Juice Fast Update

I planned to go 60 days. I went two weeks instead. In those two weeks, I accomplished what I set out on the juice fast to do: I overcame my food addictions, the worst of which was coffee; I jump-started my weight loss again (down 16 pounds); and I totally reset my tastebuds to enjoy no sugar and no salt.

I'm in the midst of transitioning back into "normal" eating now, with the new normal being what I've strived to stick to for years: no added oil, whole foods, plant-based. A new cookbook is on its way to me now that will have even more exciting recipes to help me enjoy the food.

For those concerned that perhaps juice fasting is at odds with a "green" low-impact lifestyle, let me assure you that this is not entirely true. Yes, more produce is used to make a meal than one would normally eat. However, the leftover pulp can be saved to use in recipes (it can even be frozen), it can be fed to your dogs or chickens, or it can be added to your compost, which I assure you will really like it. Also, during a juice fast, no animal products are consumed so this is definitely lightening the load on the earth as well as on your body, which, if one sticks with a plant-based diet, also means you'll be reducing the resources used for your future health care. In fact, many people are able to get off cigarettes and coffee quickly by using a juice fast, not to mention getting off some medications.

I am looking forward to reducing my use of sugar and salt in preserving garden produce, too. If anyone has tips or links for doing this safely, please feel free to share. I've got some low-sugar pectin on hand but I haven't tried making jam with it yet.