Fast 2, Day 2 -- Redux

I juiced a bunch of stuff tonight.  Some of it was in the fridge for awhile and may have been on the edge of quality.

Beat tops, kale, green pepper, cabbage, broccoli stems, cauliflour stems, apples, orange, strawberries, grapes, lemon, lime. 

After dinner, I went to the sauna at the RecPlex.  I sat for 20 minutes in the dry sauna, then for 5 minutes in the hot-tub.  I went back into the suana and started feeling a little rough.

Just ouside the sauna is the family changing room.  It was empty, so I went in.  There is a commode, a sink and a changing area.  I felt a need for a little privacy as I became more and more nauseous. 

And that's when I lost everything that I had drunk tonight.  *sigh*

After I came home and had rested a bit, I drank a can of V8. 

My stomach is still a little upset and complaining. 

I'm not sure if I had bad food, if the heat of the sauna affected me, if this is just the typical expectation of the 2nd day on my fast, or if the Byetta affected me again.  I'm not sure what caused it.  But, I definitely grow weary of vomiting up my dinner everytime I'm two days into a fast...

Fast 2, Day 2

Weight: 220.2

Yesterday I was not as hungry as I've been before when I was fasting. I think it was that way for two reasons.  Firstly, I had food still in my system from the weekend.  Secondly, I was actually looking forward to the juice-only fast because of how intense the nutritional absorption is. (Or so it seems to me.)

I had a can of V8 for lunch. 

For dinner I juiced:
3 kale leaves
2 bok choi leaves
2 romaine lettuce leaves
2 beet top leaves
2 cups spinach
1 cup cabbage
1 thumb sized ginger root
1 tomato
1 green bell pepper
1 cucumber
1 large carrot (about equivalent to 2-3 average carrots)
1 small container of blueberries (1/2 cup)
1 small bunch of grapes (1/2 cup)
2 lemons
1 lime
1 orange
3 granny smith apples
2 red delicious apples
1 cup of strawberries
2 peaches

That made about 40oz of juice.  I drank all of it by the end of the evening.  About 30oz at dinner time and about 10oz throughout the evening.

We also went swimming.  I spent 20 minutes in the sauna and sweat like a pig!  Then I spent 10 minutes in the hot tub.  We swam around for about an hour. Mind you, "swam around" does not mean laps.  It means playing with the kids in the water.  Lots of walking, hauling, carrying, catching--but not really a strenuous workout.  Even so, I was very tired at the end of the evening.

I think that my weight loss does have something to do with the amount of water that left my system.  Both through urination and sweating, I offloaded a *lot* of water.

I'm really looking forward to my juice again tonight.  I just had my V8 for lunch and find myself quite full and satisfied.  I crave a little more flavor, but I have no hunger pangs. 

My kids are juicing more, too--and I'm seeing very positive affects in their lives.  Becky, who is now pregnant, is also enjoying the benefits of juicing. 

I've requested some cranberries in my next batch of produce. I'm looking forward to making a tart juice with the marvelous benefits of cranberries. :)

11 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100

http://health.msn.com/healthy-living/11-health-habits-that-will-help-you-live-to-100

You don't need to eat yogurt and live on a mountaintop, but you do need to floss.

By Deborah Kotz, U.S. News & World Report

One of the biggest factors that determines how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A study published in 2009 in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following four things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.

While those are some of the obvious steps you can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. (Recent research suggests that centenarians are 20 times as likely as the average person to have at least one long-lived relative.) Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits. Follow these 12 habits and check out Perls' lifetime risk calculator to see how long you can expect to live.  (Ben: 12 habits?  I only counted 11...)

1. Don't retire.

"Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." Farming isn't for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.

2. Floss every day.

That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," says Perls.

3. Move around.

"Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight lifting.

4. Eat a fiber-rich cereal for breakfast.

Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his colleagues. "Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known accelerator of aging," he says. (Ben: This flies in the face of some other research I've done, but I'm not changing the article, just making comments.) ;)

5. Get at least six hours of shut-eye.

Instead of skimping on sleep to add more hours to your day, get more to add years to your life. "Sleep is one of the most important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells," says Ferrucci. "We've calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours." Those who reach the century mark make sleep a top priority.  (Ben: This has been amazing for me, just making sure I sleep enough has worked wonders.)

6. Consume whole foods, not supplements.

Strong evidence suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients—selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E—age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline. Unfortunately, there's no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those antiaging benefits. "There are more than 200 different carotenoids and 200 different flavonoids in a single tomato," points out Ferrucci, "and these chemicals can all have complex interactions that foster health beyond the single nutrients we know about like lycopene or vitamin C." Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients. (Ben: As my wife says, "Heal yourself with the foods you eat.")

7. Be less neurotic.

It may work for Woody Allen, who infuses his worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to find a new way to deal with stress. "We have a new study coming out that shows that centenarians tend not to internalize things or dwell on their troubles," says Perls. "They are great at rolling with the punches." If this inborn trait is hard to overcome, find better ways to manage when you're stressed: Yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV, binge drinking? Bad, very bad. (Ben: Can we add "nagging" to that list?) ;)

8. Live like a Seventh Day Adventist.

Americans who define themselves as Seventh Day Adventists have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the average American. One of the basic tenets of the religion is that it's important to cherish the body that's on loan from God, which means no smoking, alcohol abuse, or overindulging in sweets. Followers typically stick to a vegetarian diet based on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, and get plenty of exercise. They're also very focused on family and community.  (Ben: Every Seventh Day Adventist that I know is in *amazing* health.)

9. Be a creature of habit.

Centenarians tend to live by strict routines, says Olshansky, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of activities their whole lives. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is another good habit to keep your body in the steady equilibrium that can be easily disrupted as you get on in years. "Your physiology becomes frailer when you get older," explains Ferrucci, "and it's harder for your body to bounce back if you, say, miss a few hours of sleep one night or drink too much alcohol." This can weaken immune defenses, leaving you more susceptible to circulating flu viruses or bacterial infections. (Ben: Remember that habits take about 3 weeks--give or take--to start or stop--and your body will fight you at about week 2...)

10. Stay connected.

Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death, something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers. Some psychologists even think that one of the biggest benefits elderly folks get from exercise the strong social interactions that come from walking with a buddy or taking a group exercise class. Having a daily connection with a close friend or family member gives older folks the added benefit of having someone watch their back. "They'll tell you if they think your memory is going or if you seem more withdrawn," says Perls, "and they might push you to see a doctor before you recognize that you need to see one yourself." (Ben: No, online does not count as "connected".)

11. Be conscientious.

The strongest personality predictor of a long life is conscientiousness—that is, being prudent, persistent, and well organized, according to The Longevity Project, coauthored by Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin. The book describes a study that followed 1,500 children for eight decades, collecting exhaustive details about their personal histories, health, activities, beliefs, attitudes, and families. The children who were prudent and dependable lived the longest, Friedman says, likely because conscientious types are more inclined to follow doctors' orders, take the right medicines at the right doses, and undergo routine checkups. They're also likelier to report happier marriages and more satisfying work lives than their less conscientious peers. (Ben: Isn't part of being "prudent" making wise health decisions?)  ;)

This story was originally published on February 20, 2009. It has been updated with additional reporting by Angela Haupt.

Back on Juice Only...

Weight: 223.4  I was at 221.2 on Friday, just forgot to post it.

I attribute the uptick to some specific things:

1) Still have solid food in my system -- I weigh in the morning and I ate later in the evening last night.
2) Retaining water based on some of the foods I've eaten -- I've noticed that when I take in pineapple, I tend to retain water more and I had pineapple several times this weekend.

I'll miss my celery dipped in (all natural) peanut butter this week.  I'm going to try for a 10 day juice fast again. However, this coming weekend is a busy, show weekend and that makes it more difficult.  The good news is that it's a home show, so I may be able to get home and get juicing. :)

I didn't take my Byetta this weekend.  It started off with me forgetting to bring it with me Friday evening and Saturday my schedule was out of whack.  Sunday was another off-schedule day.  Which makes me wonder if I'll experience some upset stomach issues today and tomorrow as I get back on Byetta. 

Becky keeps commenting that I look and feel smaller.  My clothes fit better.  I feel a lot better and I sleep so well that I can't imagine going back to where I was.  I'm more alert.  I'm more active.  I'm thinking more clearly.

And my tastebuds are changing!  :)

Last night I made a veggie stir-fry/stew that was *ama-za-zing*! Yes, I added a little chicken (two chicken breasts in 5 quarts) and a little chicken broth (one 12oz can).  But it was the flavor of the veggies that had me!  The textures and flavors were outstanding and I found myself craving more just for the delicious veggie-ness of it! :)

Today it's V8 for lunch and a nice juice for dinner and on for the next 10 days... (And I'm actually looking forward to it!)  :)

NattO, Maggot Cheese and Other Food That May Repel

I found this article interesting.  As I've discovered my tastebuds changing to find the veggies more tasty than I originally thought they were.  Indeed, I am finding myself looking forward to the flavors instead of being repulsed by them.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204661604577186843056231170.html

By Rachel Herz

Nattō is a stringy, sticky, slimy, chunky fermented soybean dish that Japanese regularly eat for breakfast. It can be eaten straight up, but it is usually served cold over rice and seasoned with soy sauce, mustard or wasabi.

Aside from its alien texture, nattō suffers from another problem, at least for Westerners—odor. Nattō smells like the marriage of ammonia and a tire fire. Though this might not be the worst smell combination ever, it has zero food connotation for me, and I've never met a Westerner who can take a bite of nattō on the first attempt. What Japanese love, we find disgusting.

In the last several years there has been an explosion of research on disgust. Disgust is one of the six basic emotions—along with joy, surprise, anger, sadness and fear—but it is the only one that has to be learned, which suggests something about its complexity.

Most children get their first lessons in disgust around the time that they are potty trained. After that, the triggers of disgust are quickly acquired from the responses and rules of parents, peers and, most importantly, the wider culture. One of the best places to look for the vast differences in what is or is not considered disgusting in different parts of the globe is food, especially distinctive foods, like every culture's favorite fermented dish.

Take cheese, considered by Westerners to be anything from a comfort food to a luxurious delicacy. A good taleggio, Gorgonzola or Brie might be described as sweaty or slimy. Cheese also has its fair share of aromatic obstacles and, depending on the circumstances, may be confused with vomit, stinky feet or a garbage spill. Many Asians regard all cheese, from processed American slices to Stilton, as utterly disgusting—the equivalent of cow excrement.

Given that cheese can be described as the rotted bodily fluid of an ungulate, that's not far off. But controlled rot tastes good in this case—at least to us (or most of us). The key is to manage the decomposition in such a way as to get that desired flavor and to ensure that we don't get sick from consuming the food (in some cases, rot is actually necessary because the fresh version is poisonous).

A quick jaunt across the globe for some favorite fermented foods will lead us to kimchee in Korea, which is fermented vegetables (usually cabbage); gravlax, the fermented raw salmon enjoyed in Norway; injera in Ethiopia, a spongy, fermented flatbread; chorizo in Spain, which is fermented and cured uncooked pork sausage; and the many forms of fermented dairy that are adored and consumed from India to Indiana.

Among the most hard-core variants of fermented food is the Icelandic delicacy hákarl. Hákarl is made from the Greenland shark, which is indigenous to the frigid waters of Iceland. It is traditionally prepared by beheading and gutting the shark and then burying the carcass in a shallow pit covered with gravelly sand. The corpse is then left to decompose in its silty grave for two to five months, depending on the season. Once the shark is removed from its lair, the flesh is cut into strips and hung to dry for several more months.

Hákarl has a pungent, urinous, fishy odor that causes most newbies to gag. An extremely acquired taste, hákarl was described by the globe-trekking celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain as "the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing" he had ever eaten.

At an international convention of food oddities, you might try to wash down your hákarl with the Ecuadoran aperitif chicha, which combines the alcoholic perks of fermentation with a disgusting bodily fluid. Chicha is made from a masticated blend of boiled maize (or yucca root) and human saliva.

My favorite fermented challenge, because I'm a cheese lover but am mortally repulsed by worms, is casu marzu. Casu marzu is a sheep cheese popular on the Italian island of Sardinia. The name means "rotten cheese" or, as it is known colloquially, "maggot cheese," since it is literally riddled with live insect larvae. .

To make maggot cheese you start with a slab of local sheep cheese, pecorino sardo, but then let it go beyond normal fermentation to a stage most would consider infested decomposition (because, well, it is). The larvae of the cheese fly (Piophila casei) are added to the cheese, and the acid from their digestive systems breaks down the cheese's fats, making the final product soft and liquidy. By the time it is ready for consumption, a typical casu marzu contains thousands of larvae.

Locals consider it unsafe to eat casu marzu once the larvae have died, so it is served while the translucent white worms, about one-third of an inch long, are still squiggling. Some people clear the maggots from the cheese before consuming it; others do not. Those who leave the maggots may have to cover the cheese with their hands—when disturbed, the maggots can jump up to six inches.

It is no accident that you likely feel revolted by many of these descriptions. The most elemental purpose of the emotion of disgust is to make us avoid rotted and toxic food.

So why are fermented saliva, decomposed shark and maggot-ridden cheese so desirable in some cultures? Is it just a quirky paradox of the human condition that we eagerly consume things that give off all the signals of putrefaction?

We learn which foods are disgusting and which are not through cultural inheritance, which is very much tied to geography. One reason that certain foods carry so much local meaning is that they capture something essential about a region's flora and fauna. The same is true of the microbes that make fermented foods possible; they vary markedly from one part of the world to another. The bacteria involved in making kimchee are not the same as those used to make Roquefort.

We also use food as a way of establishing who is friend and who is foe, and as a mode of ethnic distinction. "I eat this thing and you don't. I am from here, and you are from there."

In every culture, "foreigners" eat strange meals that have strange aromas, and their bodies reek of their strange food. These unfamiliar aromas are traditionally associated with the unwanted invasion of the foreigners and thus are considered unwelcome and repugnant. Conversely, a person can become more accepted by eating the right foods—not only because their body odor will no longer smell unfamiliar and "unpleasant," but because acceptance of food implies acceptance of the larger system of cultural values at hand.

Food is a marvelous window through which to examine the multifaceted emotion of disgust. Food is a great passion, but it can also inspire terrible repulsion. Strangely, as with almost all facets of disgust, it is in our nature to be attracted to this repulsion. Who, uninitiated to the actual foodstuff, isn't at least a little curious about tasting some soft and stinky hákarl or a wormy morsel of casu marzu?

What human beings find disgusting varies greatly not just from place to place but across time. It cannot be separated from what the object of our repulsion means to us.

If lobsters are considered the vermin of the deep—as early American colonists saw them—then they become objects of disgust, not food fit for kings. If Americans who ordered chicken wings were instead served a dish of deep fried grasshoppers, they would gag, even though many people in Thailand would line up for the delicious snack. Strange? Not if you take a moment to reflect about it the next time you order a burger topped off with rotted ungulate bodily fluid.

—Ms. Herz teaches at Brown University. Excerpted from her new book, "That's Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion" (Norton).

Some Recent Pictures of Me....

January 21, 2012

January 23, 2012

January 26, 2012 (new haircut)

January 27, 2012

An Off-the-Reservation Weekend

Friday was a goodbye dinner for a colleague. I had grilled veggies, some chicken, and some breaded mozzarella. For my evening meal, I had Ryans buffet--mostly veggies and fruit, but some chicken and fish as well.  Then on the way home from the comedy club in Effingham, we stopped at Denny's and I had 7 eggs and a chicken sausage patty, as well as some grape tomatoes.

Saturday, I had a juice and some (all natural) peanut butter.  However, I met with a friend for lunch and had chicken fajitas (skipped the flour tortillas).

Sunday, I've had juice, (all natural) peanut butter, celery and then I made a stewy-stir-fry with chicken, which I've shared with my daughter.  (Below: with and without flash.)  I added some chicken broth, a little olive oil and a little coconut oil, plus spices.

Tomorrow I start my juice-only fast again.

Jew Khan Doo Eet

When I'm hungry, I tell my wife.  I tell her I'm having trouble, that I really want to deviate, splurge, go off my diet, eat something bad for me.  She says something so simple:

Jew khan doo eet.  (You can do it.)

It really helps having her encouraging me. 

Thank you, darling. :)

January 26, Day 18

Weight: 219.8  (I broke the 220 barrier.)

Yesterday I ate out at St. Louis Bread Company (Panera to those who don't live in St. Louis). I had the salmon salad. 

For dinner, I had a bowl of soup (about 3 cups) and 32oz of juice.  I also had two sticks of celery with some (all natural) peanut butter--about 2 tablespoons.

I felt *STUFFED*. 

After I'd eaten, I just couldn't get past that stuffed feeling.  I was burping, so I know the food was processing.  At one point, the discomfort was too great and I decided to go to the bathroom to see if I could relieve pressure by using the toilet.  I sat down and had no urge at all.  Then I felt another urge and grabbed the trashcan.  I vomitted up nearly everything I'd eaten.  What a waste of food! 

I didn't eat anything else last night.  I didn't eat this morning.  For lunch, I've eaten a small apple and had a can of V8.  I'm hungry, but I know that tonight is a shower for a friend and there will probably be snacky items there.  Plus I have a trip this weekend where I know I'll be eating out.

I think my sickness was caused because I haven't been keeping up with my Byetta on a steady basis. When my body is accustomed to it, I'm fine--but when it's a "new" thing, it can make me sick.

I also got a haircut last night after work.  I should post a new picture...

Lunch Today

Several people are leaving my company and there are several lunches out to say goodbye.  Today was one such occasion.  We went to Bread Company (St. Louis Bread Company here, Panera in other places).  I had the salmon salad with romaine lettuce and a bowl of chicken stew.  The chicken stew was creamier than I anticipated and I wonder if I got some flour in that. However, the salad was excellent.  I forgot to ask for the vinaigrette on the side.  The salad also had some feta cheese.  Oh, and I had a small apple, too.

All in all, it was a very healthy choice for my lunch.  Just a few more calories and some extra things I was avoiding in my diet, but not a bad lunch. 

I feel stuffed, more full than usual.

All Natural Nut Butters

I've eaten many.  I've despised many. 

This company does it right and I really--really--like their nut butters.

http://www.eastwindnutbutters.com/

We get ours through a co-op, but I have ordered directly through the company before.  They're a family owned business.  I've called them to place orders and the person taking the order was in the kitchen and you could hear kids in the background.  :)  I like this company.  :)

January 25, Day 17

Weight: 221.0

Yesterday I was very hungry. I had only 12oz of V8 at mid-day.  Other than that, I ate only an evening meal.  My evening meal consisted of about 40oz of juiced veggies and fruit and s vegetable soup I made a few days ago.

Juice: 2 1/2 lemons, 1 lime, some pieces of unfinished orange my kids had put back in the fridge, 5 apples, about 3 cups of spinach, some ginger root, two cucumbers, celery, a few left over grapes, a few leftover cherry tomatoes, three big kale leaves.

I already posted what was in the soup in yesterday's post.

I also had a dill pickle.  :)

Additionally, I had two stalks of celery dipped in (all natural) peanut butter.  I also spooned an extra tablespoon out of the jar and enjoyed it, so my nut protein (and fat and calories) were up by an additional tablespoon. It may not sound like a lot, but it's 220 calories and I was actually expecting my weight to tick up a bit.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that it had droped 1.8 lbs.

Some of that *must* be what my body is removing from my system.  Shortly after I ate dinner last night, I needed to sit on the toilet. My body continues to surprise me.  I don't think I'm still detoxing, but it was different yet again.  Cigar sized solid waste, lots of liquid waste. And the odor was like freshly cut vegetables.  Not rotting vegetables, *freshly cut*. 

I'm sleeping very well.  I'm chipper and awake at work--even though I'm actually short on sleep.  I am definitely thinking more clearly.

The weight loss is nice and I'm looking forward to more, but the good sleep, the clear thinking, the alertness, certainly are worthwhile on their own merit.

I researched ancient Roman and Greek dishes last night and I'm interested in trying some of them.  They are rich in vegetables and spices. Aside from the roman passion for wine (and doing all kinds of interesting things with it) their diet was really quite good. Did you know that the Romans invented the hamburger? 

I'm wondering if the infusion of solid food is actually causing my body to burn more calories through the digestion process, which might account for additional weight loss.  I suspect, however, it has more to do with me expelling more waste water than anything else.  My salt intake is reduced from the typical Ameican diet perspective, but my foods are certainly salted.  I believe salt is a vital component of the diet and those who go on no-salt diets are extremely unhealthy and face the same symptoms as those who have too much salt in their diet.  I've done the research on it and am convinced this is true.  Your body *needs* salt to work properly. There is not enough salt in food by itself to provide what your body needs *unless* you are eating processed foods (where salt is added).

Jesus told us salt was a good thing.  Ancient societies so valued salt that people were paid in salt bars and some cultures used salt as currency. If you don't have enough salt in your diet, you suffer the same symptoms as too much salt.  (In fact, if a doctor believes you have too much salt, the first thing he does is give you a salt pill to see how your body reacts.  If it reacts positively, then you actually had too little salt in your diet.)

I recommend, however, sea salt.  We order it in 50lbs bags (costs $75 with shipping).  It lasts our family about 3 years--and we spill a lot of it...

Friday I will have some chicken. I'm looking forward to it.  I'm tempted to allow myself to have a weekend of chicken and eggs protein.  We shall see.  My soup will probably only last for one more day (today).  I'll need to punt for Thursday.  And Friday is my trip to Effingham and Ryan's buffet. 

I forgot to take my Byetta yesterday, but I did take it this morning.

Hunger

I've had solid food over the last few days, which really seems to trigger and magnify my desire to eat.  Today I've had only one can of V8. 


My stomach has signaled my brain and requested a confirmation of whether my throat has been cut.

My brain signaled my arm to lift my water bottle and drain some water down my throat.

My stomach signaled my brain with language I cannot use in this medium. 

And now they're not talking.


I've done a little research on some dish ideas I want to try that involve grinding nuts into a "flour" and using that instead of grain flours.  Most of the recipes also involve using honey, but I'm not readyto reintroduce sweets into my diet, yet.


Tonight, I'm looking forward to a dinner of vegetable soup and juiced veggies and fruit, possibly some (all natural) peanut butter. I'm holding off on animal protein until this coming Friday when I shall once more visit Ryan's buffet, in Effingham.  I'll enjoy another salad, some cooked veggies and some chicken. And then I have to make a choice about the future of my journey.

I'm tempted to hit the juice hard and fast for another week, 10 days or 2 weeks. I've really enjoyed the effects of the juicing and how my body has responded to it.

Soon I shall receive a copy of the "Paleo Diet" or the "Caveman Diet".  I've heard many good things about this from a lot of people and I'm curious to see it.  It involves more protein than I'm getting currently and provides protein from animal sources.  As long as I can keep my animal fat below 5%, I'm within the healthy boundary that I'm trying to establish.

Right now, I still need to hit 3 weeks so that the established pattern--of eating better, eating less, consuming fewer calories and taking control of my health--can form itself into a habit.  (Habits take about three weeks to establish.)

Soup / Stew and (All Natural) Peanut Butter

Weight: 222.8

Yesterday
Breakfast: nothing
Lunch: 2 - 12oz V8
Afternoon snack: 12oz V8
Dinner: 18 - 24oz of soup, 40oz of juice, 2Tblspn all natural peanut butter, 2 stalks celery

Water: Not enough.  I didn't drink much water yesterday.  Less than 32oz. 

Last night I decided that I would try a little solid food.  I took the veggies that were getting wilty in the fridge and weren't good candidates for juice and chopped them up.  I also took the pulp from the veggies of my juice last night and added it.  I tossed in some spices and some canned veggies (chopped tomatoes) as well as some chicken broth. I took the broccoli florets and put them in the soup, while juicing the broccoli stems. 

My juice last night was very veggie tasting. Lots of kale, lots of spinach, broccoli, carrot.  I added a few small apples (granny smith, very small) and a couple medium red delicious apples.  I added a pear and a lemon.  After I'd juiced all that, I remembered the strawberries and blue berries.  I juiced them, then tossed in another apple (to clean the screen and get all the blueberry out).  Adding the strawberry and blueberry completely overpowered the veggie taste.  I refer to it as tasting "smoothe" or "dull" when there is a mix of veggies in with the fruits.  I don't know any other way to describe it.  Straight fruit juice is "vibrant" and "sweet" and "tangy".  Adding veggies to it makes it "smoothe" and "dull" -- though usually still sweet.

It amazes me how *sweet* veggies taste to me, now.  I never in my life thought of them as "sweet".  Tomatoes, carrots, peppers, celery, cabbage, broccoli -- even brussel sprouts! It all tastes very sweet to me, now. 

I've discovered that putting items into your juicer in a particular order works better.  Apples always go last.  They have a thin, watery juice that cleans things out and causes the pulpy to flow out better.  Leafy stuff always first: kale, chard, spinach, parsley, etc. Follow that with a cleansing juice: apple, pear.  Next are the pulpier fruits: strawberries, blueberries, peaches, orange, lemon. Follow everything with apples.  Also, juicing lots of pulpy stuff sometimes requires adding apples *with* it, so it doesn't clog up the juice spigot.

Armed with my juice (kale, red pepper, celery, cabbage, carrots, spinach, broccoli (stems), apple, pear, peach, strawberry, blueberry) and my soup (carrots, celery, cabbage, broccoli (florets), tomatoes, onion, brussel sprouts, red pepper, cabbage, kale, spinach, oregano, basil, parsley, "cajun spices," "mexican spices," cumin, black pepper, garlic salt, tobasco) I went downstairs to watch a movie with my wife.  I found a couple wilty celery stalks and some all-natural peanut butter.  I dipped the stalks and had about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on the celery stalks. 

It was a very yummy dinner.  I had about 3-4 cups of soup, 40oz of juice, a couple celery stalks and 2 tablespoons of (all natural) peanut butter.

I emphasize "all natural" peanut butter because the stuff you buy on the shelf in grocery stores is mostly corn syrup.  It's high in calories and fat.  It's processed.  Any food value it might have had is mostly gone and all you have are a high calorie, fatty source of a little protein.  With the all natural, you have high protein with some fat and no sugars, so low calorie.  I prefer all natural cashew butter, but I'm out and the next co-op order isn't for another month and a half.  *sigh*

I had an urge to snack on more peanut butter, but I resisted the urge.  I simply thought about it.  "Am I hungry?  No.  Do I need more protein?  No.  Do I need more food at all?  No.  Am I just wanting a flavor in my mouth?  Probably. Do I want more calories and fat? No." And I passed.  It was very easy.  I also thought about a second bowl of soup--but decided that I'd wait to see if I was actually hungry or just wanted flavor and texture.  Turns out I wasn't hungry. 

It's like there's an old, grumpy man living in my tummy who says, "I remember the days when there was plenty around here, lots of tasty stuff and filled to the brim, all the time." And I have these doctors and nurses leading that old, grumpy man back ot his room saying, "Yes, those were the days, weren't they? Now, we have healthier food and you sleep better and don't feel upset all the time." 

One of these days, that old, grumpy tummy of mine may become young, lean and personable. :)

Relaxed Weekend

Weight: 224

My weight ticked up a bit. I was off my diet strictly over the weekend.  I had Huhot Mongolian barbque on Friday night. I had some chicken with my meal.  I also had some eggdrop soup.  On Saturday, I juiced with V8 for lunch.  On Sunday I had V8 for lunch, but then had some fruit and a meal on the way home from the show. My meal was at Ryan’s—a buffet place with a decent salad bar.

I had a salad and used a technique my mother-in-law taught me to dip your fork tines into a container of dressing, then stab your salad and avoid smearing gobs of dressing all over everything.  I also had some chicken, some cooked green-beans, some steamed cabbage and fruit. When I got home, I had some veggies and some cashew butter.

I suspect the weight gain is more related to food that is still in my system and not processed, yet. 

I’m back on my juice fast again today.  I will be on it through the week and then visit Ryan’s again (different city) when I go out of town with my oldest daughter for a comedy club event that we’ve been planning for several months.

I didn’t take my Byetta this weekend. I flat out forgot.  It was a busy weekend and I’m rather impressed that I was able to maintain as much of my regimen as I did.

It was nice to have some solid food again, but I’m looking forward to my evening juicing. I’m finding that I actually crave the simplicity of the liquid diet. Preparation and cleanup is a chore—thankfully absorbed by my wife and children who get a kick out of helping me.  The whole prospect of the meal is so simple, though.  Make it. Drink it. Done.  It’s nice to be full and yet feel so empty.  I remember how marvelous it felt to be full and have nothing at all in my system.  I had no desire to eat at all. I wasn’t thinking about my next meal, I wasn’t wishing I had more food, I was completely focused on what was at hand.

I want to get back there…

New Shirt Size

I prefer shirts that have a lot of room in them.  I don't like tight shirts.

So, I typically wear an XXL.

Today, I'm in an XL.  Still lots of room, not tight at all. :)

Friday, January 20, Day 12

Weight: 222.4  No change.  However, I still have the fiber from my lunch in my system.  It hasn't processed through me, yet.  I'm curious how much of an impact that will have on my weight.

Last night I drank my juice after work and I was *full*. Not only was I full, but when I went to bed at 10:15, I *still* felt full. When I say "full" I don't mean "stuffed".  I mean that I felt that I had plenty to eat, I had no desire to eat any more, there was no hunger, no "emptiness," no gnawing "feed me!" screaming from my body.  As I thought about foods I could eat, it felt like my body was saying, "No, that's fine, I'm good."  :)

This weekend I'm going out of town again.  I've already pretty much decided that I will eat at Huhot.  At least, I'm seriously considering it.

I took some pictures of my juicer and the fruits/veggies that I prepared for my juice last night. I thought it might be interesting to see what all goes into 32oz of juice.

This is my juicer.  It's a Cuisinart.  I didn't get the Breville that Joe Cross uses in his video.  I spent $150 on this.  (The cheapest Breville that I could find was $250.)

These are the fruits and veggies I juiced. 

3 apples plus a couple that the kids had eaten a piece of that I cut the good parts out of, two pears, a kiwi, a red pepper, a bit of cucumber, a handful (about a cup) of cherry tomatoes, three stalks of celery, a handful (about a cup) of baby carrots, a lemon, a lime, and two handfulls (about 2 cups) of spinach.  I also added a bit of ginger root.

The apples, pears, carrots and tomatoes really sweeten the juice a lot.  The kiwi adds a smooth flavor. The red pepper adds both sweetness and a smooth flavor.  As I think about it, nearly everything adds a sweetness, some add smoothness.  I don't like spinach (never have). I have so far avoided drinking it straight. I can't tell you what it adds--aside from nutrition.

Ginger is *amazing*.  I used to hate ginger because I always had it as chunks in my food.  Adding it to a juice is a spicy kick that isn't hot, it's just gives a little bite to the juice that is quite delightful.  It also does wonders for digestion.  I can tell almost immediately if I've forgotten my ginger because when I have it, I start processing the juice immediately and when I haven't, it takes a little while before my body begins to process it.  (By this I mean digestion, which is often signified by a burps, as the stomach begins to break down the food and gases are produced.) 

I have decided, however, that I will *never* buy apple juice again.  Now that I've had real, juiced apples, there's just no going back.  For the price you pay for apple juice, I'd rather buy inexpensive apples, juice them and drink them fresh.  There is just no comparison.

 On the note of processing food and digestion. Becky has commented that my flatulence has greatly diminished.  In point of fact, I have had to fart occasionally, but it's small, quick and silent--with no odor. As opposed to the loud, bellowing smelly things that happened before.  I also don't burp as much.  I burp a little as the food starts to break down.  But, again, it's small, quick and silent instead of the large, thrumping cacophony that I used to have.

One more note on sleeping. I went to bed last night at 10:15. I was probably asleep by 10:30.  I awoke in the middle of the night, absolutely certian that I'd slept nearly a full night and my alarm was about to go off.  I thought it was 5:30.  I got up to pee (anytime I awaken, I always pee, it's an old habit from the high-sugar days) and there was a little pee, but not much.  As I walked back to my bed, thinking I had another hour or so to sleep, I looked at the clock.  11:20.  I was, to say the least, quite surprised.  I slept until 6:30 and completely missed the moment when Wash came into our room and climbed into bed with us. 

I also don't sweat under the covers anymore.  I used to sweat prolifically. I'd soak the body pillow I lay against and awaken in the morning drenched and cold.  I haven't been sweating.  And slipping under the covers doesn't overheat me like it did.  Just the loss of 10lbs of flab has made a huge difference.

Solid food lunch...

My coworkers all went out to lunch today.  It was paid for by one of my coworkers.  Social rules demanded that I participate.

I had a grilled vegetable salad, with eggplant, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, red peppers, served on a bed of romaine lettuce with diced avacados.  I think there was some grilled corn in there, too.  It came with a balsamic vinegrette dressing, which I asked for on the side.  I dipped my fork tines into the dressing, then stabbed some salad.  (A trick I learned from my mother-in-law.)  :)

I also had a broccoli/artichoke soup.  I even ate the three, whole-grain croutons that were in the soup.

It was very tasty, very filling and I feel very good about the choices that I made.

Still animal protein free.  Still eating primarily raw veggies.  Still keeping on with my regimen.

Motivation

Some motivation that has spurred me into this effort:

"Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" on Netflix

"Food Matters" on Netflix

There are others, to be sure ("King Corn" comes to mind) but those first two have had the most impact on me.

Thursday, Day 11

Weight: 222.4

(I have lost exactly 10lbs as of today—an average of 1lbs per day)

Last night was harder than normal.  I think because I had solid food on Wednesday, my body craved more. It didn’t help that the kids had left a jar of cashew butter on the end table by my spot on the couch.  I went down to watch a movie and there was temptation, sitting quietly beside me…

It was hard.  I had some encouragement from my wife and kids, though.  Oh, I could’ve easily overridden it. However, their continual and gentle reminders of how important it is to continue turned out to be a strong support for my willpower. 

Last night’s dinner consisted of a juice including: 3 apples, 1 orange, 3 stalks of celery, a yellow pepper, a cup of carrots (bite sized), a big handful (about 2 cups) of spinach, and a cup of grapes.  I forgot to put in the ginger (and it was sorely missed). 

Yesterday’s lunch consisted of two 12oz cans of V8.

I’m formulating my next time to depart from my regimen. January 27^th. I’m going out of town with my daughter and her friends to see a comedy performance. I expect that I’ll have dinner with them before the show. It’s in Effingham, IL.  I know there is a Ryan’s buffet there and they have a large salad buffet.  I’m seriously thinking that is where I shall go.  I’m debating whether or not to have a little chicken. 

I’m also considering the possibility of having some stir fry at Huhot this weekend. I’ll be out of town and my compatriots are interested in eating at Huhot.  Huhot has a large selection of vegetables and some ginger, garlic and sesame oils that can provide the spices that make it tasty without getting all the sugar and carbs in their flavorings.  I’m still on the fence about this.  It depends on a lot of factors.  I’m taking my juicer because I’ll definitely juice at least one night.  I’m also taking V8 so that I can have a quick, easy lunch each day.

The solid food I had on Wednesday at lunch processed through my system on Thursday evening.  It was solid and firm, leaving normal residue that needed to be wiped away.  I’ve stopped having the “never trust a fart” feelings.  I don’t have liquid stool anymore. Before I passed the solid food, I had a small, solid piece that was passed the day before.  (I think I already mentioned it.)

Just for explanation, processing food, digestive health and bowel movements are all part and parcel of the health of the body. Talking about it is slightly embarrassing and may be gross to the reader, but it helps to understand the health of the internals. 

Other things that I’ve noticed include a skin condition I’ve had on my nose that causes flaking skin that peels away leaving angry red flesh underneath. It’s embarrassing to me because it’s so obvious and it looks bad when there are both flaky skin or red, angry flesh.  It had been going on for several months.  I’d noticed a few days into the fast that it seemed to be better, but I wasn’t sure.  Now, I’m pretty sure it’s getting a lot better.  I had a little flaky skin yesterday, but it wasn’t so red and angry underneath when it came off.  And today, I can feel there is a little dry skin, but it’s not flaky and doesn’t look as bad. 

This is a  good sign that my body is starting to heal itself.

I've been doing some research about aspartame and sorbitol (equal / nutrasweet and splenda). Some sites say it takes 6 - 18 months to flush it from the system--but they all reference "symptoms".  I've never had any "symptoms"--regardless of my high consumption. I'm not sure how to interpret that.  Since I have no symptoms, how do I determine when I've truly flushed it from my system?  Most of the people I've seen posting about their withdrawals are describing caffeine withdrawal (which you go through when you stop drinking as much soda, which is full of caffeine).

Becky commented today that if I get a haircut and trim my beard, the physical changes in my efforts will be more obvious.  I agree.  But it's cold!  LOL  And since I've lost 10lbs, I'm more aware of how cold it is!

Goal: 180lbs  --  42.4lbs to go

Wednesday, Day 10

Weight today: 223.6

Yesterday I had solid food.  Grilled veggies, raw veggies, refried beans, rice, a sprinkle of cheese and about a tablespoon of sour cream.  It was a "veggie fajita" lunch plate at a mexican restaurant.  It was really good to chew food again.  It was very filling.  I ate everything except the flour tortillas.  I drank water with a lemon wedge squeezed into it.

For dinner last night, I had oranges, grapefruit, lemons, grapes, mango, pineapple, spinach, kale, carrots, red pepper, ginger, beet leaves, cabbage, brussel sprouts.  It was the tail end of the veggies from the last order.  It wasn't as fresh as the new stuff we got last week and hopefully the new order will show up today.

I've learned something about the juicer: don't juice pineapple.  It turns into a sludge instead of juice.  It's tasty and nice in the drink, but you have to spoon it out of the juicer. Also, pineapple seems to spike my blood sugar and makes me retain weight (water?). I ticked up .2 lbs today. And I don't think it was the solid food from yesterday.

I had to sit on the toilet for the first time in two days.  It required a little extra effort to push it out.  Mainly because it was so small.  When I wiped, there was no residue on the paper at all.  I wiped again to be sure that I hadn't missed something--and nothing on the paper.  Either my body is absorbing nearly everything or I have a big day coming... LOL

I feel great.  I'm energetic.  I'm rested.  I sleep better than I've slept in a long time.  Even though I'm a little short on sleep right now, I'm alert and functioning at a higher level than usual. 

Yesterday, after lunch, I walked up 4 flights of stairs.  By the time I got to the top, my legs were *tired*.  I need to boost my activity level.  I'm dreading the idea of the daily workout--mainly because of the timeslot I'd need to put it into (early morning), but also because I don't like going to a gym with a bunch of people in it.  I want to go when there isn't anyone around.  And that time just doesn't exist. 

I found this article very interesting.  You don't have to be a woman to appreciate healthy living and the prospect of living longer.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100283027&page=1

Secrets of the World’s Healthiest Women

Live like those in the Blue Zones and Cold Spots.

Valerie Frankel

The secret to a long, healthy life in America? According to longevity researchers, it may be to act like you live somewhere else.

It seems like every year another country's lifestyle is touted as the new magic bullet to cure us of obesity, heart disease, and premature death: For an unclogged heart, herd goats and down olive oil like a Mediterranean. Avoid breast cancer and live to 100 by dining on tofu Japanese-style. Stay as happy as Norwegians by hunting elk and foraging for cowberries.

The places we're usually told to emulate are known as Blue Zones or Cold Spots. Blue Zones were pinpointed by explorer Dan Buettner and a team of longevity researchers and are described in his book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest. They're areas in Italy, Japan, Greece, California, and Costa Rica where the people have traditionally stayed healthy and active to age 100 or older.

Similarly, Cold Spots, as identified by integrative medicine physician Daphne Miller, M.D., author of The Jungle Effect, are five areas in Mexico, Iceland, Japan, Greece, and Cameroon with low rates of "Western" ailments like heart disease, depression, and certain cancers.

Now I'd like to eat my way to a long life, but I'm not about to start foraging for raw plants — —I live in Brooklyn. I admire the vascular supremacy of Mediterranean folks, but I doubt I could completely replace butter with olive oil and chips with nuts. My kids would mutiny.

But it's crucial that we all try, says David L. Katz, M.D., founding director of the Yale Prevention Research Center: "The Centers for Disease Control has projected that one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050." Message received! So I took a look at a few key regions to see which habits we Americans could make our own.

French women stay slim with petite portions

According to the best seller French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano, the paradox of how French women consume butter and cream without gaining can be explained in two words: portion control. They have small amounts of fresh, quality food and antioxidant-rich wine, lingering over multiple courses and savoring every bite.

French women also tend to walk everywhere instead of attempting to get to the gym. "In France, they climb stairs. Many of the buildings are older and don't have elevators," says Steven Jonas, M.D., professor of preventive medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York and coauthor of 30 Secrets of the World's Healthiest Cuisines.

Plus, the price of gas is a lot higher, so people are motivated to walk instead of drive. All of this adds up to French women having a low incidence of heart disease and obesity (12 percent compared to the U.S.'s 36 percent).

I admire the French "food is the focus" idea, in theory. If only I could while away the afternoon strolling from boulangerie to fromagerie. But as a working mother of two teenagers, I scramble to pull off a 30-minute meal. And that's OK, Jonas says: "Even if it's quick, a homemade meal with whole ingredients is better than going to a restaurant with huge portions and empty calories."

Scandinavians eat farm to table

The traditional Northern European food philosophy is to eat what you — —or someone nearby— — grew or gathered. The key words are local and fresh. Native plants include cruciferous vegetables, whole grains, and berries. Northerners eat omega-3-rich fatty fish, as well as elk and game birds, which tend to be leaner than farm-raised livestock.

The Nordic diet and way of life produces low rates of obesity (as low as 8 percent, depending on the country). Despite scarce sunlight, Icelandic and Scandinavian people actually suffer from depression less than Americans, possibly due to all those omega-3s.

In Scandinavia, there's also a physical component to producing food. "They expend energy growing and gathering," explains Amy Lanou, Ph.D., a senior nutrition scientist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C. "But that isn't feasible in many regions in America."

If backyard gardening isn't possible for you, even a weekend apple- or berry-picking trip will connect you to your food and is a good workout to boot.

The Japanese value family connections

Okinawa, a Japanese island region, is known to have the highest concentration of centenarians (people aged 100 or older) in the world. Compared to Americans, they have an 80 percent lower rate of breast cancer death and less than half the rate of ovarian or colon cancer deaths. They also have much lower rates of dementia and a lower risk of heart disease.

How they do it: On Okinawa, they practice hara hachi bu, or eating until 80 percent full. A spiritual lifestyle that includes prayer and meditation seems to reduce stress — —and possibly ailments related to it. Low cancer rates are believed to be due to a high-fiber plant-based diet of rice, soy, cruciferous and sea vegetables, fruit, omega-3-rich fatty fish, and only a tiny bit of dairy and meat.

Just as crucial is a sense of connection and community. "In Blue Zones like Okinawa, there is strong social support, family bonds, and a value placed on continuing to be active in society into your 80s, 90s, and 100s," Buettner says. "The sense of belonging matters for lowering stress, disease prevention, and longevity."

Good fats lead to longer lives in the Mediterranean

The much-heralded Mediterranean diet has been linked to a longer life and a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. As we've heard before, this diet includes good fats (olive oil, nuts, fish), lean proteins, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, and a moderate amount of wine.

Of course, it's all about knowing when to say basta — —enough. "Eat like an Italian" doesn't mean diving into a never-ending pasta bowl. Buettner adds, "In Blue Zones like the island of Ikaria in Greece, you find extended families under one roof making family meals." What's more, activity is a part of daily life — —"not something to suffer through at the gym."

7 things to do starting today

Buettner is crossing Iowa in a bus, attempting to change American towns into homegrown Blue Zones. "More than 40 percent of Americans smoked in the '60s, and only 20 percent do now," he points out. "We can turn around our diet and lifestyle, too." One thing we Americans have going for us: We are always up for a challenge. So try these healthful Blue Zone— — and Cold Spot — —inspired ideas.

Take 20 percent off. "In every Blue Zone, they eat less than we do, by at least 20 percent," Buettner says. One trick for slashing portions: "Instead of putting big platters of food at the center of the table, fill each plate at the counter," Buettner says.

Pile on the plants. Not only are plant-based diets rich in antioxidants and other good-for-you nutrients, they're also better for your waistline. "A plate of food in Okinawa has one-fifth the calorie density of a typical American meal," Buettner says. "You can chow down for a fraction of the calories." Buettner suggests thinking of meat as a condiment rather than the main event, and subbing in more beans, legumes, and nuts.

Learn to love the foods that love you back. A diet of berries and elk or tofu and sea vegetables might seem utterly foreign — —but taste buds can be retrained. "Americans love fat, salt, and sugar because that's what 9 of 10 we're used to," Katz says. "But studies show that if you eat more wholesome foods, you can learn to prefer them." An easy way to start: Search for stealth sugar, which Katz says is found in many packaged foods. "Once you get rid of that hidden sugar, you'll start to prefer less-sweet foods," he notes.

Sit down— — and slow down. It might be too much to cook every meal. But we can sit at a table to eat our takeout instead of scarfing it down in the car. Savor each bite as the French do; stretch your meals out for 20 whole minutes. You'll end up eating less and enjoying more.

Get up. "The longest-living people don't think of exercise as a chore," Buettner says. Instead, little bits of movement are a constant part of their everyday lives. Make like a French woman and take a short walk after dinner. Shovel your own snow instead of paying the kid next door; make extra trips carrying laundry up and down the stairs.

Get out. Every Blue Zone is known for its strong social and family bonds. Besides spending quality time at home with family, surround yourself with healthy-living friends — —good health habits are contagious, research shows. Be sure to get involved in your community, too, whether it's at church, a gardening group, or a volunteer organization. These connections can add years to your life, Buettner says.

Take it easy. Even the world's healthiest people get stressed out sometimes. What they all have, Buettner says, are daily strategies to shed stress. Meditate, go for a run, make a dinner date with your best friend — —and don't worry about your inability to be a French woman or a Greek farmer.

It's OK to enjoy the occasional cheeseburger. What matters is a cumulative lifestyle pattern of enjoying healthful food, staying connected to others, and keeping yourself moving. That's how I plan to live to be 100 in the Brooklyn Blue Zone.

Solid Food!

Food Log:
Mexican restaurant for lunch with my co-workers. Veggie fajitas ordered.  Grilled veggies: carrots, onions, green pepper, red pepper, mushroom. Raw veggies: salsa (tomato, spices, onions), tomatoes, lettuce (iceberg), guacamole. About a tablespoon of sour cream, a small sprinkle of cheese.  Refried beans and Spanish rice. 
 

Water:

32oz of water by 1:00pm.

General Thoughts:

My choice of whether to continue the fast or not was effectively made—I ate a veggie fajita lunch with my coworkers.  I feel *stuffed*. 

I am even more committed to continue my juice fast for another 10 days!

I had been on the fence.  Did I want to, did I not.  Now that I’ve had a little solid food, I want to continue my juice fast for another 10 days. 

It was marvelous to chew food again. J Absolutely delightful.  I’m looking forward to another solid meal in 10 more days. J

Although I feel stuffed to the gills, I don’t feel completely satisfied.  Like I’m missing nutrition that my body has become accustomed to. 

Tuesday, Day 9

Medication: 2 Byetta 10mcg (1 morning, 1 evening) Prostate Health Complex (Saw Palmetto, Zinc, Lycopene, Pumpkin Seed), Mega B12 Dots, Chromium Picolinate, Cinsulin, Cranberry, CoQ10.

Weight: 223.4

Yesterday:
I was a little down yesterday because my weight has been unchanging. Today it was a joy to see 2.4lbs less on the scale! J       

Food Log:

Celery, apples, strawberries, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, ginger, oranges, lemons, carrots, red pepper, spinach, grapes, 2 cans V8.

Water:

Yesterday I only drank about 32oz of water.  Today I’m not off to such a great start—I’ve only had one drink and it was to wash down the herbs.  My goal is to drink 64oz of water today.

General Thoughts:

I haven’t had to sit down on the toilet for two days.  No urge.  Nothing there.  Just to be on the safe side, in fact, I sat down a couple times to pee.  Nothing else.  Just pee.  Have I cleaned myself out?  Is my body just using everything I’m drinking?

I’ve been thinking about the drinks I’ve tried that I just don’t like.  There are things I need to get into my diet that I’m missing—but I really despise the flavors.  I’m planning to make a really strong, fruity drink and add a *little* of each of the things I don’t like.  Instead of 2 beets, I’ll put in half a beet.  Instead of a whole squash, I’ll put in a few slices. 

I’m also curious why I don’t see more melons in drinks.  It seems a no-brainer that something like a watermelon would be juiced.  Or a cantaloupe.  I just wonder why those are never on the lists of ingredients. 

I slept really well last night.  Was awakened by the storm at one point and by a little boy who decided he needed to sleep with his mom and dad.  J  Other than that, I slept through.  No need to wake up to pee.  No tossing and turning. In fact, I slept so long on one side that my ear and shoulder hurt when I woke up.

I’m starting to see a difference in the way my clothes fit and how I look in the mirror.  I suspect I’ll look a lot thinner when I trim my hair and beard, but I was kinda waiting to drop a few more pounds before I did that.  Going for a more drastic look.  J

I have another show this weekend.  I’m hoping it’ll be easier than the previous show to get my juicing done and I’m also hoping for no more headaches.  Maybe the detoxing has come to an end. 

Speaking of detoxing, I’m very curious to know how long it takes to flush aspartame and sorbitol (equal and splenda) out of your system.  I’ve been completely free of sweeteners for a week.  I know it takes sugar about 3 days to flush out.  I suspect it is longer with the sweeteners—though I’m hoping we’re not talking weeks or months.

I’ve also been debating what to do at the end of my 10 days.  I had considered making a soup and enjoying come cooked veggies and possibly even a little chicken.  However, with the recent success of losing some more weight, I’m sorely tempted to continue on the juice-fast until significant strides are made toward my goal.

Oh, and I have a goal now.  A weight I have not been since I was 20 years old.  180lbs. 

Monday, Day 8

Medication: 2 Byetta 10mcg (1 morning, 1 evening) I missed my Byetta while I was traveling. I forgot it at home. I also didn’t take the herbs and supplements my wife usually lays out for me.

Weight: 225.8

Last Few Days:

Was out of town working a show.  Juiced in the evenings. Drank V8 during the day. Smoked hookah (shisha tobacco through an Arabian waterpipe).  I didn’t get enough sleep.  I had an intense headache Saturday when I woke up. Sunday I had a milder headache.     

Food Log:

Celery, apples, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, tomatoes, kiwi, kale, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, parsley, ginger, oranges, limes, lemons, carrots, green pepper, spinach, grapes

Water:

I don’t think I’m drinking enough water.  I need to establish more of a regimen for drinking water.

General Thoughts:

I haven’t lost any weight since the first big losses.  I actually gained a little and then came back down to where I was just before the weekend.  The good news is that I was “good” all weekend and didn’t go off my diet.  I didn’t eat any solid food (okay, I tossed a small grape and a blueberry in my mouth that fell out of the juicer as I was juicing).  I remained on the liquid diet.  I have avoided all animal products. 

And that’s not easy to do when the primary food item at a gun show is beef-jerky and beef-sticks!  When I’ve established a 4 year old pattern of eating snacks and meals made up primarily of jerky on these weekends. 

I also didn’t get enough sleep.  I’m feeling that affect right now.  Sluggish and tired.  I think could still be detoxing, based on how I feel, but also on what my body is removing…

On that topic, I’ve had more solid waste in the last couple days.  It’s nice that I’m no longer worried about farting—never trust a fart!—but I have to wonder about what’s coming out.  If I’m not putting anything solid into my body, why do I have solid poo?  I don’t get much pulp from the juicer.  And one grape and one blueberry cannot produce what I’ve dropped into the toilet in the last few days.  I can only surmise that my body is still cleansing my colon and removing excess material that has collected there. 

I’m looking ahead to the end of my first 10 days and seriously contemplating my next steps.  I would really like to keep going, to lose more weight, to get more healthy, to cleanse my body even further.

I’d also really like to chew something!

Oh, and let me reiterate, brush and floss daily!  Egad.  Miss a day and you’ll have “furry teeth”.  There’s no chewing to scrape residue off your teeth.  Oddest, weirdest sensation I’ve ever felt on my teeth…

My office is having a luncheon for our team tomorrow.  Taking us to a restaurant, paying for our lunch, and I’m still on my first 10 days and not willing to go off.  I’m taking some cans of V8 with me.  I may just drink some V8 instead of eating—or possibly just drink them before the meal or after the meal and not eat while everyone else is eating.

The isolation is hard. 

Eating is such a social activity. Take steps to ensure that you can be part of the social culture while you’re juicing. Sure, in the first few days, just avoid anything that has to do with eating—but after you’re through that, your willpower should be strong enough to let you participate in the social culture without participating in the eating.

Saturday, Day 6

I'm out of town. I brought my juicer and bought plenty of produce. I've managed to stay on my fast. I've supplemented with V8 during the day because juicing in the hotel room and carrying a big jug of juice into the show requires more preparation time than I can spare. 

It was really hard today, to stay on the fast.  My friend ate at Subway and the smells enticed me.  We shopped at Wal-Mart and I was interested (if not accosted) by the sights of familiar flavors, textures and tastes. 

It dawned on me, then, that perhaps part of our growing obesity problem revolves around the way we shop for food.  Supermarkets and readily accessible foods, with little to no effort have lead to an easy "trough" that we--as a society--can belly-up-to. 

I also talked to someone in the show about the "Caveman Diet".  I'm going to look into it after I'm finished with my fast. 

And now, as I pass into slumber, I dream of veggies, roasted, blanched, spiced and--most of all--chewed.

(As an aside, when juice fasting, make sure you maintain a good dental hygiene. Forgetting my toothbrush has demonstrated just how "furry" one's teeth can feel when one is not chewing to help clean one's teeth...)