We have some pics and a few observations to share here, but for now, I just had an interesting topic pop up via a face book comment, so ... here it is:
_______________________
" Hey! Any suggestions for what to do when going out to a restaurant when on the Baby Food Fast? And please post some recipes, I'm eager to get started "
Reply:
"The easy answer, since you live in Los Angeles, is to just bring a friend to a raw food place and get a smoothie, raw soup or juice ; ) For others who are not in the health food mecca .. umm ... the only thing you might find at a sit-down place is soups, thin blended soups. Technically, yogurt, ice cream, seed cheeses, and dips can work in this routine... in moderation ; )
I found this dynamic interesting on my first go: choosing to eat healthy (not to mention organic) is a bit of a disconnect from 90% of streamline eateries. The glowing signs for Chilli's, Denny's, Jamba Juice, etc. have become invisible ... and family holiday dinners and many other get-togethers used to leave me feeling awkward because I couldn't get myself to eat their good intentions ... Once you stop eating chemicals and strange DNA ... an apple isn't and apple anymore ... nor is a strawberry a flounder (true story). But eliminating chewing altogether, pretty much puts you in your own world.
So the ideal answer is - you don't go to a restaurant. Not to eat at least. Unless your friends aren't going to make a HUGE deal at the table about your failure to break bread with them ... for a night or a week or a month, I'd to stay at home and make some veggie juice or eat a scoop of tahini, or a 50/50 spoon of coconut manna and raw honey. But convivial eating will most likely have to happen at an elixir bar these days ; )
There are a few borderline cheats in our menu. One - the Baby's version of comfort food: A pitted half avocado w/ the pit void half filled with olive or sunflower oil, a sprinkle of salt and nutritional yeast (and last night I ventured to a pinch of organic taco seasoning.) Might sound boring, but try it. Scrumptious - and even comes in it's own bowl ; )
Food is a major communion amongst humans and stepping outside of this for a while will be a heavy push into that "other reality" that I mentioned in the the blog. And the most surprising part to me, was walking through the smoke cloud of the burger joint or passing the pastry shelf and feeling ... nothing. No spark - like looking at an ex - boy-or-girl friend and just seeing a stranger. If you tell people about it, they'll think you're nuts and try to tempt and taunt you back, and if you don't, you'll feel like your walking around with a very odd and exciting secret. It's so much fun ... ha ha ha.
If you get a couple of weeks in, as a little social experiment, go out to a food court or people watch at a cafe. Through your mind and body, you'll feel like you've never seen people eat before - this might sound odd, but it's a little bit like watching and wincing at a pie eating contest. Your stomach will cramp just from the sight.
Another interesting thing: when you stop or "break" your fast (don't like that term by the way - it's very negative and induces unnecessary guilt or fear when the end should be a fond mile stone.) Anyway, when your done, you don't just go to Vegas for that night of freedom. You have to slowly transition, over days, in smooth succession. The first thing I ate after my last fast was a few flax chips and hummus which I threw up. (I think I jumped back on the wagon for two weeks after that.)
So once you're deep in it, and you know you can't (physically) just jump back out of it with a shriek, you become more present, grounded and calm in the experience, knowing that an exit will have to be planned and gracefully carried out.
Back soon, loVe,
p&j"
_______________________
Day 5 :
I'm not going to lie - it's withdrawal time. This short-lived crossroads, paddling through the surf we'll call it, has found me eating jelly from the jar, swigging soy sauce, and thinking things like, "I can't believe I didn't make myself this or that before starting this" last meals so to speak.
It's very easy to bend the rules at this point in the game, (ah .. for the crunch of a blue corn ship with double fire roasted salsa..) or to get spooked by a little heat and pressure in the head (last night, final two hours of work) or to start looking at calendars to figure out where you'll place that carrot on a stick .. but it's best to set no goals and find your stride ; )
Last night I lied in our tiny hanging bed as juwels twitched into that night 'kick' that let me know she was gone, and I just listened to my stomach .. not quite growling, but more slithering (and when we all say stomach, most times we're talking about our intestines seeing as though they see a lot more of the action.. ) I felt like it was a snake, cleaning itself, shedding its skin .. but in reverse .. ( or something like that ; ) There was no cramps or discomfort, but an activity that literally kept me awake for an extra 45 minutes.
Besides the few sweet and salty extremes that I mentioned above, it's as though this body doesn't want anything (I drank 1/2 a smoothie, but the other half still sits in the fridge) .. I'm kind of just reading the signs as they come, and letting my body make the choices - okay, fresh air and spring water for you today. Handle your business ; ) But I don't think I've hit that point of "still" yet .. but rather that my brain is pouting, like a child who won't eat anything if they can't have exactly what they want.
One slip-up this morning though - as I pulled last night's candles as the sun was just rising, juwels blended us a strong liver tonic - hemp milk blended with dandelion and licorice root served warm .. the roots probably just caught her eye amongst her shelf of bottled herbs .. but around 4pm, after we'd both been feeling like we were forever in the process of waking up from something, one of us remembered the dynamite herbs we'd absentmindedly sipped this morning, and we thought .. 'oh, yeah .... prolly best to leave the liver alone in this state. That physical and emotional strainer needs its own time for focused restoration, and isn't anything to playfully prod from its sleep...
Happy to report, though, that the tides have changed and energy is up, and now we're just hoping we get enough sleep before our hike to the secret swimming hole in the morn (first of the season !!)
I'm sure we'll have pictures ; )
loVe,
-p&j
_______________________
Update on the Baby Food Fast: Day 7 (or 8? )
Drinking one of juwels' Goji cocktails. (which tastes so much like the old prickly pear cactus shakes we used to make back in CA after wild harvesting) I had 1/2 a smoothie all day (haven't been able to force myself through them the past 2 days, and literally haven't been hungry at all ... ((kinda strange, but pretty interesting - it's not quite apathy ... more like amnesia .. ))
We hiked, boulder hopping for a few miles each way to our swimming hole, cliff jumped (and pressured our friend Marisa to plunge ((on video .. super cute seeing how pumped she had to get herself to jump the smallest one ; ) And energy levels have been super high and stable right to the end of the day.
But yeah ... we're realizing that we won't be able to document this in any didactic or journalistic way .. more diary entries, .. at bus stops ; ) Turns out that chopping every meal or nut milk session up into photographed segments means juwels Never leaves the kitchen .. and I need her back ; ) But she's been clicking away, and we'll have scattered drink and firm liquid snacks to share .. juicing too ; )
It's a lot of grazing really - two jars, One - Sunflower Seed Butter. Two - Strawberry Jelly ... and a spoon ; ) That's a snack .. baby food ; ) And I feel like everything is getting so thoroughly digested in my simple system, that I don't need nearly as much food to run the old machine at high speeds as I would sending it through in chunks ; ) Anyone can do it. Just get your fats and get your Honey ..
Juwels is buzzing, as usual - and one of the things that she looks forward to more than anything with this diet: no Moon cramps. And normally, it's gnarly .. day off with a hot water bottle gnarly ; (
We've been doing tons of slow soaked mushroom teas like Chaga and Reishi blends with nut milk and cacao. (these are the mushrooms from the picture ... if you're into magic herbal teas, check these out - pretty powerful stuff, and they really go a long way ; )
I know this is a little scattered .. but we just wanted to bob our heads above the surface for a minute and say hi ; ) I think what surprises us both (or at least me) is how easy this has been (well, I did have that one half-day when I was swigging off the soy sauce bottle .. and I admit, I took a bite of raw goat butter and let it dissolve in my mouth.) But later that day .. I woke up (and stayed up) and now I know nothing else. Dreams have been super adventurous ( in a backpacker kind of way .. rather than the 007 ones that I can navigate at times --- I had two dreams, night after night, where I was going to hot springs ... Ah ... ; )
It's going to be hard to quit this fast ... and I wouldn't be surprised if we both run back to it a few times before really coming back down from our cloud and chewing with the rest of them ; )
That's all for now - loVe,
-p&j
_______________________
" Hey! Any suggestions for what to do when going out to a restaurant when on the Baby Food Fast? And please post some recipes, I'm eager to get started "
Reply:
"The easy answer, since you live in Los Angeles, is to just bring a friend to a raw food place and get a smoothie, raw soup or juice ; ) For others who are not in the health food mecca .. umm ... the only thing you might find at a sit-down place is soups, thin blended soups. Technically, yogurt, ice cream, seed cheeses, and dips can work in this routine... in moderation ; )
I found this dynamic interesting on my first go: choosing to eat healthy (not to mention organic) is a bit of a disconnect from 90% of streamline eateries. The glowing signs for Chilli's, Denny's, Jamba Juice, etc. have become invisible ... and family holiday dinners and many other get-togethers used to leave me feeling awkward because I couldn't get myself to eat their good intentions ... Once you stop eating chemicals and strange DNA ... an apple isn't and apple anymore ... nor is a strawberry a flounder (true story). But eliminating chewing altogether, pretty much puts you in your own world.
So the ideal answer is - you don't go to a restaurant. Not to eat at least. Unless your friends aren't going to make a HUGE deal at the table about your failure to break bread with them ... for a night or a week or a month, I'd to stay at home and make some veggie juice or eat a scoop of tahini, or a 50/50 spoon of coconut manna and raw honey. But convivial eating will most likely have to happen at an elixir bar these days ; )
There are a few borderline cheats in our menu. One - the Baby's version of comfort food: A pitted half avocado w/ the pit void half filled with olive or sunflower oil, a sprinkle of salt and nutritional yeast (and last night I ventured to a pinch of organic taco seasoning.) Might sound boring, but try it. Scrumptious - and even comes in it's own bowl ; )
Food is a major communion amongst humans and stepping outside of this for a while will be a heavy push into that "other reality" that I mentioned in the the blog. And the most surprising part to me, was walking through the smoke cloud of the burger joint or passing the pastry shelf and feeling ... nothing. No spark - like looking at an ex - boy-or-girl friend and just seeing a stranger. If you tell people about it, they'll think you're nuts and try to tempt and taunt you back, and if you don't, you'll feel like your walking around with a very odd and exciting secret. It's so much fun ... ha ha ha.
If you get a couple of weeks in, as a little social experiment, go out to a food court or people watch at a cafe. Through your mind and body, you'll feel like you've never seen people eat before - this might sound odd, but it's a little bit like watching and wincing at a pie eating contest. Your stomach will cramp just from the sight.
Another interesting thing: when you stop or "break" your fast (don't like that term by the way - it's very negative and induces unnecessary guilt or fear when the end should be a fond mile stone.) Anyway, when your done, you don't just go to Vegas for that night of freedom. You have to slowly transition, over days, in smooth succession. The first thing I ate after my last fast was a few flax chips and hummus which I threw up. (I think I jumped back on the wagon for two weeks after that.)
So once you're deep in it, and you know you can't (physically) just jump back out of it with a shriek, you become more present, grounded and calm in the experience, knowing that an exit will have to be planned and gracefully carried out.
Back soon, loVe,
p&j"
_______________________
Day 5 :
I'm not going to lie - it's withdrawal time. This short-lived crossroads, paddling through the surf we'll call it, has found me eating jelly from the jar, swigging soy sauce, and thinking things like, "I can't believe I didn't make myself this or that before starting this" last meals so to speak.
It's very easy to bend the rules at this point in the game, (ah .. for the crunch of a blue corn ship with double fire roasted salsa..) or to get spooked by a little heat and pressure in the head (last night, final two hours of work) or to start looking at calendars to figure out where you'll place that carrot on a stick .. but it's best to set no goals and find your stride ; )
Last night I lied in our tiny hanging bed as juwels twitched into that night 'kick' that let me know she was gone, and I just listened to my stomach .. not quite growling, but more slithering (and when we all say stomach, most times we're talking about our intestines seeing as though they see a lot more of the action.. ) I felt like it was a snake, cleaning itself, shedding its skin .. but in reverse .. ( or something like that ; ) There was no cramps or discomfort, but an activity that literally kept me awake for an extra 45 minutes.
Besides the few sweet and salty extremes that I mentioned above, it's as though this body doesn't want anything (I drank 1/2 a smoothie, but the other half still sits in the fridge) .. I'm kind of just reading the signs as they come, and letting my body make the choices - okay, fresh air and spring water for you today. Handle your business ; ) But I don't think I've hit that point of "still" yet .. but rather that my brain is pouting, like a child who won't eat anything if they can't have exactly what they want.
One slip-up this morning though - as I pulled last night's candles as the sun was just rising, juwels blended us a strong liver tonic - hemp milk blended with dandelion and licorice root served warm .. the roots probably just caught her eye amongst her shelf of bottled herbs .. but around 4pm, after we'd both been feeling like we were forever in the process of waking up from something, one of us remembered the dynamite herbs we'd absentmindedly sipped this morning, and we thought .. 'oh, yeah .... prolly best to leave the liver alone in this state. That physical and emotional strainer needs its own time for focused restoration, and isn't anything to playfully prod from its sleep...
Happy to report, though, that the tides have changed and energy is up, and now we're just hoping we get enough sleep before our hike to the secret swimming hole in the morn (first of the season !!)
I'm sure we'll have pictures ; )
loVe,
-p&j
_______________________
Update on the Baby Food Fast: Day 7 (or 8? )
Drinking one of juwels' Goji cocktails. (which tastes so much like the old prickly pear cactus shakes we used to make back in CA after wild harvesting) I had 1/2 a smoothie all day (haven't been able to force myself through them the past 2 days, and literally haven't been hungry at all ... ((kinda strange, but pretty interesting - it's not quite apathy ... more like amnesia .. ))
We hiked, boulder hopping for a few miles each way to our swimming hole, cliff jumped (and pressured our friend Marisa to plunge ((on video .. super cute seeing how pumped she had to get herself to jump the smallest one ; ) And energy levels have been super high and stable right to the end of the day.
But yeah ... we're realizing that we won't be able to document this in any didactic or journalistic way .. more diary entries, .. at bus stops ; ) Turns out that chopping every meal or nut milk session up into photographed segments means juwels Never leaves the kitchen .. and I need her back ; ) But she's been clicking away, and we'll have scattered drink and firm liquid snacks to share .. juicing too ; )
It's a lot of grazing really - two jars, One - Sunflower Seed Butter. Two - Strawberry Jelly ... and a spoon ; ) That's a snack .. baby food ; ) And I feel like everything is getting so thoroughly digested in my simple system, that I don't need nearly as much food to run the old machine at high speeds as I would sending it through in chunks ; ) Anyone can do it. Just get your fats and get your Honey ..
Juwels is buzzing, as usual - and one of the things that she looks forward to more than anything with this diet: no Moon cramps. And normally, it's gnarly .. day off with a hot water bottle gnarly ; (
We've been doing tons of slow soaked mushroom teas like Chaga and Reishi blends with nut milk and cacao. (these are the mushrooms from the picture ... if you're into magic herbal teas, check these out - pretty powerful stuff, and they really go a long way ; )
I know this is a little scattered .. but we just wanted to bob our heads above the surface for a minute and say hi ; ) I think what surprises us both (or at least me) is how easy this has been (well, I did have that one half-day when I was swigging off the soy sauce bottle .. and I admit, I took a bite of raw goat butter and let it dissolve in my mouth.) But later that day .. I woke up (and stayed up) and now I know nothing else. Dreams have been super adventurous ( in a backpacker kind of way .. rather than the 007 ones that I can navigate at times --- I had two dreams, night after night, where I was going to hot springs ... Ah ... ; )
It's going to be hard to quit this fast ... and I wouldn't be surprised if we both run back to it a few times before really coming back down from our cloud and chewing with the rest of them ; )
That's all for now - loVe,
-p&j
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