3-Day Fruit Fast Recap
Earlier this week, as part of the 40 Days to Personal Revolution program, I did a 3-day fruit fast. As I love to eat fruits, I was really looking forward to this. I considered it more of a fruit feast than a fruit fast!
The picture above shows the entire array of fruits that I picked up for these 3 days. In fact, there was more than enough fruit here to last me over a week! I still have a few mangoes and oranges left in fact.
You might be wondering what I broke my fast with? After teaching a yoga class in the morning, I enjoyed some Idli that my mom made before going to work!
So how did I do on the fruit fast? Here is the scoop. Keep in mind that I entered this 3-day fast after having gone without caffeine or any processed sugar for over 3 weeks. I also have been practicing yoga 6-7 days a week for quite a while and have been following a 100% plant-based diet for many years. As a result of this, I think my detoxing symptoms were a little less severe than others. Your mileage will vary!
The good things I experienced:
- I felt incredibly light, inside and out
- I felt incredibly clean, inside and out
- My skin was super clear, and some scars on my face even started to heal!
- I would wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested
- I was able to think very clearly
- I was able to meditate easier and not engage with my thoughts as much
- I noticed numerous “synchronicities” or coincidences happening, too many to count
- I felt more in tune to other people, their emotions and feelings
- I lost a bunch of weight – including visible fat from areas that I tend not to lose weight from (note: I was also starting to get sick going into this…so that had something to do with it)
The not so good things:
- I was eating a lot – not always convenient to do when you have a busy work day
- I had to go to the bathroom a lot (there is a lot of water and fiber in fruit!)
- I had to carry fruit with me to work, and in my backpack and car
- I had to buy fresh-ripe fruit en mass and buying all organic can get expensive (but it is important!)
- I lost a lot of weight (6 pounds in 5 days) and I am very lean to begin with – part of this had to do with me getting sick right before starting the fast! Funny enough, I got sick before the fast – but I didn’t really feel the worst of the sickness until after I broke my fast.
- I felt mild nausea on the second day
- I was very hungry on the second day (the toughest day for me)
At the end of the day, I must say it was a fantastic experience. For me, the physical and mental benefits were profound – and even now several days after the fruit fast – I still feel clean and light! Perhaps even more important, is the feeling of accomplishment from having done something that is incredibly tough but worthwhile.
We are very connected to the food we put into our bodies, for better or worse. Changing our dietary habits and breaking long-standing addictions to food can be incredibly challenging from physical and mental perspectives. There were times during the fast that it was very tough, particularly in the evenings after a tough yoga asana practice. I would feel like some soup, rice or a curry – but those options weren’t part of the program!
Pushing through and making it through all 3 days (it was actually 3.5 days, from Sunday night through Thursday morning) really gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I feel like I now have more control over what I put into my body. I’ve also developed a greater appreciation for the nourishment that fruits and veggies can give. I can’t explain how amazing my yoga practice felt on this fast – I really felt strong and so light that it was like I was flying at times.
Thinking about doing your own fruit fast? Here are a few tips:
- Make sure you don’t have any physical issues (such as diabetic conditions) that could cause issues
- Stock up on a lot of fresh, ripe and organic fruits. Don’t eat fruit that isn’t ripe…it will just give you digestive trouble. Also, if you know all the crap that they spray on non-organic stuff, you wouldn’t buy anything else. It is worth the money (especially for berries!)
- Venture away from just apples, bananas and oranges. Indulge in tropical fruits and melons!
- Count your calories! The biggest mistake is not eating enough. Think about it, if you are an active adult male – you might need to eat the equivalent of 30 bananas a day to meet your caloric need! Of course, you should eat a wide array of fruits but you get the point.
- Your blender is your best friend. I would make 2-3 smoothies a day on the fast. Load up a blender with 2-3 bananas, 1/2lb strawberries and some papaya into a delicious fruit smoothie. Don’t chug it, just sip it. You’d be amazed at how much fruit you can eat this way.
- Don’t forget, avocados and peppers are fruits! Same with tomatoes and cucumbers! Get creative and buy all varieties of fruits. Eating less sweet fruits at night works well for me.
- Carry fruit with you everywhere…..stash it in your car, backpack, work, everywhere.
There you have it, I hope some of you give this a try. If you do – please do leave a comment and let me know when you plan to start it – and when you finish let me know how you feel!
Hello Ravi
Your blog is great. I do 3 or 5 day just fast as well using a blender. Obviously it is how you do it. However, real or let’s say original juice fast is with using a juicer so you get only the juice.
I prefer the blender option so you get the fibers as well but have you checked into the other option?
steph
I’ve never done a juice fast so I can’t comment on that.
However, I prefer to use a vitamix/blender when possible instead of drinking juice. For starters, I don’t own a juicer! Secondly, I like the thickness of a whole fruit smoothie. There is also a lot of nutrition and fiber that is lost in juicing.
Hello Ravi…This is a great post and like I mentioned in my email…I have read this blog several times and finally 3weeks ago successfully completed a 4day fruit feast myself!!
The second day was the hardest! But I am NOW ADDICTED TO FRUIT!
I always liked eating fruit but never really ate fruit on a regular basis since it is clumsy to carry fruit etc:
But this fruit feast forced me to think of innovative ways of eating fruit and so now I even have a small blender at work…and I regularly make smoothies for snacks….I am completely over sugar and sweet snacks…and totally love fruit now….
I am going to start a raw food feast soon!!
Rashmi: Awesome, so glad to hear that! Can you share with me what you typical daily diet was like during the fruit feast? My Raw Food 30-Day Challenge is going quite well right now.
Hello Ravi….I have been meaning to write..and your email reminded me to get back to you on this…
My typical diet included..something as follows:
1. For Break fast a Small smoothie..typically made of goji berries, medjool dates, oranges, watermelon, papaya…bannanas…apples, peaches, and anything else that I had stocked up my fridge with…
2. Mid-day snack…2-3 cutie oranges, or 10-15 small cherry tomatoes
3. Lunch was typically a large smoothie….with similar fruit as mentioned above…
4. Another snack around 3pm-4pm: 15-20 grapes or 15-20 chreey tomatoes.
5. Dinner was typically a small smothie…again with most of the fruits mentioned above…I did eat a few bell peppers….
I am not a big fan of pineapples…and I didnt want to use heavy fruits like bannans….I really liked using the small oranges for the smooties…it made for a very refreshing drink….and the fiber was good for me…
Like I mentioned the second day was the hardest for me….I love to eat spicy food….very spicy food…!! and thats what I found very hard during the fruit diet….
I did end up eating a few really spicy green peppers…..yah I know… until I did it …I would not have believed that I could actually do that…:)
In terms of physical activites..I pretty much did everything…I even went swimming one of three days…..there were moments when I did want to continue the fruit feast for longer than 3 days…But I did crave for spicy food…
The other thing I really must mention is that I started tasting food/ flavours so much better after the fruit feast…Like I had re-set my taste buds!!….I did lose a few pounds – 3.5lbs to be precise….and my digestive tract and I felt a whole lot cleaner and lighter….
But this little experiment has been the best way for me to learn how to eat fruit…and I have continued to eat fruit atleast 40% of my daily diet….every since…
I am planning a raw food diet…..and would love to get some tips from you…..
Rashmi, thanks for the great information!
I too crave spicy food all the time, and now that I am in the middle of my 30-day Raw Food Challenge, find that throwing a hot jalapeno pepper into a blended veggie soup will give me just the kick I need!!!!
Making creamy soups in my blender is a new favorite dinner for me
. I’ve included some of the recipes in my last two raw food challenge updates on this blog.
Let me know when you are looking to try out a raw food diet for a while, and I will send you more tips in mail, or maybe post a few in a future blog post!
All the best.
I just embarked on the three day fruit fast today. Thank you for reminding us about cucumbers and peppers! I’m excited to see how I feel after the three days.
Natalie!!! That is so awesome. I am happy that you have embarked on this journey. How are you feeling how that you are on the second day of the FEAST
?
Don’t worry if it feels challenging, just push through – be sure to eat enough – and take the time to get some light exercise in. That always helps.
Hey Natalie- I just finished up a 3-day fruit cleanse myself – good for you! I feel great, and while I’m happy to be back to “normal” food, the cleanse was fantastic for my body and mind.
Just remember to track your calories and eat enough – it takes conscious effort to keep eating fruit all day! For me Day 1 was the hardest this time, as my body adjusted to the all-fruit diet… for me it got easier from there. And I found there were challenging times during the cleanse – just stay strong, keep eating, and persevere, it’s well worth it. I felt lighter overall, better hydrated, trimmer, and I was able to get a better perspective on my relation to food, understanding better what I need to eat vs what I crave eating for other reasons.
Please post how it’s going!
Sean
Thank you so much for all the feedback. Ravi, your site is really inspirational. I am feeling amazing! I am on my third day and have found that I am sleeping so well, my skin is clearer and I am more calm than have been up until now in handling stressful situations.
What do you suggest on day four? I obviously don’t want to negate all of the good work I’ve done. What’s a good way to ease back into life after the Fruit FEAST?
Try to avoid heavy and fatty foods. Soups, salads and other light foods are great!
I broke my latest fruit feast with a smoothie made from banana ad hemp seed with a little raw chocolate powder. I had a big salad for lunch (with some added corn and beans with tofu).
Ravi
Sounds delicious! This is great. I am feeling quite proud of myself. Thank you for all of your insight.
Hey Ravi..I am currently on the 7th day of my 30day raw food challenge…and just wanted to let you its going great so far…loving how light and clean my body feels..already!!
I am glad I had the experience of the fruit feast..its is cooming very handy…I will keep you posted on how it goes..
Hey Rashmi! That is awesome. Please do let me know how it goes. Been to any raw food restaurants?
I have to tell you Ravi, this fruit feast is exactly what I needed to do. I’ve been feeling lethargic and lazy and thus making very bad choices. I woke up this morning energized and inspired to take care of myself better and treat my body like the temple it is. I like to think of this fruit feast as a reset button for the body, both emotionally and physically.
Natalie – that is fantastic! I am happy to hear your cleanse gave you the chance to reset. After a huge weekend of eating large, I am moving back to fruit only before noon on most days. I feel cleaner and lighter, and my mind is more clear as well.
kristy
I am attempting a 3-day fruit fast for the first time. I began this morning. I bough several different types of fruit so that I don’t get bored. I’m finding it hard to get past the hunger feeling. I just never feel “full” so I decided to eat some raw vegetables as well – carrots, green beans, celery, snap peas (ones easy to eat at work and on the go). Do you think that I’ll have the same or similar results as if I would have stuck to fruits only?
Tiffany, a great way to get past hunger feelings is to do smoothies. I’ll blend 3-4 ripe bananas and drink it like a creamy shake. This gets plenty of calories in. Also, eat 1-2 avocados every day. The major thing is to eat enough total calories….in a pinch….dates and coconut (in moderation) could also be good.
Ravi,
Thank you so much for the tips! Reading your story and the comments after have been so motivational. I decided to try this after a long summer of BBQs and picnics and all the heavy food that go along with them. Your 30-day raw food challenge is amazing! I think I’ll have to work up to that though! Thanks again and good luck to you in your future food challenges!
i’ve been on a fruit fast all day, and i completely forgot about all the lesser known fruits like tomatoes and avocados. thanks for the tips!
On day 2 of Fruit Fast- thanks for the advice and great blog!
I have a friend that is having an AMAZINGLY difficult time fasting. First ever 5 day fruit feast. Im not finding information about being nauseated by fruit 3 days in, he’s debated eating the cat food. Is this unusual?
Hi Lilith, I have not done a 5 day fruit feast…just 3 days. Is he eating enough total calories? Is he drinking enough water? If he is not eating enough he might feel some nausea – when I have done water-only fasting (I’ve done a few 4-5 day water fasts) I’ve experienced that symptom for a few days before it subsides.
Hi Ravi,
I’m on day 2 of the fruit fast, and I have to admit I’m really struggling! I had totally forgotten that cucumber and pepper are vegetables so I’ve been overloading on sweet/acidic fruit like apples, oranges and kiwis and it was getting a little too much. Thanks for giving me tips that will hopefully get me to the end of my fast with less trouble!
I am in the middle of my second day. I do not feel any different from normal days really. I am in the normal weight range for my age and height, but I just wanted to try this because I feel like I never get enough fruits or vegetables in my diet and I thought this would help. I guess it was just water weight, but I did lose 3 pounds in the first day. I have been doing the every 2 hour thing like I’m supposed to, so hopefully I’ll feel better by tomorrow!
Hi Ravi–
I stumbled across your blog as I was getting ready for my own 3-day fruit fast as part of Baptiste’s 40 Day plan. I’m on day three now, and I’m doing pretty well! Caffeine-withdrawal has been the most noticeable side effect for me, as I tend to drink a lot of coffee. I have been drinking herbal tea, though, so I can have the familiar feeling of a warm mug in my hand, and that helps!
Many thanks for your tips. I have been making lots of smoothies, and I have been astonished at how full I have felt almost all the time. Really makes me think twice about the amount of food I typically think I need!
Hi Angie, that’s awesome that you are doing 40 days! I’m on day 3 of my fruit feast as well! I’m not doing 40 days again this year but decided to do the fruit fast with the 40 day participants at my studio anyway.
Hi everyone!! I am getting ready to start my 3 day fruit fast in a couple of days. I got an email that said not to eat fruit with your meals. It said that they were better to eat on an empty stomach. It then suggested the fruit fast. I am very excited about it! Do you think it would hurt to drink hot tea ( no sugar) as a beverage?
Hi Myra,
Hot tea is fine….but make sure it has no caffeine (herbal teas are OK). Personally…I like to simply drink water and forgo teas…but that is really up to you. Teas can also help with constipation if that becomes an issue on your fruit feast.