My 27-day juice fast ending with the World's Longest Lunch

Last Friday 2^nd March I attended the Regional World’s Longest Lunch in the buzzing metropolis of downtown Koondrook and I must say it was a brilliant way to end my 27-day juice fast… not to mention appealing to my Libran star sign style of going from one extreme to the other.

Many people have inquired after my juice fasting experience, so here’s a little update: My initial plan was to conduct a 10-day juice fast but by day ten I was feeling so good I decided to extend it till the end of February (just my luck to plan this on a leap year). Despite numerous well-meaning people expressing their concerns that I wasn’t eating meals and “Where was I getting my protein from?” As far as I’ve experienced, a short-term juice fast (two months or less), is nothing but beneficial to your health. My weight dropped from 69kg back to it’s long term average of 64-65kg; my energy levels increased, I didn’t suffer from my traditional energy slump in the afternoons and I felt noticeably more clear headed; I didn’t feel hungry; I slept well at night but by far the best effect for me was a very noticeable improvement in my legs.

For more than fifteen years I have had a condition called “Primary Lymphoedema” which sounds quite ominous but basically means the lymph nodes in my legs don’t work all that well and so the lymph pools from my knees down and by the end of the day my legs can be quite swollen and ache at night when I’m lying down. Having regular massage therapy and exercise in the form of walking, swimming and bike riding all help to minimise the effects of lymphoedema but according to the doctors I’ve consulted over the years “nothing can cure it.” Thanks to my juice fasting experiment my legs are the best they’ve been in fifteen years with minimal swelling by the end of the day and they no longer ache. All in all I have found the juice fast a most worthwhile experience.

Meanwhile back to Koondrook and the Regional World’s Longest Lunch…

The day was mild and overcast and due to the torrential rain earlier in the week, our local foodies had to initiate Plan B… moving the lunch venue from the Goble’s Walnut Grove to the verandah of the historic Mates Royal Hotel in Koondrook.

The enthusiastic and hard working Red Gum Food Group and their many volunteers on the day must be congratulated on conducting a magnificent gastronomic event showcasing some of our regions finest epicurean products.

Tragically the menu didn’t include chocolate, however it did include almost every other food group (Restdown and Morrisons wines, Mildura Brewery beer, Riverside Café Amanti coffee, Pacdon Park black pudding, River Red Gum Beef, yellow belly, yabbies, Barham Avocados, Belmont Biodynamic rice and rhubarb, Bundarra Berkshires pork, Olsen Park Dorper lamb, Aldens Olives olive oil, Barrow Olives, Golden Rivers Walnuts, Kurrnung Citrus Old Fashioned Lemon Cordial and Border Packers Orange Juice).

At the conclusion of four hours of drinking, feasting and enjoying the entertaining and excellent company of fellow diners, it was all aboard the Lake’s courtesy bus stopping all stations. Expertly piloted by Greg, our bus meandered home from Matesy’s via Murray Parade to pick up little Meg McDonald, on to the manicured lawns of Barham Caravan and Tourist Park to drop off Meg’s Granny Anne and friends, next winding it’s way along Teddy’s Lane to deliver yours truly at Willow Bend before making numerous more stops around town with Shirley of Murray Haven fame adamant that she would be last to alight.

So ended a very enjoyable day that I hope becomes an annual fixture for our district. Well done Red Gum Food Group.