How Do I Come Off A Juice Fast? by Graeme Ward

This article has been written by one of my favourite Nudies, Graeme Ward. He is a seasoned faster, a true Nude Foodie and a big hearted guy. Here's Graeme's words of wisdom...

Breaking a fast slowly 
This is the most critical part of your juice fast. Breaking your fast is harder than fasting. Your digestive system is now sensitive and needs time to reactivate.

The key is eating lightly, over a period of four days, and transitioning gradually onto a new, planned and more healthy regular diet. Going back to your previous diet will return you again to where you were! What's worse is, it is a shock to your system and can be disastrous and may cause stomach cramps, nausea and weakness.

Continue with the juice and add whole food snacks.
Breaking your fast requires self discipline. After 14 days you know that is something you have a lot of! Eat small amounts to gently wake up your digestion whilst continuing to drink juice. Gradually increase the amount of raw fruit and vegetables as you go along. This can be the start of eating smaller, more sustainable meals. 

Only eat when you feel hungry, not necessarily at meal times. Take salad and fruit snacks with you to work so you are not tempted by the cafe's, food courts or lunch vans. Remember that hunger is often mistaken for thirst, so keep up your water/fluid balance of 1 litre per 22kg of body weight.

Eat half as much as you want, but twice as often to gently reawaken your digestive system. Don’t overload it. Go slowly, chew your food well and don’t mix too many foods.


Most of all, take care not to overeat! After fourteen days of fasting there are so many new flavors you want to try. Change to using smaller plates, bowls and utensils and make each new mouthful a meal in itself.

Over eating and overloading your hibernating digestive system will make you feel sluggish and tired and even nauseous. You will really notice this after the energy you have experienced fasting. If you have over eaten you will find it harder to wake up and get going of a morning.

You can easily put the weight that you released straight back on. Remember you have not eaten solid food for two weeks. The aim is to maintain the wonderful feeling of control that you have developed during the
fast and carry it forward into permanent changes in your eating habits.


Transition foods can include light foods such as fruit, salads, veggie soups, cottage cheese spinach and other green vegetables, and small amounts of sauerkraut to stimulate digestion. Simple vegetable meals low in starch. Salads and soups. No meat, fish, eggs, cheese, milk.

Day 1
Keep drinking 1 litre of juice per day either as a meal or throughout the day as a snack. Have some raw fruit for breakfast, with a small raw veggie salad or a green smoothie for lunch. Eat apples or other fruit between meals if you need to snack. In the evening more raw fruit before dark. Make sure you keep your water balance (1L/22kgs).You’ll probably find that you’ll need very little food to fill up on.

Day 2
Same as day one. Be vigilant of how you feel and observe how your gut is working. If you are at all constipated, lots of water and maybe a green juice, (Bit like a cow in spring). Add vegetable soup for dinner or a green smoothie. Eat apples or other fruit between meals.

Day 3
Same as day two. Plus small quantity of dates or raisins. Add a small bowl of well cooked brown rice with chopped steamed vegies in it. Low starch vegetables such as spinach and other greens. Drink 1 litre of juice.

Day 4
Same as day three. Slowly add soaked nuts, legumes, seeds. Still drink 1.0 litres of juice or more.

Day 5
Move into a 10 day period during which your diet is 80% raw uncooked whole foods. You can eat as much as you want of this. Fresh raw fruit and vegetables. You could enjoy fruit salad for breakfast and a salad with each meal. The 20% cooked part of your diet may include whole grain bread, pasta, brown rice, cooked beans, lentils, cooked vegies, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, squash. Moderate quantities of eggs, unsweetened yoghurt, raw milk, tofu, miso, tempeh, nuts, beans and bean sprouts.

Continue juicing each day. There are other juice recipes around that can be used in place of or added to cabala.

A final word from Graeme
Don’t go back to your old addictions and cravings. There is a whole world of fabulous energy giving whole food nutrition just waiting for the new you to explore! If you do go back into your old habits don’t beat yourself up, you know that you have the tools to recover.

In closing from Deb
Thank you so much Graeme for sharing your wisdom with the Nude Foodies. This article will serve so many with an understanding of what to do and what to expect if they don't. I am looking forward to the slow transition back to our wonderful world of delicious real food.   

To read more about Graeme and to read some of his wisdom, visit his blog.