Breaking the Fast

I know it's only been one week, but my detox program is through. I fasted for a little over half the time I meant to do so, and I started eating cheese again on Saturday, but I think, all things considered, that I did something I had never done before for an admirable length of time, so even though I only reached the halfway mark, I still feel good about myself for doing that much.

You wanna know the thing that broke me? Stromboli. I borrowed this crazy awesome bread book from a friend of mine, and then had to scramble to copy down all the recipes I wanted when she asked for it back--I was trying to avoid looking at it during my experiment, because I know how easily bread can break me! But this book plus Jon's encouragement finally led to the production of this scrumptious bread-- a rolled focaccia dough, swirled with oozing cheese and herbs, with a crispy olive oil and salt crust.....I'll do a full post on this stunning Italian bread a little later, but for now trust me (and this photo) that it was my undoing, and that it would have been yours, too.





But aside from the breaking of my fast, I would say the best thing about doing it was all the fruit. I bought so much fruit for juicing and munching that I had to find a second fruit bowl!








All that's left of that juicy arrangement now is a bowl full of oranges, topped with a random lemon and brown banana. I meant to juice more, but I didn't mean to do the dishes and dig out the pieces, so it didn't happen as much as I had hoped. But I got a chunk of ginger yesterday, which I forgot while at HEB, and did all the dishes, so now it's on for some orange carrot ginger juice!

And in non-food news, remember how a while back I said I would post a picture of my green-friendly recycled curtains? Well I finally got them up a little while ago, and here is a picture of my lovely (I think so, anyway) thrifty curtains. Much much better than $10 a panel, and more funky, too!

Ok, so I caved.....

Today is the second day of my fast--I could hardly believe I made it all the way through yesterday without having a bite! I cheated a little bit today by sleeping late (I figure the fewer waking hours I have to endure, the easier it will be for me not to eat!)

Yesterday I felt mostly normal, and the hunger pangs I did experience were easily drowned out with water and reading (The Gunslinger series by Stephen King; its an amazing story that thankfully has nothing to do with food!) Today though, I seem to be a little bit light-headed, and the hunger is a little stronger. Which is not bad if I plan on hanging around the house again, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards for today.

So to energize myself just a little without breaking my fast, I decided to blend up a nice refreshing fruit & veggie juice. I knew I bought that juicer for something...

Orange and Veggie Juice
makes about 2 cups of juice

4 oranges
3 stalks of celery
1 carrot
1 apple
1/2-inch piece of ginger

Peel the oranges, and chop everything into chunks that will fit into the juicer. I discarded the apple seeds, because they are mildly toxic (cyanide, yikes!), but I'm not sure if it does anything in such a small quantity. Stick it all in the juicer and enjoy (and make sure to drink the froth on top, it's the very best part!)

Fasting

Sorry for my delinquency in posting, things have been a little nuts around here for the past week! Between cleaning out my mom's cluttered, chew-toy littered house to make it presentable for visiting family, and traveling to the border for an old-fashioned Mexican wedding, I simply haven't had the brains nor breath to sit down and give y'all a new recipe. The recipes and pictures exist, for certain--I haven't stopped running, but I haven't stopped eating either! So don't worry, I won't forget to catch you up on all the delicacies I may have missed telling you about.

In the mean time, though, I'm starting a 2-week detoxification diet, and I'm kicking it off with a 48-hour fast. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I haven't eaten a single thing all day today. It's insane, I know! Now all I have to do is stay preoccupied with non-food activities tomorrow, and I'll be gold.

There are a lot of reasons why someone would go on a fast, but today I've been finding it sort of difficult to concisely explain to people just why I'm fasting and detoxing. So I'm going to make a list here to sort of organize my thoughts on why I've decided to do it.






1. To conquer addictions and prove to myself that I can be more disciplined that I usually am.
In oder to allow my body to purge some of it's funky buildup, I'm going to need to stay away from certain types of food (some of them that I really really like!) for a while, and I'm also going to have to abstain from smoking, drinking, or having caffeine. I don't really know if anyone has seen me lately without a cupcake in my hand, and right now I really need to prove to myself that it is possible for me to practice self-discipline. I often feel like laziness or a lack of motivation preclude my success whenever I try to establish new habits. Writing or yoga, for example--I really want to do these things, but when I think about what I'm going to do today, they always get pushed aside. I think I need structure in order to accomplish anything, but I'm very bad at creating and following that structure for myself. Fasting and following a restricted detox diet for just an easy-peasy 2-weeks will hopefully help me to better control my habits and appetites.

2. To discover any hidden food allergies.
I've read that it's possible for you to have reactions or allergies to foods without even realizing it. Certain foods that you may eat everyday may have such a subtle reaction (heartburn, constipation, itchiness, cloudy head, sluggishness, etc.) and may always be eaten with so many other foods that you never know what the culprit is. Even eating too many vegetables from the nightshade family (eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers) can cause reactions. Or if you eat something everyday, it can build up in your system over time and give you problems. So, as part of my experiment, I'm cutting out foods that often cause allergic reactions, such as wheat, corn, cow's milk, soy, etc. and will slowly reintroduce them later and see how my body reacts when I am eating them vs. when I'm not. I suppose I'll have to keep a journal to watch how I feel.


3. To try and help clear up recurring minor ailments.
Your body is an amazingly complex system, and everything in it works together. So when something is out of balance, other things that seem unrelated can begin to show problems. This is, in fact, one of the basic principles of natural medicine. I have recurring problems with rashes, acne, candida, brittle cuticles & nails, and a smoker's cough that just never goes away. I'm really hoping that fasting, followed by a period of restricted diet (and restricted intoxication) will help me to deal with some of those issues.

4. Because I often feel the need to experiment and change up my diet.
It's true! You can just ask hubby about the time I decided to go vegan, but caved and ate some egg-noodles at work 2 days later. Or when we cleaned out our ENTIRE kitchen, donated everything to a friend (2 or 3 trash bags worth!), and decided to go raw. We were eating tacos by dinner time the next day, but the point is this--I have a very strange relationship to food, but even still, sometimes that relationship needs a little shaking up. Periodically, I strive to achieve something *more* from my diet, so I try to push a little further and see where it takes me. It usually takes me to Taco Cabana, by the time I'm through, but hopefully the act of making this list will help cement in my mind why I should keep doing it.





5. Because I believe that it will help me achieve better overall health.
That's the best reason why! All mental games aside, the real reason for embarking on this culinary adventure is to do something nice for myself. If all goes as planned, I hope to experience an increase in health, strength and vitality, and to have fewer lazy hazy days checked off on the calendar without checking off anything on my never-ending to do list.


So those are my reasons! I don't blame you if you still think I'm nuts. Just tell me you think I can do it anyway! I'm more or less following this book I got from the clearance aisle at B&N, but I may have to go find that old RAW forum I used to surf for some good tips and juice recipes. So for the next two weeks on my blog, be looking out for minimally processed, minimally cooked super-fresh entrees, juices and smoothies, and hopefully (if I'm lucky!) a good gluten-free, yeast-free bread.
Oh, and the iced pumpkin muffins from last week ;)