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New Fast
Yesterday marked my first fast since the great fast of last summer. It is amazing how easy it is to slip back into old habits. A new fast was long overdue.
The old fast was not ineffective. I can remember and return to the better way of thinking forged there rather quickly.
I think for awhile I will fast on Sundays. Although with the kind of morning I am having this morning I may reconsider. OneNote has basically quit working for me (although truth be known I have been fighting it for a week). I’ve been stumbling and bumbling over everything.
First Meal
Lunch today was the first “real” meal I’ve eaten since breaking the fast. I stopped by an Indian restaurant in Augusta. I loaded my plate, but could only eat about a third of it. I had to chew some Pepto Bismol tablets afterward, and decided to pass on eating out this evening.
I found the restaurant while looking for someplace to eat vegan on the road. I also researched vegan restaurants near the hotel and place of work. Preparation is essential.
I ended up out thinking myself, perhaps. The hotel room has a kitchenette. More, in a huge stroke of luck, there is a huge farmer’s market a stone’s throw from the hotel. I could have brought the juicer after all. Though I was worn out from the road, I popped over and picked up some fresh fruits and vegetables, along with some seeds and dried fruit that I can use to carry in case I get caught in the wrong place during the week.
Actually I had picked up some prepackaged trail mix with walnuts, dried apricots and cherries. I started taking my medications again a couple of days ago, including the insulin. On the road I became light headed, and thought I was running low blood sugar, and took some glucose tablets. I stopped at a pharmacy to get some more, where I picked up the trail mix for something substantial to eat.
It turns out the Coreg was the culprit. I’m cutting it out this week until I get through the first week on the job. When I restart, it will be at much lower dosage.
Breaking Fast
This morning I break my fast.
I had the idea of going to The Battery and eating an apple while watching sunrise in the park, but I kept getting rained on so I turned around. I do intend to eat the apple, though, to break the fast.
It was a thoughtfully chosen fruit. First, it is of a variety, a Fuji, that I never particularly appreciated before. I always went for the sweeter, golden delicious. I want to make a positive association. I want to remember the taste of that Fuji apple. And I want to remember this fast every time I eat an apple.
Fifteen days is a long time. Reading the boards, there aren’t many who survive this long. And, of course, there are those who survive much longer. Not to be judgmental regarding anyone’s motivations, but I fear there is an egoistical, competitive drive to fast longer. This happens in any endeavor. A 5K run is no longer enough, a 10K must be run. Then a half marathon, but that is only half, but everybody and his dog has run a marathon, so it must be an ultra. Certainly I have been prey to this phenomena.
Even had the external circumstances which prompted ending the fast not existed, my body is telling me it is time. There is a certain weakness I feel, a shakiness. My vision has deteriorated, although, again, that may be a correction from lowering my blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels may artificially keeping my eyesight acute, while slowly damaging my eyes.
Dawn rapidly approaches. Soon it will be light enough to see the apple, the richness of its colors. Presentation is important.
So is prayer. I want to develop the habit of thanking God for my food. To bless the food. Not an ostentatious display, mind you. I want to remember the things I learned to think when hunger struck. To remember the hunger. To remember the hungry, the downcast. To ask forgiveness for my gluttony, my selfishness, my ingratitude.
To thank God for his bounty. This simple principle transcends merely blessing a meal. Our lives are consumed whetting our appetites, yet we are never satisfied.
We are always hungry.
That is perhaps the ultimate lesson of the fast. Nothing material satisfies. Man does not live by bread alone.
A life well lived is a constant reflection on the Word of God.
The day breaks and the sun shines bright. No rain. I could have enjoyed the dawn at The Battery after all. I suppose it wasn’t meant to be. Perhaps I was meant to reflect on paper, so to speak, on the meaning of the breaking of the fast.
And with that, I break this fast. Thank God.
Do I start taking my medications?
Last Day
Well, as it turns out, tonight will be the last of my fast. I got a job today and have to be in Atlanta for a week next Monday. At this juncture I don’t think I can pull off the logistics of juicing, not in a new gig out of a hotel room. Beyond that, I have to move to Greenville, which means the next few weeks are going to be chaotic. Since I put my resume out on Monday, for that matter, it has been hectic. It is not possible, at least for a novice like myself, to take full advantage of the spiritual pursuit of the fast in these circumstances.
Which means the fast is over.
I need to break the fast slowly so I can eat solids (or shall I say salads?) by next Monday. That gives me four days.
I want to do this right. I am not going back to my old, bad habits. I went to the store a few moments ago and bought enough of the right foods to keep me on the straight and narrow until Monday—and even a little beyond. Some organic vegetable broth. Canned organic vegan soups. And, of course, fresh fruits and vegetables.
I am having some of the vegetable broth this evening. It is delicious!
There is a certain sadness leaving this fast behind. There may never again be something quite like it. Oh, I intend to fast again. Fasting is an integral part of my new lifestyle, for spiritual reasons and physical. Certainly I will juice: that will continue to play a major part in my diet. Is skipping supper and drinking a juice a fast?
Two Weeks In
The Great Fast of 2011 has reached the end of its second week. Last night I considered how long I will continue, not out of hunger, but out of a recognition that it cannot last forever. Certainly I don’t want to endanger my health. My vision has deteriorated noticeably, but that may not be directly attributable to my fast. Changes in my vision are normal when my blood sugars fluctuate.
The good news is, those blood sugar levels are now down to 165. They have been dropping steadily from 415 the morning after the first day. This phenomena alone is enough to justify continuing the fast. I am curious whether I can get them down to a consistent, acceptable level—without medication. Since coming off the fast will take almost as long as the fast itself, I can monitor fluctuations in my blood sugar level as I slowly introduce solid foods. Hopefully I will be able to maintain a healthy blood sugar level without medications.
That would be a miracle.
But I am not continuing the fast for that reason nor weight loss. I could achieve both of those objectives by eating, since eating means consuming in solid form the same vegetables I am now juicing. For that matter, the lifestyle before me is such that the same positive benefits from this juice fast will continue to be accrued. Perhaps at a slightly less accelerated pace, but that isn’t really important. If I get where I am going 30 days later, that is in consequential. This is a journey, not a destination.
I am not continuing the fast for physical reasons.
This is a spiritual thing, a Vision Quest.
Apollo Thirteen
Yesterday I joined Reboot Your Life after following a link on the movie that finally convince me to start juicing, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.
Yesterday I made a significant advance on the stationary bicycle. Instead of just spinning, I began doing pyramids, increasing the resistance each minute for four minutes. This got my heart rate up for the first time in this new regimen. I then cooled down for a couple of minutes by spinning.
I also managed to do an arms workout, three sets of 16 reps bicep curls (15 lbs) and one arm tricep extensions (8 lbs). That is my second such workout in four days. That’s a little too much rest between arm workouts, but I am limited by my overall stamina and other activities are taking precedence.
Today I am going to do another back and shoulders workout, three sets of rows and overhead presses.
That is all I am going to do today, except for some Qigong study. I’m feeling a little rundown.
Day Twelve
Yesterday was a relatively good day, at least for the fast. I’m surprised I am able to maintain this thing in the face of such adversity from my son and darling daughter-in-law. Oddly (or perhaps not), it seems to be giving me strength.
Yesterday it hit me: this fast will end, and soon enough. Even if I went “full term” and reached sixty days, that is not that far away. I will eat again. Solids will pass my lips.
Indeed, it is how I eat afterwards that is even more important than this fast, for it is much more enduring. I will eat far more days than I fast.
Obviously, I cannot return to my previous diet. Aside from the spiritual aspects, that is the primary objective of the fast, to break clean of my
I have learned to appreciate liquid foods which require little energy to digest, promoting healing by liberating the body’s energy from the demands of digestion. Broths and soups will become a staple, something that must be emphasized in the breaking fast period, which may last as long as the fast itself. And juicing will always be part of my life now. I’ve become a believer. It may very well have saved my life.
I will always fast. I’ve relearned it has great spiritual benefit.
Yesterday I made a huge mistake and put too many habernos peppers into a juice. I had bought the things as an experiment after learning hot sauce made a nice variation from the day in and day out juice. I was cautious at first, adding a couple. I could barely taste it. So I worked my way up to six.
The real mistake was trying to drink it. My stomach revolted, quickly.
Do peppers have no place in my diet anyway? Aren’t they acidic?
http://www.balance-ph-diet.com/index.html
Speaking of broths and soups (and even juicing), I really need to get a recipe program built before I break this fast.
Which brings to mind that I really haven’t explored all the varieties of juicing available to me. I’ve really been living off a single foundation: carrots and cucumbers. Apples could probably be added to that list. Throw in some broccoli, kale, beets, lemons and ginger root (and the occasional haberno pepper).
I need to begin trying out the recipes in the books I have and available online. But I wanted to get a basic recipe program built first.
On the exercise front, the weather threw me a curve ball and the forecast rain doesn’t look like it is going to materialize. Doesn’t really matter, I suppose. I think an arm workout is called for. I also need to do some work on the stationary bicycle. I intended to do some yesterday, but found something else.
I did do some cycling in the pool, and discovered a nifty trick. There was a pool volleyball floating around, so I used it to support myself while cycling. Works better than the edge of the pool. I ordered one on Amazon.
Ordered an ionizing water bottle this morning. Not quite sure I believe the science, but I needed another water bottle in any case and figure what the hell. Couldn’t hurt. Worst case is I’m out about forty bucks. As much water as I’m drinking, if it improves the taste it is worth it to me.
My blood sugar is now down below 200 (195), a drop of ten points from yesterday.
Decided to weigh today, despite the fact it hasn’t been two weeks. I want to use Sunday as weigh day.
I’m down another six pounds in five days since I last weighed. I suspect this is the rate I can expect, about 1.2 pounds per day. This means if I maintain the fast for another 48 days, I would lose 57.6 more pounds. Combined with the 26 I have already lost, that is a total of 83 pounds—in range of the 92 Phil on Fat, Sick & Nearly Deadlost.
Second week’s shopping list
I’m preparing my shopping list for tomorrow’s venture over to the Whole Foods Market. My list isn’t quite as long this week. I bought 20 cucumbers last week, and have 4 left. That means I used sixteen, and need a dozen for next week. I bought 5 bunches of kale, and have 2 left, meaning I used three. So 1 bunch should do me.
Since I bought a 25 pound bag of carrots, and had some left previously, I’m not sure how much of that vegetable I used. I have plenty, though, so it doesn’t really matter.
I bought 13 granny apples, I’ve got six left, meaning I need another.
I bought 5 stalks of celery and have one left, but I don’t think I’m going to buy anymore for now. Celery produces only a modest amount of juice, and does it really have enough nutritional value to justify the $2.79 price tag for organic celery (I read somewhere that celery is one of those foods you definitely want to buy organic)? Eating the stuff is fine: it has texture and is filling. But, except for some flavor, I’m not so sure it has much value juicing. I need to do some research, so the jury is still out, but I’m going to pass on it until I become convinced it is worth its cost.
I’ve still got plenty of beets, lemons and haven’t even touched a lime yet.
So now I’m considering whether I really need to make a trip to the Whole Foods Market. I can get the cucumbers up the road at the Farmer’s Market. Maybe I can arrange this where I drive the 25 minutes to the Whole Foods Market every other week, at least for now.
And on the tenth day
I considered breaking my fast this morning. I meandered around Brittlebank Park pondering the issue.
As far as losing weight goes, I would probably lose about as much, certainly as much as I need to, by coming off the fast, considering that I’ll just be eating basically the same thing, only in solid form. I’ll be eating raw fruits and vegetables for awhile. How many calories could another cucumber add? Even after that, it will be low calorie for quite awhile, slowly adding nuts, eventually grains and tofu.
But this was never about losing weight. That is a happy coincidence.
This a spiritual thing.
Every time my stomach rumbles
I am reminded that I have lived for my own belly.
I have not fed the hungry.
I have not clothed the poor.
I am a sinner.
I am a sinner.
I need my hunger.
I want my hunger.
It really wasn’t my intention, but I ended up walking over a mile in Brittlebank Park this morning, about the same distance as my circuit at Magnolia Gardens. Now I’m considering what to do today. It is tempting to push things, lift some weights. But my arms, or at least my triceps, are still a little burned. I am going to swim today, so my back and shoulders are going to get worked. As far as my legs are concerned, I’ve already walked to day, and they were taxed more than I thought they would be by my visit to the Gibbes Museum yesterday. Not my legs so much as my ankles, joints and back. This has me thinking that such an activity might be a useful form of exercise.
In any case, I’m going to limit today’s activity to swimming and a little cycling. And, of course, the walk I have already taken. Lactic acid is also a toxin, and I’m still not fully detoxed. Now that I think about it, prudence indicates that today and tomorrow should be spa days.
Again fortuitously, the weather is cooperating. The rains and cooler weather have given way to another heat wave.
Nine Lives
Day nine of the great juice fast, and I’m not dead yet.
Yesterday I experienced some wild mood swings. Possibly diet related. I cut out one of my juice servings, to two. This wasn’t intentional, I got caught in between and decided just to ride it out until the next one rather than have to juice. Probably a mistake.
Today the challenge is to take my juicing on the road for the first time. I’ve got to be out and about today, so I’m going to prepare some extra juice and store it in a thermos to be consumed throughout the day.
I’m also taking a lite day exercise. Since I have to be downtown, I’m going to the Gibbes Museum. This will involve some walking, but I’m assuming there will be many opportunities to sit and rest. Not even a stroll, more like meandering.
I did increase my cycling time to two sets of five minutes to two sets of three. I found a great trick at this level is to put on a music video and cycle through one song. It sounds ridiculous, but it works out rather well.
In front of the eight ball
Eighth day.
Yesterday was rough, largely because of a lack of sleep. I forced myself to get up early and avoid napping. Finally, last night I got a full nights sleep.
I feel peppy enough that I headed to The Battery. I intended to take a walk—maybe. Rain threatened, but I figured I didn’t really need to walk, so if it did rain I would use the opportunity to reconnoiter the area for parking early in the morning. Sure enough, there is plenty of parking, not only at The Battery, but Broad Street, East Bay—everywhere. And it occurs to me this would be the best time to stroll Charleston, before the shoppers crowd the streets.
It is fortuitous that I am unemployed during the middle of summer, when the sun rises early.
Speaking of luck, I am also fortunate that the rain wiped out my walk. I was already leaning towards a rest day, or at least another day without walking. Some very lite work on the stationary bicycle makes more sense, just enough to get some blood flowing through the legs, bringing nourishment and washing out weight. This has the added benefit of beginning to build a foundation on the stationary bicycle. I’m only doing about three minutes at a time, a few times a day. There are some muscles and tendons that are being used that are new to work. I’m breaking them in slowly.
Good Fortune Cookie: Rain mean more time with Qigong.
I remember I always was lucky at exercise. Until I was unlucky, at least. Looks like my luck has returned.
Resistance
It is propitious, I think, that it is raining today. My back, shoulders and arms felt good enough to workout in the pool. But since it is raining, I thought I would pick up the weights.
That is, of course, what I was preparing to do with the swimming. It will almost certainly slow down my progress swimming, but then, again, it will also put into perspective the place of swimming in my regimen. How much, or how far, do I really need to swim? I’m certainly not going to get too far in this little apartment pool. Secondly, swimming is almost certainly a temporal, or at least seasonal, activity. There is something of a dearth of indoor pools here in Charleston; the nearest is 25 minutes away. For that matter, indoor pools are always problematic working into an exercise routine.
Resistance training is another matter. It is an ongoing activity. I will be doing some form of resistance training most days for the rest of my life.
I’ve got my bicycle back
Once, during a particularly difficult time, as the winter began releasing its icy grip, I told a female friend of mine: “I’ve got my bicycle back”
It wasn’t an original thought. At some point I recognized the bicycle was the source of my strength.
Like Samson, I was shorn of my strength. On a really bad day, the frame on my Motebecane split. I was riding it at the time and suddenly there was this strange instability. I dismounted and examined the bike. Then I saw the fissure. My mind wouldn’t comprehend what had happened. I pushed the bicycle home and leaned it against the wall, then sat down on the bed and stared at its carcass. I broke down and cried. Wept like a baby, or one that has just lost their spouse of many years. We had seen seventeen thousand miles together. That bicycle was the closest thing I’ve had to a lover. An inanimate object. On those many, many rides I observed more than once that my Motebecane had been more faithful to me than any woman. To this day I can hardly talk about it.
Since the demise of my Motebecane, I haven’t had my bicycle. Oh, I’ve owned several. I’ve made numerous attempts to remount. I even commuted one fell winter when some fools stole my car and I couldn’t afford another. But there was no spark. The magic was gone.
Last night, I had insomnia, again. I was lying in bed when it dawned on me where the hardware was located to reassemble my stationary bike. I rose and checked and, sure enough, I found it. I happily set it asside for the next day. A couple of hours later, when I still couldn’t sleep, I rose again and reassembled the bike. I even went so far as to remove the pedals to detach the straps, which are a nuisance for my current plans.
Yesterday I went to the pool and emulated the cycling motion in order to get the blood flowing through my legs, which were burned from my morning walk through Magnolia Gardens. During this period, I am taking advantage of the fact I can lie down periodically when I am tired to more aggressively pursue an exercise regimen. One of the things I have noticed is that I often feel compelled to rise and do something, particularly with my legs. Indeed a reason for my sleep problems seems to be restless leg syndrome. But what do you do? Walk up and down the stairs? Pace the apartment?
Enter the stationary bicycle, which is located in my bedroom. I can rise, take a few minutes and spin for awhile. Just spin. For now. The beauty of it is this activity, like cycling in the pool, will build the foundation for mounting up and hitting the road again.
I’m feeling it. It hit me last night. I have my bicycle back.
Spa
I have been using the pool at my apartment during this period of unemployment as a spa, detoxifying by sweltering in the Carolina summer and cooling off in the pool, a sort of contrast therapy lite. Naturally I’ve been multitasking (when will I ever learn?) by using my time in the pool for exercise, also lite.
Yesterday I was still fatigued enough from previous sessions it did not seem prudent to swim laps or perform water aerobics. I decided to go to the pool anyway to sit and detoxify, taking a dip in the pool when the heat became unbearable.
I learned and relearned some facets of being a pool lizard.
The escape from gravity itself is therapeutic. When you weigh what I do, gravity is a bitch. The ability to stand or move without having to support all that weight is refreshing to the point of exhilaration. What are the alternative rest modalities? Sitting? Lying down? Those still subject the body to the forces of gravity. Nothing compares to floating on one’s back in the pool.
One can obtain the deepest relaxation in that state. Minimal muscular activity is involved to combat gravity. That is the exercise: to consciously relax as completely as possible. Another exercise is to focus on deep breathing, inhaling deeply and, as important, exhaling as completely as possible. This last part is often missed, but exhalation is a process of riding the body of waste. A little lesson from the Qigong.
Speaking of Qigong, over the years I’ve learned to do exaggeratedly slow movements, somewhat like dance, in the pool. Another exercise the pool facilitates, certainly for someone of my size, is stretching.
The Seventh Day
And so, I have made it to the seventh day of this fast. What a remarkable journey!
There are all the horror stories of how bad it is going to be. Perhaps I felt so bad that this has been a relief in comparison. There have been difficult times, particularly the first two or three days, but it hasn’t been as bad as I feared.
I’m now reaching the point where the stomach grumblings are noticeably subsiding.
My weight after six days? 400. I’ve lost 20 pounds.
I realize I am reaching something of an ending. I’m growing tired of writing about these things, of focusing on them. One of the reasons I write about this is I want something to refer back to if I lose my way. Or perhaps I should say when, for it will surely happen. I have attempted to document my (re)discoveries so I can rediscover them more easily than having to go without food for seven days.
Spa
I am taking advantage of the facts that a) I’m unemployed, and b) the eastern half of the country is mired in a record heat wave, to utilize the pool as part of my therapy. Not only am I able to perform low impact exercises, I am detoxifying by sweltering in the heat between exercises.
My regimen consists of three exercises. First I swim “laps”, which, because it is a public pool and there are usually others playing in the pool, only consists of swimming back and forth from the four foot marker to the end of the pool. I alternate breast stroke and backstroke, then side stroke and an alternating arm backstroke. Today I did six laps of the alternating breast stroke and backstroke, and four of the side stroke and an alternating arm backstroke.
My second set is walking with increasing intensity in chest high water. I did 20 laps of this exercise.
Finally, in preparation for cycling, I hold on to the edge of the pool and do exaggerated rotations with my legs.
Qigong: First Breath
As I noted in my last post, this is a rest day, but I felt the need to do something very light to keep blood flowing to my muscles and cells. Seemed the time for Qigong. Lying around was a Qigong video that I’ve had for years. On a number of occasions I have started the program, but it never took. I suspect, like many things, you have to spend some real time with it for a few weeks, something I never seemed to have time to do. Another of the blessings of my current employment situation is I now do. This is the time.
One difference this time is I really didn’t start thinking of it as a means for maintaining circulation, but as a method of focusing on breathing. Lately my memory and even my mental functioning has suffered noticeably. This morning on the way to the Whole Foods Market as I was on the Ravenal bridge I suddenly couldn’t recollect the name of the river I was crossing. I knew it started with a ‘C’, but ‘Cooper’ wouldn’t come. I was being victimized at work by the same phenomena. The last couple of interviews I have had noticeable lapses, including one where I couldn’t define ‘polymorphism’. Indeed, one of the reasons for this sudden emphasis on health was the stark realization I could lose my entire career, which is ironic considering one of the primary reasons I got into this shape was the manic pursuit of career to the complete disregard of pretty much everything else, including my health.
Part of memory loss is aging, of course, which I can accept. But I strongly suspect lack of oxygen to the brain as a culprit. Diet has something to do with that, as does inadequate physical activity. Addressing these factors are the primary components of my new regimen. But it also seems evident that improving breathing technique would be beneficial.
Qigong is “the Chinese philosophy and practice of aligning breath, physical activity and awareness for mental, spiritual and corporeal health, as well as the development of human potential.” [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong]. It seems like this is exactly where I want to be.
I said earlier that Qigong never took. Humorously, one reason is I could never remember the breathing instructions. I think now I know why. I always got stuck on the third exercise
Exhale when you move down or away. Inhale when you move up or inward.
Bagua Xun Dao Gong
Exact opposite on first movement: inhale while moving outward, exhale while moving inward.
Just watching the video is a breathing exercise.
Rest Day
Last night I was showing definite signs of fatigue from the swimming and walking, so, although I feel relatively energetic this morning, I have determined to take a day of rest. While I am beginning to suspect my doctor is right and that I am babying myself, I don’t want to take any chances with going chronic while on this fast.
Besides, how much progress do I need to make, and how quickly? Everybody wants things ASAP, of course, but I was able to move myself just a couple of months ago, which is likely as strenuous of a thing as I will be required to do.
The fasting is getting easier. I still have hunger pangs, but not as many and not quite as severe.
I’m pretty beat up, though. I can feel it particularly every time I climb the stairs.
I can tell my electrolytes are out of balance. I did prepare for this by stocking up on electrolyte replacement drinks.
One problem I have noted with rest days in the past was coming to a full stop isn’t really desirable. You need to keep the blood flowing. In the old days, when I exercised heavily, I would take long walks. These days short walks are my exercise.
And so today I’m beginning Qigong. But that is for another post.
First Trip to the Whole Foods Market
Got up early this morning to hit the Whole Foods Market before the Saturday crowd arrived and cleaned the shelves. In Walden like fashion, I feel compelled to provide an accounting of the economy of my activities. I spent $250, but that includes some supplements, toiletries and a tea pot and teas. Below is a list of vegetables for juicing:
| 5 | bunch | kale | 12.45 | |
| 20 | each | cucumbers | 19.80 | |
| 25 | pounds | juicing carrots | 18.99 | |
| 7 | pounds | beets | 13.79 | |
| 5 | stalks | celery | 13.95 | |
| 6 | pounds | granny smith apples | 11.42 | 13 each |
| 10 | each | lemons | 5.00 | |
| 10 | each | limes | 5.00 | |
| 2 | bunch | broccoli | 7.54 | |
| 107.94 |
I suspect this will last longer than a week, but I’ll take an inventory next week to determine what I’ve actually used. One of my big problems with vegetables has been letting them go to waste; somehow I doubt that will be an issue these days.
Yogi Egyptian Licorice Mint
Perusing some sites relating to fasting, I saw a recommendation for Yogi Egyptian Licorice Mint tea.
I’m telling you, this stuff is delicious!
Sweat Lodge
The first (and note I don’t say “primary”) objective of this fast is to detoxify. The rationale behind the juice fast is that fruits and vegetables supply the body with an abundance of antioxidants, which facilitate removing toxins from the body.
Toxins are passed through the body via urine, feces and sweat. Ergo part of my plan is to engage in activities that induce sweating. Yesterday I spent part of the afternoon at the pool, alternating sweating in the summer sun and cooling off in pool while getting a little exercise.
This morning I’m applying the same principle of combining exercise with sitting and sweating by heading up to the gardens at Middleton Plantation, which is a very short drive from my apartment. Indeed, I chose this place for this very purpose. I can wonder through the garden like Adam, and find a contemplative place to rest—and sweat—when I am weary of walking.
Being one quarter Cherokee, I cannot help but remember the Sweat Lodge:
The Sweat Lodge is a place of spiritual refuge and mental and physical healing
Day Three
I am feeling considerably better this morning, even better than if I had not been fasting for two days. I’m not sure if I have been paying for the fasting or the binge immediately preceding it. Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life: Unleash the Healing Power of Fresh Juices and Cleansing Diets makes the point that one should ease into a fast, particularly not to eat and drink merrily and mightily the days leading up to a fast.
The book also instructs on the use of herbal teas, so I picked some up at the grocery store yesterday evening and am now enjoying a cup of peppermint tea. I must confess, I am pleasantly surprised. Perhaps teas are much more enjoyable when the palate is clear of oils, fats, salt and everything else that is included in the modern diet.
Maybe I could find a tea to help me sleep. Insomnia seems to be the worst of it right now. And, of course, I’m lying in bed hungry.
Speaking of hungry, just had my first pangs of the morning. I must admit, it is somewhat agreeable not to have to rush down the stairs to get something to eat before I can even function. But since I am now hungry, think I will juice.
I just timed the process: six minutes, including cleanup. How is that for fast food? It must be taken into consideration that I washed the vegetables yesterday, though.
Speaking of yesterday, my evening juice was a disaster. Since there was no kale at the grocery store, I substituted mustard greens. Suffice it to say mustard greens should be used in moderation.
The morning after the first day
Well, I survived the first day. I really struggled last night, when I had trouble falling asleep. I had planned to go to bed early and get a long night’s sleep. It is like the devil knows what you are up to.
I find it somewhat astonishing how difficult it is to fast for just one day.
This morning I feel a little better.
Detox
The whole purpose of these kinds of fasts is to detoxify the body.
My Juicer Has Arrived
I have been using a borrowed juicer which I quickly ascertained would be inadequate for what I am doing. After some research, I decided on a Breville Juice Fountain, and sprung for the Elite model. Since it claims to produce 30% more juice, I figured ultimately it would repay the investment.
My first impression is the machine is well designed for its purpose. It just feels solid. The model I purchased is stainless steel, which might explain why it is twice as expensive as the regular model. But I like the feel of stainless steel kitchenware, and as much as I plan on using this thing, feel is important.
I wasn’t disappointed with the wide mouth. I was able to drop in whole cucumbers, even whole tomatoes (albeit small ones). With the borrowed juicer, I was having to halve or quarter cucumbers lengthwise. Even large carrots were problematic. Cutting up the vegetables was a time consuming process.
This thing is a beast! It is extremely powerful. So powerful, in fact, it leads to my only complaint: I haven’t figured out exactly how to keep food from spewing from the mouth. I suspect this is a matter of technique: I was using the high setting for foods, like tomatoes, that the instruction manual recommends using the low setting for.
Cleanup is a snap. The parts disassemble quickly, and there is only one little recessed area which traps pulp, compared to the borrowed juicer which trapped pulp everywhere.
Dawn of the Dead
It’s 10:30 AM, and I’m starting to experience my first real hunger pains. It was tough getting out of bed without the lure of breakfast. I wanted to weigh my self to get a good metric, but realized that my scales were at my son’s house. So after preparing my first juice of the fast, I headed over there and picked up my scales—and a few other things. More activity than I wanted to do on this first day, which is supposed to be a day of rest, having just swam three consecutive days.
The official metrics:
- Weight: 420 lbs
- Glucose: 423
My blood glucose is so high I have considered using some insulin, but I want to monitor it for a little while and get some sort of baseline. It should drop significantly on this vegetable juice fast. Besides, that number is probably a little deceptive. I ate a huge bowl of pasta with parmesan for my “last meal”. In fact, I ate pretty good yesterday—or pretty bad, from my new perspective.
I passed by a Burger King on the way back from my son’s house and felt nothing. Wasn’t tempted at all. That will change, I’m sure. Indeed I am considering confronting the whole eating out experience. Go in and order a water, I dunno. I’ve got some time to figure that out.
Instead of a fast food breakfast, I stopped by a farmer’s market. All I found suitable for juicing (at this time) was cucumbers. They were considerably cheaper than the supermarket: 2 for 89 cents, as compared to 99 cents each.
Even though I’ve been trying to eat down my hoard, yesterday ended up throwing out a whole bunch of food, just so it wouldn’t be a temptation. I also began throwing out some kitchenware, like the coffee pot. I’m not going to use stimulants during the fast. In fact, since losing my job I don’t think I’ve had a cup of coffee.
I’m also going to chunk this wok. It’s a cheap one, and the food sticks, so even if I do find a use for a wok on the other side, I want to replace it. Lightening up on kitchenware will also make moving easier, if it comes to that, so I really don’t mind.
TMinusOne
This is the last day before I intend on beginning my juice fast.
Reasons
Spiritual
Make no mistake, my primary motivation is spiritual. People complain–and I suppose I will in the next few days—that a fast messes with their heads. It is supposed to mess with your head. That is why religions have since time immemorial used the technique to refocus the mind.
Mental functioning
One of the great shockers of late has been that my career is starting to suffer because of a deterioration of my mental functioning. Some of this is age, of course, but that I’m curious how much is simply a bad lifestyle. In a strange paradox, the thing that caused my physical deterioration is now suffering from it.
Detox
Weight Loss
Obviously I need to lose weight. A lot of weight. A doctor once threatened to put me on an 800 calorie diet.
Well, here you go.
Energy
I’ve already noticed that digestion is sucking up energy. The philosophy behind fasting is that the body becomes more involved with other processes as it becomes less focused on digestion.
