Day One of Fifty

For those of you who have never tried this, the first few days of a juice fast you just spend every minute of the day reminding yourself not to eat anything. You see just how much you put in your mouth without even thinking about it. You witness what has become a habit that you may have never realized. (And those are the good moments -- the rest resembles Lindsay Lohan in rehab.)

During this blog I will discuss many things -- some you may want to skip over -- not everyone wants to know if I'm regular. But I will try to plug in the statistics at the bottom of the page.

This is not my first time around the juice bar. I've done 30 and 40 day juice fasts in the last 2 years, and have always felt much better for them. During that time, I was introduced to an article on Joe Cross in the NYT by my boyfriend who thought I would be interested in someone as crazy as myself. Joe had cameras follow him on his juice fast, and the resulting documentary is called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Joe did an amazing 60 days. This is my third year, and I'm only doing 50. But the question is, "Can 50 days reverse 315 days of bad behavior?"

Last year, when I finished the fast, I found even vegan treats could be heavy. Heavy is not where it stopped. As I prepared for a trip to Italy, I started to incorporate dairy back into my diet. I put on 10 lbs before the trip. While in Italy, we ate and drank like kings, and I didn't put on a single pound. Then I returned, and thought I could still eat that way. And now, today I find myself a total 30 lbs heavier.

Beyond the feeling of self-loathing that comes with truly letting yourself go, certain foods just don't make me feel well. Don't get me wrong, I do not regret for one second the chocolate made with potato chips or the gelato I had late last night. Or the Dark & Stormy. But I do regret that my allergies have returned; that I don't sleep as well because with my allergies came my snoring and restlessness; that my clothes feel like sausage casings; and I do regret that my overall body image still has a bigger impact on my emotions and self-worth than I know it should. I was a fat kid, so regardless of whether or not I'll ever be that, proportionately, heavy again, I feel like that fat kid that no one picked for sides at recess. (A few years ago, at a reunion, a guy I once asked to a social hit on me. When he questioned why I wouldn't go for a drink with him, like his George Hamilton tan wasn't enough, I answered, "Because you were mean to me." Like the elephants we were called, we have long memories.)

So, this year, unlike last year, I will be going cold turkey on the following items:

Coffee / Tea  (I will allow myself herbal tea from time to time)
Dairy            (Alex, if you're reading this, I bequeath you my brie.)
Sugar
Processed foods
Alcohol
Oh, and yes, for the next 50 days, Any Type of Solid Food

At the end of this, I know I will incorporate some items back into my diet, but I am aiming to remain vegan. I have been a vegetarian for 25 years, and of that was successfully 100% vegan for about 18 months. Vegan is not easy outside the home. Taking your boyfriend to a raw food restaurant can be downright tragic. And having to hold a food inquisition becomes tiresome. But I cannot argue that I feel better as a vegan, that my skin is clearer, and my hair thicker. My next physical is scheduled for less than a week after I finish this fast, so I'll be able to update you on my overall health from a doctor's perspective.

I will be writing every day. I will have all of this extra time on my hands, so I'd better put it to good use. There will be a little venting, for sure, but I hope to keep this journal entertaining and informative. I will not be preaching on vegetarianism -- it was a choice I made many years ago, and am very passionate about it, but I am also a butcher's grand-daughter who grew up working in kitchens. I'm not meat-phobic. I don't want to eat it, but I won't stop you from eating it. (Though I will push the locally sourced, small farm variety.)

Here are a few statistics so that we're all starting on the same page:

Weight: 83.68 kilograms  (I chose kg since I don't have an emotional attachment to that system of measure)
Height: 5'7"
Age: 40
Hair: Brown (yes, it's still growing that way which is the only reason I mention it.)

In 50 days, I'm guessing only one of these statistics will change, but we shall see . . .