Here I am on the eve of what I consider to be the greatest challenge I have ever faced in my life. I am pretty certain that I have a food addiction and I was raised in an environment that supported large portions and unhealthy diets. Starting tomorrow I will consume only raw juices for the entire month of February and I am ready as I will ever be. I am happy to report that I am not having any second thoughts and I actually feel a little bit excited. I am going to head out to the market this evening to get my first days worth of produce and tomorrow my box arrives from Door-To-Door Organics so I should be covered until the weekend.
I visited my doctor today to gain his approval and ask him to monitor my fast. He has agreed to monitor it but he wasn't crazy about me not taking protein. He also said that in his professional opinion I need to see a dietician before beginning. He made this suggestion knowing full well that I was going to ignore it and start my fast tomorrow regardless. He did say that I need to research to find which combinations of fruits and veggies will give me complete proteins to avoid catabolism. He also said that I will be getting weekly blood panels done to check my progress and he would fax me a cheat sheet with the results for my blog. I agreed that if I was experiencing a severe protein deficiency after one week then I would incorporate a vegan protein powder into one juice per day but I want the opportunity to try it the natural way for at least a week.I also gave him the web address to this blog which he folded up and placed in his wallet. Prior to this he was having trouble reading his own writing on my medical records so hopefully he finds it before day 29. I told him to leave some comments to raise the level of legitimacy of my blog and attract new readers. I can't help it. Once a business man, always a business man. [YOUR AD HERE - CONTACT ME TODAY]
They got my weight, blood pressure, and blood today. I also took some pictures of my psoriasis this morning but I am going to wait until I have all of the information and make a blog post about it. Just know that when those stats come up, they are a snapshot of my current health before any juicing at all. I will post a weekly progress blog by Thursday of every week for those of you who just want the results and not my fantastic insights and anecdotes.
I have had a week to accept and prepare for this juice fast. I am a strong person and I am fully prepared to accept my struggles for the sake of healing myself. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life and (insert other generic cliche about new beginnings here). I got my list of busy work, my doctor on board, acupuncture appointments, my new church, my juicer is ready to go and the weather is BEAUTIFUL in Detroit. Thanks for reading along, if this blog manages to inspire or entertain you, please let me know in the comments.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Top Selling Doctor and My Countdown to Starvation
Tomorrow is my last day to eat food. I don't plan to do anything out of the ordinary but I am making a badass lunch when I get home from the doctors tomorrow that will consist of all my favorite korean foods. I actually have to fast from 10pm today until I go see the doc tomorrow morning because he is doing fasting blood work. I haven't technically asked his permission to go on a juice fast but as I mentioned in earlier posts, he is big on natural healing and he will probably just tell me to go for it. If I am wrong, and he doesn't, well, I am a free thinking adult and I am paying for the blood work...no turning back now!
Speaking of paying for medical services...
The whole family went to the Urologist this morning to talk to the doctor about my youngest son, Sam. He is being seen for a condition he was born with called a hydrocele. It's basically fluid that makes it's way from his abdominal cavity and into his scrotum. Because it was so large when he was a newborn, it caused problems in his testicle descending. The urologist originally wanted to do surgery but we made a decision to hold off. Now, there are a LOT of mixed opinions on how long to wait to fix these things and when it is okay to put a child under anesthesia. We have talked to medical professionals and used the internet to research. We don't know what to do so today, we packed everyone in the car and went to discuss with his Urologist and ask questions.
Now, if you haven't figured it out yet, I have a low opinion of MDs. Let's face it, they are running a business so they streamline the way they see patients in order to run a more profitable operation. The Urology office that Sam has been going to is one of those places where they have a billion urology specialists under one roof, 5 receptionists and a huge building that calls itself an "institute". My wife went to a similar place as her OB/GYN during pregnancy and I recently saw an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist at this kind of office so we have personally witnessed the horror of having to work with one of these "Institutes"
Sam's doctor is once again calling for surgery. 2 of them at one time. 1 to fix each problem. This doctor of his is kind of a jerk. First he told us that our son is a bit of a "faker" when his exam of squeezing his testicles caused him to cry. Uhhh...no dude, he isn't faking. A stranger is squeezing his balls while another stranger restrains him, we taught him well. He probably also has picked up on the fact that his parents think you are a DICK. After his exam he went on to sell us on why he still thinks Sam needs surgery. Instead of discussing other options with us he was prepared with a sales rebuttle for every question I had for him. Those damn commercials tell you to "talk to your doctor" and "ask your doctor"....who writes those shitty commercials? Seriously, most doctors don't have time to talk and they HATE when you take up their precious time to ask questions.
Most doctors these days (and I say most because I trust my D.O. who I am going to see about my juice fast tomorrow) are sales people. Much like an appliance salesman, they put you in a chair in a setting that is unfamiliar to you but oh-so familiar to them. Then, they have a discussion with you that you have never had before and answer all of your questions with precisely the right answer to convince you that you need what they are selling. I have been selling things my entire adult life and I am a solid salesman, we can smell our own. The only difference between the appliance salesman and the doctor is that the appliance guy can tell you a price up front and guarantee their product....funny how a $100,000 education makes you exempt from these standard business practices.
So, as an adult, I can choose alternative forms of medicine to correct my health and the world praises me for it but as a parent, I have to do what the doctor tells me otherwise I am a bad parent...and this poor kid has no say in the matter. less than 48 hours till my juice fast begins. I am confident that I will gain enough clarity to make a decision about this whole mess.
Speaking of paying for medical services...
The whole family went to the Urologist this morning to talk to the doctor about my youngest son, Sam. He is being seen for a condition he was born with called a hydrocele. It's basically fluid that makes it's way from his abdominal cavity and into his scrotum. Because it was so large when he was a newborn, it caused problems in his testicle descending. The urologist originally wanted to do surgery but we made a decision to hold off. Now, there are a LOT of mixed opinions on how long to wait to fix these things and when it is okay to put a child under anesthesia. We have talked to medical professionals and used the internet to research. We don't know what to do so today, we packed everyone in the car and went to discuss with his Urologist and ask questions.
Now, if you haven't figured it out yet, I have a low opinion of MDs. Let's face it, they are running a business so they streamline the way they see patients in order to run a more profitable operation. The Urology office that Sam has been going to is one of those places where they have a billion urology specialists under one roof, 5 receptionists and a huge building that calls itself an "institute". My wife went to a similar place as her OB/GYN during pregnancy and I recently saw an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist at this kind of office so we have personally witnessed the horror of having to work with one of these "Institutes"
Sam's doctor is once again calling for surgery. 2 of them at one time. 1 to fix each problem. This doctor of his is kind of a jerk. First he told us that our son is a bit of a "faker" when his exam of squeezing his testicles caused him to cry. Uhhh...no dude, he isn't faking. A stranger is squeezing his balls while another stranger restrains him, we taught him well. He probably also has picked up on the fact that his parents think you are a DICK. After his exam he went on to sell us on why he still thinks Sam needs surgery. Instead of discussing other options with us he was prepared with a sales rebuttle for every question I had for him. Those damn commercials tell you to "talk to your doctor" and "ask your doctor"....who writes those shitty commercials? Seriously, most doctors don't have time to talk and they HATE when you take up their precious time to ask questions.
Most doctors these days (and I say most because I trust my D.O. who I am going to see about my juice fast tomorrow) are sales people. Much like an appliance salesman, they put you in a chair in a setting that is unfamiliar to you but oh-so familiar to them. Then, they have a discussion with you that you have never had before and answer all of your questions with precisely the right answer to convince you that you need what they are selling. I have been selling things my entire adult life and I am a solid salesman, we can smell our own. The only difference between the appliance salesman and the doctor is that the appliance guy can tell you a price up front and guarantee their product....funny how a $100,000 education makes you exempt from these standard business practices.
So, as an adult, I can choose alternative forms of medicine to correct my health and the world praises me for it but as a parent, I have to do what the doctor tells me otherwise I am a bad parent...and this poor kid has no say in the matter. less than 48 hours till my juice fast begins. I am confident that I will gain enough clarity to make a decision about this whole mess.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Less Than 72 Hours to Go...
Busy day today. Also really tired. I plan to minimize my food intake from here on out. I have an appointment with my doctor this week where he will be doing a full blood panel and I will post the results to my blog. I will also get some snap shots of my psoriasis and do a formal weigh in and post that info. I will be seeing my doctor regularly for the duration of my juice fast so these key result indicators will be updated weekly.
I have been offered acupuncture support from Monica at Acupuncture Healthcare Associates of Michigan. I have accepted. We are doing weekly sessions so I will be sure to report on those visits as well. Thanks again Monica!
Went to church today. Some of my religious friends have told me they will pray for my strength during this fast. It's actually really comforting the amount of support I have been getting from friends. They all seem to be confident in me and excited to see the results. Anyhow, I decided that I should do some praying as well. This was my first visit to a church in many years so it will take some adjusting. The interesting part was that the reverend who was leading the mass talked about Yin and Yang. He compared it to the ups and downs of life and how the winter months can get us down but to give thanks even for the darkness in life because it makes the brightness shine that much brighter. The concept itself is rather elementary and it has been used as an example countless times. As I said earlier I am pretty tired today so I found myself staring at the image of a Yin Yang that he propped up for us to see and zoned out while focusing on his eloquent wording. He also mentioned that winter can be used as a time of rest or repair. To cleanse ourselves for the busy seasons to come. Far out man!
Doesn't it seem like whenever you go on an introspective journey that the world around you supports you. It's like realizing something really important and then immediately realizing you were the last to figure it out. I have been having a lot of Aha! moments. They are reassuring. Each one brings me closer to serenity and helps me realize that February will be full of Yin and Yang but no matter what I will be experiencing a new side of life and for that, I am thankful.
I have been offered acupuncture support from Monica at Acupuncture Healthcare Associates of Michigan. I have accepted. We are doing weekly sessions so I will be sure to report on those visits as well. Thanks again Monica!
Went to church today. Some of my religious friends have told me they will pray for my strength during this fast. It's actually really comforting the amount of support I have been getting from friends. They all seem to be confident in me and excited to see the results. Anyhow, I decided that I should do some praying as well. This was my first visit to a church in many years so it will take some adjusting. The interesting part was that the reverend who was leading the mass talked about Yin and Yang. He compared it to the ups and downs of life and how the winter months can get us down but to give thanks even for the darkness in life because it makes the brightness shine that much brighter. The concept itself is rather elementary and it has been used as an example countless times. As I said earlier I am pretty tired today so I found myself staring at the image of a Yin Yang that he propped up for us to see and zoned out while focusing on his eloquent wording. He also mentioned that winter can be used as a time of rest or repair. To cleanse ourselves for the busy seasons to come. Far out man!
Doesn't it seem like whenever you go on an introspective journey that the world around you supports you. It's like realizing something really important and then immediately realizing you were the last to figure it out. I have been having a lot of Aha! moments. They are reassuring. Each one brings me closer to serenity and helps me realize that February will be full of Yin and Yang but no matter what I will be experiencing a new side of life and for that, I am thankful.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
4 Days to Prepare for My Juice Diet
I went out and played poker with some friends last night and did some drinking. I know it's probably better to ease into this juice fast by watching my diet and taking it easy on my body but a farewell to alcohol and snack foods was in order. I regret it today because in my old age I get hungover from drinking just 3 beers. At any rate, I still have to prepare for February, my month of detox.
I am a smoker. Not a heavy smoker (2-3 cigarettes a day after the kids go to sleep) but I am definitely addicted to tobacco. I have smoked for over 15 years with a few breaks in between and some heavy spots where I was up over a pack a day. I have absolutely no excuse for continuing this habit. Between my glucose and liver problems and my inflammatory issues, I am already a heart attack waiting to happen. I dare say that if I simply quit the cigarettes i would probably see an improvement in my Psoriasis without even having to go on a juice fast. As a child, I was on an albuterol inhaler and a nebulizer because I had severe asthma and chronic bronchitis. Yet still, as a teen, I decided I wanted to be a smoker. It is almost ridiculous to watch me in the summer as I pull up on my bicycle from a 30 mile bike ride, take off my riding gear and light a cigarette.
So where am I going with this? I thought it would be worth mentioning that if I am going to truly DETOX for 29 days then I can't afford to make an exception for cigarettes. So, that's it. I am at the bottom end of what I am calling my last pack of cigarettes. I am not one of those people that is sentimental about their vices. I am not going to "miss" cigarettes anymore than I imagine a crack addict misses crack rocks after being sober for 5 years. I plan to remain off cigarettes permanently and I don't see any reason why this won't be the case. I quit while my wife was pregnant with our first son. It was a solid 4 months. I came back to it because I was bored, weak and didn't care about my health.No solid foods, no cigarettes, NO PROBLEM. Failure is not an option. As I mentioned before, I am compiling a mental list of things to keep me busy during my fast. Options OTHER than failure. Here are some examples.
- Write and Record a song on guitar and vocals
- Change the current direction of my business and increase sales and productivity
- Teach my kids new things and spend more one-on-one time with each of them
- Paint my house
- Volunteer
- Go to a museum or theatre
The list is much larger than this, but you get the idea. The busier I can keep myself for 29 days, the better off I will be. I will also be able to test and see if the detox is really helping me mentally focus based on how well these tasks get completed. So, February isn't just going to be a month where I stop eating crap. It's going to be a physical, mental and spiritual overhaul. I am actually looking forward to this. Bring it on February!
I am a smoker. Not a heavy smoker (2-3 cigarettes a day after the kids go to sleep) but I am definitely addicted to tobacco. I have smoked for over 15 years with a few breaks in between and some heavy spots where I was up over a pack a day. I have absolutely no excuse for continuing this habit. Between my glucose and liver problems and my inflammatory issues, I am already a heart attack waiting to happen. I dare say that if I simply quit the cigarettes i would probably see an improvement in my Psoriasis without even having to go on a juice fast. As a child, I was on an albuterol inhaler and a nebulizer because I had severe asthma and chronic bronchitis. Yet still, as a teen, I decided I wanted to be a smoker. It is almost ridiculous to watch me in the summer as I pull up on my bicycle from a 30 mile bike ride, take off my riding gear and light a cigarette.
So where am I going with this? I thought it would be worth mentioning that if I am going to truly DETOX for 29 days then I can't afford to make an exception for cigarettes. So, that's it. I am at the bottom end of what I am calling my last pack of cigarettes. I am not one of those people that is sentimental about their vices. I am not going to "miss" cigarettes anymore than I imagine a crack addict misses crack rocks after being sober for 5 years. I plan to remain off cigarettes permanently and I don't see any reason why this won't be the case. I quit while my wife was pregnant with our first son. It was a solid 4 months. I came back to it because I was bored, weak and didn't care about my health.No solid foods, no cigarettes, NO PROBLEM. Failure is not an option. As I mentioned before, I am compiling a mental list of things to keep me busy during my fast. Options OTHER than failure. Here are some examples.
- Write and Record a song on guitar and vocals
- Change the current direction of my business and increase sales and productivity
- Teach my kids new things and spend more one-on-one time with each of them
- Paint my house
- Volunteer
- Go to a museum or theatre
The list is much larger than this, but you get the idea. The busier I can keep myself for 29 days, the better off I will be. I will also be able to test and see if the detox is really helping me mentally focus based on how well these tasks get completed. So, February isn't just going to be a month where I stop eating crap. It's going to be a physical, mental and spiritual overhaul. I am actually looking forward to this. Bring it on February!
Friday, January 27, 2012
5 Days Until I Starve Myself to Life
As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of the reasons I have decided to fast for 30 days is a condition that I have called Psoriasis. It started when I was 23 years old as a small patch of dots on my left leg that quickly turned into a bunch of spots ALL OVER my body. The classification is Severe Guttate Psoriasis, though the patches on my legs and arms have been scratched over so many times it is now being called Severe Plaque Psoriasis. For those of you that have this annoying disease, I feel your pain. Since there is no cure, as a sufferer of this ailment you are given a few choices, all which are extremely inconvenient or risky.
1) Mild sufferers can go to a well equipped dermatologists office 1-3 times a week and sit inside of a box that throws ultraviolet rays at their skin for 30 minutes at a time. Again this is for mild sufferers AND it's only if your psoriasis decides to respond to light therapy. Psoriasis is a fickle bitch that has a mind of its own.
2) You can go to the same office 1-3 times a week and lay in a tar bath for 30-60 minutes at a time. It smells terrible but this seems to be more effective for ALL types of psoriasis and doesn't discriminate like the light treatment.
3) You can take topical creams and ointments like Dovonex, Clobetesol or Eucerin compounds that contain tar, steroids and other anti inflammatory meds. The problem is (and you can ask any psoriasis sufferer) these topicals work for MAYBE a month, if you are lucky, and then your condition becomes immune to them and it comes back worse.
4) Finally, you can take immune suppressing bio meds that stop your immune system from functioning properly. Since psoriasis is caused by a "glitch" in your immune system, researchers have found a way to block these bad signals with the help of frog DNA. The problem is, it also blocks the same receptors that fight off serious diseases like Tuberculosis. People have DIED because of these meds and some experts believe they cause cancer.
Regardless of the form of treatment, there is NO CURE for psoriasis. I never really cared and since I am married and I am not a self conscious teenager anymore, I came to terms with it years ago that I would have spots all over my body for the rest of my life. Then, last summer I woke up and had a terrible pain in my left knee. A few days later it was in my right knee, then my hips, then my elbows. I went to the doctor and he told me I had Psoriatic Arthritis. SHIT! Apparently, the inflammation can make its way down into your joints over time. My mom has this condition so I knew how painful and life changing it can be. I immediately went to my dermatologist and he told me about Humira (one of the above mentioned bio meds). I figured it was worth the risk now because I have 2 small boys and I don't want to have them running circles around me by the time they are adolescents. I want to toss the football around and ride bikes with them. They ran some tests and told me that my liver enzymes were high and I had to see my primary doctor and have him sign off and tell them it's okay to treat me. DOUBLE SHIT!
My doctor is a D.O. He is not the kind of guy that writes prescriptions and treats symptoms. The work they do in this office is almost holistic. To give you an example of the attitude at this office, my original doctor had a baby and decided to give up her doctoring career to be a Yoga instructor. So, needless to say, he was not crazy about me taking bio meds. He and I talked about risks and he said, "I am not going to sign off on this until we fix your liver issue" and that was it. He told me to eat right and exercise. So I started riding my bike and eating right. Since that day I have lost about 40 lbs and my liver enzymes, blood sugar and cholesterol is lower than it has been in a decade. Oh, and the arthritis....GONE!
So this fast comes at a time in my life where I am starting to truly believe in the natural functions of my body. I am not such a believer in what they do in the doctors office these days (and who is?) and, as I have said before, most conditions like Psoriasis, can be attributed almost entirely to lifestyle choices. So, for 29 days I will CHOOSE to eat nothing but nutrient rich raw juices. After that, I will CHOOSE to reintroduce only healthy, beneficial foods into my diet and hopefully, I can CHOOSE to not have psoriasis anymore. Again, to my fellow Psoriasis sufferers, I feel your pain and let us not forget the one positive side to having this disease is the strong bond that we feel towards each other, knowing we have the same daily struggles.
1) Mild sufferers can go to a well equipped dermatologists office 1-3 times a week and sit inside of a box that throws ultraviolet rays at their skin for 30 minutes at a time. Again this is for mild sufferers AND it's only if your psoriasis decides to respond to light therapy. Psoriasis is a fickle bitch that has a mind of its own.
2) You can go to the same office 1-3 times a week and lay in a tar bath for 30-60 minutes at a time. It smells terrible but this seems to be more effective for ALL types of psoriasis and doesn't discriminate like the light treatment.
3) You can take topical creams and ointments like Dovonex, Clobetesol or Eucerin compounds that contain tar, steroids and other anti inflammatory meds. The problem is (and you can ask any psoriasis sufferer) these topicals work for MAYBE a month, if you are lucky, and then your condition becomes immune to them and it comes back worse.
4) Finally, you can take immune suppressing bio meds that stop your immune system from functioning properly. Since psoriasis is caused by a "glitch" in your immune system, researchers have found a way to block these bad signals with the help of frog DNA. The problem is, it also blocks the same receptors that fight off serious diseases like Tuberculosis. People have DIED because of these meds and some experts believe they cause cancer.
Regardless of the form of treatment, there is NO CURE for psoriasis. I never really cared and since I am married and I am not a self conscious teenager anymore, I came to terms with it years ago that I would have spots all over my body for the rest of my life. Then, last summer I woke up and had a terrible pain in my left knee. A few days later it was in my right knee, then my hips, then my elbows. I went to the doctor and he told me I had Psoriatic Arthritis. SHIT! Apparently, the inflammation can make its way down into your joints over time. My mom has this condition so I knew how painful and life changing it can be. I immediately went to my dermatologist and he told me about Humira (one of the above mentioned bio meds). I figured it was worth the risk now because I have 2 small boys and I don't want to have them running circles around me by the time they are adolescents. I want to toss the football around and ride bikes with them. They ran some tests and told me that my liver enzymes were high and I had to see my primary doctor and have him sign off and tell them it's okay to treat me. DOUBLE SHIT!
My doctor is a D.O. He is not the kind of guy that writes prescriptions and treats symptoms. The work they do in this office is almost holistic. To give you an example of the attitude at this office, my original doctor had a baby and decided to give up her doctoring career to be a Yoga instructor. So, needless to say, he was not crazy about me taking bio meds. He and I talked about risks and he said, "I am not going to sign off on this until we fix your liver issue" and that was it. He told me to eat right and exercise. So I started riding my bike and eating right. Since that day I have lost about 40 lbs and my liver enzymes, blood sugar and cholesterol is lower than it has been in a decade. Oh, and the arthritis....GONE!
So this fast comes at a time in my life where I am starting to truly believe in the natural functions of my body. I am not such a believer in what they do in the doctors office these days (and who is?) and, as I have said before, most conditions like Psoriasis, can be attributed almost entirely to lifestyle choices. So, for 29 days I will CHOOSE to eat nothing but nutrient rich raw juices. After that, I will CHOOSE to reintroduce only healthy, beneficial foods into my diet and hopefully, I can CHOOSE to not have psoriasis anymore. Again, to my fellow Psoriasis sufferers, I feel your pain and let us not forget the one positive side to having this disease is the strong bond that we feel towards each other, knowing we have the same daily struggles.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
6 Days Until I Quit Eating Food
Since I let all of my social network friends know about my plans to fast for a month, I have gotten a lot of feedback. Some have done 2-5 day fasts before. Some regret not going longer and others said they were surprised they made it. It gave me anxiety to think about this last night. Why would some people wish they had gone further while others barely held on? Which person was I?
Well, I am typically a lazy procrastinator. I think I like to keep peoples expectations low so that I can either choose to be lazy OR exceed their expectations with flying colors with only the mildest amount of motivation. I am the underachiever. The guy who, in high school, was told by all of his teachers, "If you just applied yourself..." When I turned 27 I married a teacher. She is the most amazing teacher I have ever met and I am convinced if she was around to play a part in my education, things would have been a lot more positive, but perhaps fate has made her my wife so I can learn to be a better adult and father to my children. So, in the case of fasting, am I the lazy procrastinator who finds an excuse to bail on the juicing? Or do I put in a little bit of effort and exceed everyones expectations?
I am preparing to be the latter. I am making a mental list of things that I can refer to when times get tough so that I can be positive and try to enjoy this. Aside from the blog I am going to try to avoid making a big deal about this. I will remain as humble as possible and focus my mind on tasks OTHER than fasting. I think about the two types of juice fasters out there and this example comes to mind:
It's the 9th inning in the big game. Juicer A bangs up his knee when diving for a ground ball at short. He lays there, wincing in pain, and eventually leaves the game. His team loses and he talks about how much his knee hurts afterwards and maybe cries a little. In the same game, Juicer B takes a fastball off the ribs while batting. The trainers come out of the dugout to check on him and he sends them back. He walks it off and hits the game winning home run. An xray later shows he has 2 broken ribs.
The point is, if you focus on what needs to be done, there are no physical limitations that can stop you from achieving your goal. This example is completely fictional and hypothetical BUT I am sure it brings to mind a lot of real-life situations that you have seen or experienced (ask Kirk Gibson about his 1988 Home Run). I think my mind is headed in the right direction and I am confident I will find that comfortable place that allows me the strength to go 29 days without food.
Well, I am typically a lazy procrastinator. I think I like to keep peoples expectations low so that I can either choose to be lazy OR exceed their expectations with flying colors with only the mildest amount of motivation. I am the underachiever. The guy who, in high school, was told by all of his teachers, "If you just applied yourself..." When I turned 27 I married a teacher. She is the most amazing teacher I have ever met and I am convinced if she was around to play a part in my education, things would have been a lot more positive, but perhaps fate has made her my wife so I can learn to be a better adult and father to my children. So, in the case of fasting, am I the lazy procrastinator who finds an excuse to bail on the juicing? Or do I put in a little bit of effort and exceed everyones expectations?
I am preparing to be the latter. I am making a mental list of things that I can refer to when times get tough so that I can be positive and try to enjoy this. Aside from the blog I am going to try to avoid making a big deal about this. I will remain as humble as possible and focus my mind on tasks OTHER than fasting. I think about the two types of juice fasters out there and this example comes to mind:
It's the 9th inning in the big game. Juicer A bangs up his knee when diving for a ground ball at short. He lays there, wincing in pain, and eventually leaves the game. His team loses and he talks about how much his knee hurts afterwards and maybe cries a little. In the same game, Juicer B takes a fastball off the ribs while batting. The trainers come out of the dugout to check on him and he sends them back. He walks it off and hits the game winning home run. An xray later shows he has 2 broken ribs.
The point is, if you focus on what needs to be done, there are no physical limitations that can stop you from achieving your goal. This example is completely fictional and hypothetical BUT I am sure it brings to mind a lot of real-life situations that you have seen or experienced (ask Kirk Gibson about his 1988 Home Run). I think my mind is headed in the right direction and I am confident I will find that comfortable place that allows me the strength to go 29 days without food.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
T Minus 7 Days Until Detox
Gerson, Fasting, Juicing, Cleansing, Detox...call it what you want...I am in!
In exactly 7 days I will embark on a 29 day journey to improve my overall health. Lucky for you, you can sit and eat solid food and read my blog daily for your own entertainment. I, on the other hand, will be consuming nothing but raw fruit and vegetable juices the entire time. I am doing this for a combination of reasons but mostly because I have chronic health issues (liver disease, diabetes and psoriasis) that I can attribute almost completely to the series of poor lifestyle choices that I commonly call my 20's. I am starting the blog now because with any worthwhile, life changing event, there is a great deal of preparation involved.
I need to stock up on veggies and make sure my juicer is working. Speaking of which, I have a $99 juicer that will get the job done but I am considering replacing it if I decide to juice regularly. I have a subscription to Door To Door Organics (www.doortodoororganics.com) and they deliver me all the organic produce I need every week. I recommend them. Their food is top notch and if you email them with concerns, they get back to you within hours and are SUPER cool about taking care of their customers.
I also need to prepare physically. I have been on a consistent workout routine since the middle of last summer which included mostly cardio in the form of cycling until the winter months, where I hit the gym and have been doing weight training combined with running and racquetball for the last 3 months. I have built a good amount of muscle mass in this time and, unfortunately, one of the side effects of juicing is catabolism. Catabolism is the break down of muscle into amino acids and simple proteins. Since I will have a severe protein deficiency, my body will break down what I have stored in muscles and use that. It sounds brutal but it is part of the cleansing process. For this reason, I plan to drink 80 grams of protein shakes every day, until I start my fast, to ensure I go into this with a positive protein balance.
The last part of the preparation is mental. This is HUGE. One of the major benefits of a juice fast is mental strengthening however, from what I have read, the first few days are a big struggle. So how do I prepare mentally? That's a good question. First of all I am sending this blog out for the world to see. I am making it real and creating an outlet that will hold me accountable. Secondly I am limiting the amount of TV that I watch and cutting down on exposure to computer screens and my iPhone. I have replaced these mind rotting devices with an epic novel by Haruki Murakami. It's a 1,000 page stack of literary awesomeness called 1Q84. If you want something a little shorter that will absolutely blow your mind, I recommend "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle". Outside of these changes to help me mentally prepare, I am going to take it easy. Do things I enjoy and try to coach myself out of stressful situations. Hopefully, this will give me the extra strength I need to make it through any breakdowns I may encounter due to hunger pangs and shock.
Now where did I put that McDonalds cheeseburger...?
In exactly 7 days I will embark on a 29 day journey to improve my overall health. Lucky for you, you can sit and eat solid food and read my blog daily for your own entertainment. I, on the other hand, will be consuming nothing but raw fruit and vegetable juices the entire time. I am doing this for a combination of reasons but mostly because I have chronic health issues (liver disease, diabetes and psoriasis) that I can attribute almost completely to the series of poor lifestyle choices that I commonly call my 20's. I am starting the blog now because with any worthwhile, life changing event, there is a great deal of preparation involved.
I need to stock up on veggies and make sure my juicer is working. Speaking of which, I have a $99 juicer that will get the job done but I am considering replacing it if I decide to juice regularly. I have a subscription to Door To Door Organics (www.doortodoororganics.com) and they deliver me all the organic produce I need every week. I recommend them. Their food is top notch and if you email them with concerns, they get back to you within hours and are SUPER cool about taking care of their customers.
I also need to prepare physically. I have been on a consistent workout routine since the middle of last summer which included mostly cardio in the form of cycling until the winter months, where I hit the gym and have been doing weight training combined with running and racquetball for the last 3 months. I have built a good amount of muscle mass in this time and, unfortunately, one of the side effects of juicing is catabolism. Catabolism is the break down of muscle into amino acids and simple proteins. Since I will have a severe protein deficiency, my body will break down what I have stored in muscles and use that. It sounds brutal but it is part of the cleansing process. For this reason, I plan to drink 80 grams of protein shakes every day, until I start my fast, to ensure I go into this with a positive protein balance.
The last part of the preparation is mental. This is HUGE. One of the major benefits of a juice fast is mental strengthening however, from what I have read, the first few days are a big struggle. So how do I prepare mentally? That's a good question. First of all I am sending this blog out for the world to see. I am making it real and creating an outlet that will hold me accountable. Secondly I am limiting the amount of TV that I watch and cutting down on exposure to computer screens and my iPhone. I have replaced these mind rotting devices with an epic novel by Haruki Murakami. It's a 1,000 page stack of literary awesomeness called 1Q84. If you want something a little shorter that will absolutely blow your mind, I recommend "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle". Outside of these changes to help me mentally prepare, I am going to take it easy. Do things I enjoy and try to coach myself out of stressful situations. Hopefully, this will give me the extra strength I need to make it through any breakdowns I may encounter due to hunger pangs and shock.
Now where did I put that McDonalds cheeseburger...?
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