If you’ve visited our facebook fanpage within the last few weeks, you’ve probably heard that on Fat Tuesday I battled a colossal 5 pound burger in Fuddrucker’s 5 Pound Burger Challenge. This burger was insane! This bad boy was packed with over over 7,000 calories, and had a bar stool for a bun!
Needless to say in this EPIC battle of Matt Vs Food, food won!
After the challenge was over I spoke with the manager and learned that food was undefeated at the particular location I was at. Better luck next year I guess! 🙂
[h4]The Fallout[/h4]
The day after the challenge my stomach was understandably going through a war of its own, but another side effect that I was stupidly surprised about was that I developed an unquenchable thirst. I could literally drink glass after glass of water, to the point of actually feeling full from drinking so much, and yet I’d still be thirsty.
By my estimations I wolfed down about half of the 5 pound behemoth burger. That means that if the1 pound burger has about 1,292 grams of sodium (54% of a person’s recommended daily intake), then eating half of a 5 pound burger would mean that I ingested over 3,320 grams of sodium! No wonder why I’m thirsty! In the days following the failed burger battle, I started thinking about a film I’d seen about a month ago, and that’s when inspiration struck for a new challenge.
[h4]Inspiration[/h4]
About a month ago I watched a film via Amazon Prime called “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” by Australian entrepreneur and investor Joe Cross. The film follows Joe on his quest to reclaim control over his health by rebooting his life via a 60 day diet consisting solely of fresh juice. Through his film Joe is a living testament to the power of using juice fasting as a nutritional reboot, and how it has the power to help people completely realign their personal eating habits.
This fitness journey of sorts takes Joe over 3,000 miles across America, allowing him to talk with over 500 Americans about health, nutrition, and longevity. The results of his 60 day commitment are amazing, and the conversations and experiences he shares with the people he meets is both eye opening, and thought provoking.
I’ve included the trailer to the film below:
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[iframe url=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/Gv3vEXy_EwU” width=”572″ height=”312″]
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[h4]Resolution[/h4]
Joe Cross’ monumental success, coupled with the fallout I’ve experienced after the 5 pound burger challenge, has inspired me to commit to my FIRST 5 day juice fast beginning this coming Sunday, March 11, 2012. Beginning on that day, and for the following 5 days, I’m going to “eat” nothing but fresh juice. Since I plan on continuing to workout as long as possible throughout the fast, I’ve made a few modifications to the challenge.
[h4]My Modifications:[/h4]
A major focus of my experiment will be to determine what type of weight I lose (if any) over the 5 days fast. Therefore, prior to beginning the fast I’ll be getting my body fat analyzed to use the results as a baseline to determine how my body composition is affected by the radical shift in diet. I’m also curious to see what effects (if any) juicing has on my energy levels and effectiveness in the gym. One of the best occupational health and safety tips is of course not fall asleep at your desk, so I hope I survive the juice fast without having to rely on liquid life aka black coffee.
Some people that I’ve spoken with who have done 10 day juice fasts have continued to drink their post workout protein shakes. While I understand their intent, a major point of the fast is to let your body get rid of the toxins that have built up as a result of eating fatty, processed food. Therefore, at this point I plan on refraining from eating any other type of sustenance besides fresh juice.
The Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus
Below is a collection of juice recipes. Generally speaking most people tend to start with the fruit based recipes in the morning, and then transition to the recipes that are more vegetable based later in the day. The Mean Green is one of the recipes that Joe used in his 60 day challenge. Some people I’ve spoken with disliked the taste of the kale, so they’ve substituted spinach instead. Save yourself some discomfort and prepare for your juice fast success by checking out the results of this challenge, as well as my 7 tips for juicing for weight loss.
[h4]Juice Fast Recipes[/h4]
[h5]The Mean Green – from “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” [/h5](Makes about 72 ounces)
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[list_item]1 large bunch Kale[/list_item]
[list_item]2 whole apples[/list_item]
[list_item]2-3 lemons[/list_item]
[list_item]4 heads of celery[/list_item]
[list_item]1 piece of ginger root (about this size of a man’s thumb)[/list_item]
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[h5]Sweet Starry Greens[/h5]
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[list_item]Handful of spinach – about 3 oz.[/list_item]
[list_item]2 start fruits – about 8 oz.[/list_item]
[list_item]Pineapple – about 4 oz.[/list_item]
[list_item]Cucumber peeled – About 8 oz.[/list_item]
[/star_list]
[h5]Hawaiian Sunrise[/h5]
[star_list]
[list_item]Grapefruit peeled – about 24 oz. (2 medium)[/list_item]
[list_item]Pineapple – about 16 oz (2 inch slice)[/list_item]
[list_item]Oranges – 24 oz. (about 6 medium)[/list_item]
[/star_list]
[h5]Popeye’s Favorite[/h5]
[star_list]
[list_item]Spinach – 3 cups[/list_item]
[list_item]Carrots – about 3[/list_item]
[list_item]Apple – 1[/list_item]
[list_item]Beet – 1[/list_item]
[list_item]Fresh ginger – about 1 inch[/list_item]
[/star_list]
[h5]Blackberry Kiwi Juice[/h5]
[star_list]
[list_item]1 cup Blackberries[/list_item]
[list_item]1 Kiwi Fruit[/list_item]
[list_item]1/4 Large Pineapple[/list_item]
[list_item]About 30 Mint leaves[/list_item]
[list_item]1/4 Pear[/list_item]
[list_item]1/4 cup Coconut Water[/list_item]
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To learn more about Joe Cross and his film “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead”, check out his site at Fatsickandnearlydead.com.
If you’re ready to get serious about juicing, then I definitely suggest you should checkout my friend Farnoosh Brock’s juicing clinic. She is really an expert when it comes to juicing, and she can help you feel energized via fresh, raw, and natural fuel for your body in as little as 2-3 weeks.
Just click the image below to learn more.
Sound Off!
Do you have any experience with juicing? Feel free to share your experiences with the rest of the fit desk jockeys in the comments section below.
Care to join me? This is my invitation to anybody who like to join me for the 5 day juice fast and reboot. I’m not all that certain what to expect, as I’ve never done something like this before, but I’d wager you’ll feel a lot better than you would if you tried to eat a 5 pound burger.
I’ll be posting daily updates throughout the 5 day challenge on our facebook fan page!
Rock it and reboot!
-Matt On Google +
