Today is the first day of my latest 7-Day Juice Feast, a 7-day juice-only regime following the program designed by Jason Vale . This is my fourth time doing the feast, and if you’re wondering what this is all about and why I do this, then read my previous posts: 7 Reasons Why Juice Feast and Juice Feast in Review.

Although it may seem strange timing to do a juice feast at the start of December (a week of drinking cold juices? brrr), for me the timing couldn’t be better. I initially set aside this week for juicing because for a while now I feel like I’ve been slipping. On my own I’m a superstar when it comes to food. I am also fairly active which means I can get away with eating a little extra from time to time when social celebration or a simple craving calls for it. However, these “times” have become more and more frequent and I’ve lost my focus a little. So I want to get that back and feel comfortable in myself (and in my clothes) again. On top of that, I’ve had a very difficult last couple of weeks following the passing of my dear dog Rocky, which has involved much comfort eating, far too much Prosecco and two Thanksgiving dinners in the process. It’s really time for a reset.

Also, this being the season of Thanksgiving, the Juice Feast offers a timely opportunity to give thanks for the abundance of fruit and vegetables we have available to us. I harken back to my words during my previous Juice Feast Harvest Edition:

I’m trying to make this juice feast not only about ME, but also about a celebration of all that’s available this time of year, and how lucky I am to live in a place where I have access to such beautiful fruits and vegetables, some of which grow right outside my door. The harvest aspect also plays to the “positive thinking” angle of Juice Feast. This isn’t something to “get through”, it’s a treat to my body and my brain.

Positive thinking: so important during these dark days! But unlike the Harvest Edition, when I was very motivated by my lack of goal progress, during this Winter Edition I want to reassess what my goals actually are. I guess I’m ramping up for Yule, a time to contemplate hopes and aspirations for the coming year and figure out how our natural talents can be used for good.

Plus, I can’t think of a better way to brighten up these dark days of winter than by surrounding myself with fresh vibrant fruit and veg, and loads of cheerful tasty juices!

A few of my Juice Feast goals:

• Finish my Rocky tribute book, “Rocky: A Dog’s Life”, in aid of Hope Rescue
• Figure out my goals (and rewards!) for Imbolc and the new year
• Enjoy lots of quiet contemplation and thinking time
• Get a lot of work done (boring)
• Write a few blog posts, including my juicing essentials, and a review of the Optimum 600 Slow Juicer which I’ll be using throughout the week.

Several folks are joining me in the Juice Feast, both virtually and in person, some for a few meals, and some for a few days. I appreciate all of the camaraderie. If you fancy joining in on the juicing fun, then do share with me what you’re up to, either here in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.