still nursing the majority of the day. My son is 10 months and nurses on average 3-4 times per night and 3-5 times per day. That's a very rough estimate, because I nurse on demand and don't keep track. He also has stopped taking breastmilk in a bottle when I'm not around, so I'm not pumping.
After researching it, I decided to start whole juice fasting and stop if my supply dropped or I saw a change in my son. So far, we've had no issues. I also have to add that I'm coming from a vegan diet with lower toxins. A high amount of organics and lower processed foods. I don't think I would take this journey if I had major toxins to get rid of and was coming from a carnivorous diet. My body would go through a greater change and I feel like that wouldn't be good for our nursing relationship or my sons health.
*This is my journey and I'm not recommending it to anyone else. Do your research and make decisions based on you and your family.*
Yummy Juice Combos
Sources:
llli.org
kellymom/nutrition
