It’s one year and two months after my last post… and I’m officially a statistic – one of those failed “dieters” who put all the weight back on plus some. *sigh* I gotta go back to raw, vegan food. :-/

Around the time of my last post, I became stressed out because it was the end of the school year (I’m a teacher) and things were going on. I also figured since I’d done so well, I could ease up a wee bit. I eased up a bit too much, but it was okay until I went on a business trip the last two weeks of June. I was on a college campus, eating in the cafeteria daily without kitchen access nor much in the way of healthful food. I was mostly good for the first week then it went downhill. Once I got home, my choices were so-so through the summer. Last fall things really went downhill. I went back to work and I gave up little by little. I slowly put weight back on, until by the spring, I was where I was before this whole thing started.

The good things: My tastes have changed to include a wider range of healthy foods. I don’t mind olives and peppers, where before I used to hate them. I’m also much more willing to have spicy foods. I’ve seen what an incredible difference eating right makes. I’ve learned sugar is toxic for me and my body isn’t fond of cheese. I’m much fussier about the food I’m having – no transfats, high-fructose corn syrup, and nothing from Safeway. I shop exclusively at Trader Joe’s, the farmer’s market and local markets, which is a huge difference. I’m not in the same pain I was in a year and a half ago, even though some things have started to come back.

The bad: I am having so so so much trouble going back to eating right. I went on another business trip the last 2 weeks of June, but this time I had kitchen access. I managed to have green smoothies and nut milk smoothies until lunch, when I scarfed on grilled cheese sandwiches. Since I got home, I’ve been walking a few miles daily and/or swimming. When I was away, I worked my way up to over 30 minutes of swimming laps, including a few laps of the butterfly stroke. My endurance has improved so much. But I just can’t seem to get back to eating better. I just want sugar, salami, cheese, pickled relish, hot dogs, and other stuff like that.

I’m very frustrated with myself. After swimming this morning, I had an epiphany: I’m thinking of eating right as an either/or issue. My mind is saying, “All or nothing,” and that may be causing me problems. However, I was much more successful when I was saying no. I didn’t even miss processed food… at least I thought I didn’t.

I’m just so frustrated. I mean, it’s one thing to not want to do it when you haven’t experienced the difference. But I have. My energy level was through the roof, I was losing weight easily, my skin was amazing, I felt so clean through and through, and I was eating delicious stuff. So why is it so hard to go back? *sigh*

For the moment, I’m focusing on exercise and keeping that up… while trying to figure out why I’m so resistant to changing other things in my life when I know what I need to do.

*blink* What an Easter! Every year I buy up tons of Hershey’s Solid Milk Chocolate Eggs, because I love ‘em and I think they are the BEST chocolate Hershey makes. Not this year. I bought one bag just in case, but it’s unopened and I’m not even sure where it is. I had no Easter candy of any kind (no Valentine’s either back in February, actually) this year.

Easter was the most un-sugary Easter ever. Syl cooked some ham, set out white bread and condiments, and let us do the rest of Easter dinner. It’s usually more of a team effort, but not this year. I’m not quite sure how that happened. I was actually kinda worried that Syl thought she can’t cook for us anymore because we won’t eat “real food,” but she assured us that’s not the case. Anyway, we provided the salad with regular balsamic viniagrette dressing, my homemade bruschetta, maple cinnamon and chocolate versions of buckwheat cereal, and dessert was fruit with nonfat, nonsugar homemade chocolate sauce and an almond butter chocolate pie (completely raw). The bruschetta and cereal were major hits, while the pie was hit-and-miss. Some liked it, some weren’t so crazy about it. Jeannette raved about the food all day. Carlene kept asking us questions about what we’re eating, how we’re deciding, yada, yada, and it is so unlike Carlene to take an interest in anything! We were both determined not to preach or to talk about it, but we kept answering questions, trying to be clear without going overboard or sounding preachy. People kept saying we looked fantastic, glowing with health. *preen*

All in all, I felt it was a good Easter, but I was amazed at how sugar-free it was, yet how satisfying it was.

Went to the gabfest last night at the usual spot. I’m a huge fan of their California burger, which is a 1/2 pound beef patty topped with avocado, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. It was very, very yummy, but it was too much for me. I had most of the fries too. The ketchup was really too strong for me – next time, a lot less! Next time I’ll eat only half (maybe just a quarter) and bring the rest home. I ate 100% raw all day yesterday to prepare and stock up on those enzymes. Glad I did! After the burger, which I took my time eating, I felt bloated and uncomfortably full. No upset stomach pr anything else bad other than feeling uncomfortable. Whew – I can still have that kinda food, but a lot less of it at a time would be adviseable. I finished it at 7 pm and I wasn’t hungry until 11. Am gonna go all raw today too to help cleanse.

I’m going to Cafe G for what appears to be a monthly gathering – whee. After I get home, I’m gonna do a whirlwind of cooking to prep raw foods, mostly desserts, for the family Easter gathering.

Today I had taco salad for lunch (no cheese but tons of greens), and I was so incredibly sleepy all afternoon. I hadn’t felt that way after lunch for months. Hm – no more taco meat during the day for me.

Life’s good. Friday found me with JK and Beth headed to Cafe G then to Happy Hour. JK walks quickly and I’ve had to struggle to keep up with him in the past. Today I walked faster than he did and I hadda slow down.

Beth talked about how much lighter she felt after eating the food there, and JK agreed – he said he felt it was refreshing. He also said he wouldn’t mind cooking like this all summer – good summer food. She asked some questions about Sina and Jerry, and I filled her in about how Sina went 100% raw for 9 months then fell off the wagon. Beth planned to start her diet the next day, and it was really hard for me not to jump in with all kinds of tips and advice. I managed to just offer recipes if she was interested, she could get in touch. She nodded with a smile. I did manage to get in one tip when we were talking about Sina and Jerry – “I believe if you, anyone, decides this is 100% the way I’m doing it, they’re gonna fail. I’m not gonna go 100% anything. This forms the basis of my food, but I’m still eating a lot of other stuff. 100% anything is too restrictive for a lifetime change.” *grin* It’s so true. I’ve decided I’m going to eat whatever the hell I want if I really want it. I’ll have a hot dog. I’ll have a burger. I’ll have full-fat dairy ice cream. I’ll have See’s. But what I’m finding is that I don’t want those things *enough* for the most part. But when I do, I have a bit and enjoy. That’s the key to making this work for me, and for a lot of people, I suspect.

JK bought the Cafe G recipe book, and yesterday he got in touch with me via AIM to say he’d been doing some research, bought some ingredients for the Thai salad recipe, but couldn’t find agave nectar or Nama Shoyu. Pointed him in the right direction. He did, however, emphasize that he was *not* going raw, just expanding his repertoire. *chuckle* I didn’t, and don’t, expect anybody to go raw.

I caught Beth saying, when she thought I was out of earshot, “The food’s good, but not for me, no way.” I wasn’t in a position to overhear JK’s response, so I have no idea what he said back. I’m sorry she felt she couldn’t tell *me* that. I have no problem with her feeling that way. I used to feel that way and I think 95%, if not more, of Americans, feel that way. I thought Sina was NUTS, I really did. I kinda thought, well, that *is* healthier than a lot of people, but still. Dat’s going too far. So I understand completely. If you’d told me last Christmas I’d be eating a mostly raw diet by April 1, 2007, I would have died laughing. Again, I get it. I really do understand that “she’s whack” perspective.

So what made this happen for me? For Mom, it was a lot of small, gradual changes. For me, it was desperation brought on by being afraid to eat. But the biggie was the detox. I was able to tell myself “just 3 weeks then I can eat whatever I want.” That helped so much, because dieting really brings on this deprivation mentality – “forever,” ya know. “just 3 weeks” helped BOTH of us get through it. And by 3 weeks without sugar, dairy, wheat, most meats, some fruits, and a lot of other things, we’d re-programmed our taste buds and bodies in many ways. The process wasn’t done, but it’d started and progressed enough for us to be somewhat into it. It also helped us to identify what we missed the most. For me, bread was a big thing. I added it back right away, and for Mom, it was sugar. A few weeks later, I made her a deal – go one week without sugar and I’d keep her in fruit shakes and raw desserts. It was agonizing for her, but it paid off. She still wants sugar but raw desserts satisfy her sweet tooth and she’s able to shrug off sugar more easily. As I put it the first week off detox, “We detoxed and I’m in no hurry to retox.” I’m finding I enjoy the flexibility of being able to sample a fancy gourmet fruity brownie when it’s offered to me and of deciding I simply don’t want 98% of the sugar that’s offered to me, but my body and taste buds are more interested in fruits, vegetables, nuts, a variety of grains, and a bit of other flavors than in anything else. I would recommend the 3 week detox to anybody, with a few caveats – be willing to be adventurous in your eating and try different things. Find a good raw restaurant nearby before starting, and be prepared for it to be very hard the first week or two. The detox makes a world of difference.

Back to last Friday – Beth said, out of Jason’s earshot, “From the back you really look smaller. Have you lost a lot of weight?” I nodded with a smile, saying, “Yeah.” She said, “Good for you!” I said, “It’s so weird to me, cuz it really was not my plan,” and went on very briefly to tell her about how I was so shocked when I got on a scale, took a few days to adjust, and then decided upon a goal, only to find myself eating things that weren’t good for me for 3 days, and how I said, “this is ridiculous – no more goal,” and went back to eating well. She said, “Maybe I should do that – just forget about losing weight.” I nodded in a s ort of supportive, “mmm.” way. I also told her about the “Make an authorized YOU-turn” from YOU on a Diet, by Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz. I told her about how I’d found myself snacking on milk chocolate peanuts the night before, allowed myself to enjoy that, shrugged, and moved on by having a fruit shake. (She’s the kind of person who decides she’s failed once she goes off even once, I think, so I figured it’d be good for her to hear that.) I basically shut up after that but thought those two things might be good. Nobody wants to hear someone else preach, ya know.

Beth also commented during dinner on how everyone who works there has fabulous skin, and Jason said maybe they did something to their skin. Beth said, “No, it’s the FOOD. Look at Jenny’s skin. It looks great.” Jason did look at me and say, “Yeah, I noticed that.” First comment he’s made beyond “You look good.” I agree – raw foodists have fabulous eyes and skin.

We talked about a LOT more than just food and *moi*, but cuz of the nature of this blog, that’s the focus of what I’m posting here. *grin* It was a really fun, relaxing, mellow evening. I’m glad we went.

For the past 5 or so days, I’ve been swimming for 30 minutes most days – vigorous, aerobic swimming with 1, usually 2, intervals as well as stretching out before and after. It feels really good, but it’s really doing a number on my skin. My skin feels so parched, it’s getting blotchy, and my face is irritated by whatever I put on it. Out of desperation, I put olive oil on my face last night. I’m very upset by this development. Swimming is the BEST overall toning and cardio exercise for me – I don’t have to take a class, I don’t have to modify anything to ensure I’m getting the maximum benefit, et cetera. I’m gonna call the dermatologist tomorrow for an appointment during spring break so I can find out what to do for my skin. Grr.

I’ve also been making a concerted effort to cut down on Larabars and snapea crisps. I’m finding I need less food overall. Maybe my body is adjusting to this lifestyle. Hm.

Yesterday I went shopping and enjoyed seeing how much better clothes out there fit me. I got one new top that I really like and it was cheap, so if I can’t wear it in a few months, no skin off my nose.

Overall life IS good. *beam*

GOSH – since I last posted more and more people have been commenting on my weight loss.

Cheryl said sometime this past week, “People have been asking me if you’ve lost weight and I’ve been saying Y E S! Why they’re asking ME, I don’t know, but FYI,” with a sweet smile.

Beth said this week she was so impressed with me, eating the same thing for lunch every day. I told her that I actually don’t. I vary this, which helps so much – I couldn’t do it if it were just a salad (which is true!). She said, “But still I’m impressed,” so I thanked her with a smile. I have a huge bed of greens and two smallish tomatoes, along with something to provide flavor and texture. I’ve had ground beef, sweet and sour chicken, stir fry, nuts, cheese, bruschetta, and other things – a very small serving, really, but it makes the salad more interesting and palatable. I also make a point of having a small plateful of blueberries and blackberries as well daily. The thing is that’s what I truly WANT. It’s what feels good now. It’s what’s tasty.

That leads me to think… I’m just amazed at how EASY this is for me. Really. Before going to Cafe G 5 days into the detox last January, I was climbing the walls, feeling like all I could eat was raw fruits and vegetables. Cafe G helped me expand my food horizons and realize, no, that’s not all there is. And incidentally, eating this way is satisfying and delicious. It also helped to have Mom doing it with me – it was a source of support. It was still somewhat hard until after 2 weeks into the detox, but around then, I started thinking mostly raw would be a good way of life and I’d be OK with it. That’s when I REALLY got into research, buying a food processor, finding recipes, and so on. But since that turning point where I started thinking I’d be fine with this way of life, it’s been easy. Really. I don’t feel deprived. I don’t crave junk. I would still like burgers, hot dogs, a plateful of Chinese food, sandwiches, See’s Dark Bordeaux and Milk Peppermint Patties, and mint chocolate chip ice cream, but … I just am not interested enough to have them, knowing what they do to my body. Simple. I also find myself craving tomatoes, berries, and a bed of greens. They just sound fabulous to me. I find that with eating mostly raw, I’m just fine without meat (for the most part), dairy, or sugar. I’m satisfied and fulfilled.

A typical day at work finds myself eating along these lines:
Breakfast: One egg cooked in olive oil with veggies (tomatoes, mushrooms, sometimes spinach, garlic, sprouts) tossed in at the very last minute to keep the enzymes alive but to warm them up
My Berries & Cream shake
Snack: A tiny handful of almonds or a Larabar or a Prana Bar (I’ve been feeling like I should include fruit or veggies tho)
Lunch: A huge bed of greens (at least partly spinach), 2 smallish tomatoes, and some small something (see above)
Blueberries and blackberries, along with something sweet like my raw chocolate ice cream, my fruit sorbet, a take-out dessert from Cafe G, or a Jocalat Larabar
Snack: A tiny handful of almonds or a Larabar or a Prana Bar (I’ve been feeling like I should include fruit or veggies tho)
Dinner: Similar to lunch and I often have a shake too – fruity or my banana chocolate shake
After dinner: For the last 2 weeks I’ve had to have a whole bag of baked snap pea crisps… it’s driving me nuts and I’m working on weaning myself off of that. Grr.
But in general – no sugar, no dairy, no cooked starches, rarely meat, and not much at all in the way of processed/cooked foods.

When I look back at how sick I was last December and how I was lying in bed, thinking to myself, “food is killing me,” I’m amazed at how much has changed in three short months. Food is now revitalizing me and nourishing me. Thank god for that because I could not possibly have continued in the direction I was headed. Food was crippling me and sapping me of my vitality, and yes, my very life. Thank god for that chance outing to Cafe G that time with Sina and Roberta, for Mark H’s detox plan, and for Mom.

Speaking of Cafe G – went to celebrate its third anniversary on Thursday. They were celebrating at its flagship restaurant in the Mission District, and hey, any excuse to go to SF and to eat there… *devilish grin* We walked almost a mile from BART to Cafe G, and I enjoyed a sun burger. They were giving away tiramisu free!!! And considering how hard it is to make… gawrsh. We gladly accepted, and I ordered my fave pizza and tiramisu to go. It was so much fun doing that, especially on a weeknight. Oooh. ‘Tis so nice to have so much more energy and not to spend my nights and weekends sleeping.

Y’know something… I’m feeling like a boring person because my whole life right now is revolving around the changes I’ve made and all I can think about is how good I feel, how much weight I’ve lost, and the changes I’ve made. I’m not a brilliant conversationalist at this point my life, I’m afraid. I don’t like that because I think I’m an interesting person who is interested in many different things, but I think this is what I need to do for right now. I’ve been neglecting myself for far too long. I need to take care of myself. If that makes me boring, so be it. *shrug* Still doesn’t mean I like it, though.

For the last several days, I’ve been making a real point to include exercise. Actually 3 weeks now, but off and on. I’ve been trying to make sure I walk over 10,000 steps daily. Last Saturday I walked all the way to the Safeway across the bridge and Sunday I walked all over the main drag, hitting the bookstore and the natural marketplace. Both were so much fun and relaxing! Yesterday I went to water aerobics. There are only 2 teachers I like in town at the moment, and one teaches Tuesday mornings. :/ The other one teaches Friday evenings and for the past several weeks, I haven’t been able to go. I was absolutely determined to go yesterday and I battled traffic to do it – I was 10 minutes late, but I went, I went! Today I walked for 45 minutes, coupled with 2 interval bursts. It was longer than I’ve walked on a treadmill before, and I hadn’t done interval training on the treadmill before. I’m determined to swim. I feel like I’ve gotten so flabby since I’ve lost weight and not exercised, I can’t stand it. Swimming will help tone me overall, and hey, I love swimming. I’ve also been trying to spend time in the sauna every time I go to the gym, because I want toxins out of my body. See, we all have tons of toxins built up in our cells from years and years of the standard American diet, and when we eat well, those toxins are released into our bloodstream, with nowhere to go unless we sweat ‘em out. I’m convinced those toxins are what made me contract strep throat and what made me sick last Janaury/February. Out, damn toxins, out. Exercise is helping my energy levels, and I look forward to continuing.

Something very exciting happened today. I got to thinking about how some of my clothes that didn’t fit well are fitting and how a couple that did not fit are fitting, and I started wondering if I could find stuff that I couldn’t wear before that would fit now. For example, yesterday I wore a short blue cotton dress that I love because it is very cool and comfortable. But it was a bit small before, and I had to tighten the tie in back yesterday because it was too loose! I went through my storage containers and a section of my closet for work dresses. Amazingly enough, I found 20 pieces that I can wear right now. The rest are too small but close. Wa-hoo! I’ve started washing ‘em so I can start wearing them, a bit at a time. I don’t want to look like I went clothes shopping or something, but hey, I wanna ENJOY THIS! *huge beam* Time to check the machine and see if the first load is done so I can hang it up! Taters…

Yesterday I had a tamale and half an avocado midmorning and my body
declared open rebellion 20 minutes later. The tamale was vegan and I’ve
had it just fine before. The date of expiry was today, so it shoulda
been okay. My stomach just roiled and when I went to the restroom, small
pieces of soft waste, orange in color, shot out. I also vomited my
recent snack and a lot of bile. My stomach didn’t calm down for a bit.
It seemed to after awhile, so I had lunch – a small handful of cashews,
a salad with lettuce and vegan dressing, and a bit of vegan chocolate
mousse. I got very dizzy within 20 minutes. I told my boss I would have
to leave soon. I left another 45 minutes later after I wrapped things
up. By this time, I had a very upset stomach, severe dizziness, achy
joints, and general weakness. Thank goodness for public transit! I was
picked up at the other end and taken home. I stayed home today and I
will stay home tomorrow. I can’t hold down liquids or food. Had bread
and sugar for the first time today. I was scheduled to add one food
today and I’d already decided on wheat. It often helps my stomach, but
not today. I tried Jell-O because it is very soothing. I’m hoping I can
hold down sips of water and go to sleep soon.
The supreme irony is twofold – I did this to get well. And yesterday was
a full staff lunch, where they provided a great-looking Italian meal. So
of course my food choices occasioned comment. I explained about the
detox, telling them how I wanted to not be so sick and all that. And
bam, I get sick in the middle of lunch and spend the next two days home!
I can’t help but chuckle and groan when I think about it!

Today is exactly one month ago that I had my gallstone attack. That was
the point where I realized I simply could not go on the way I had been
eating and living. Today is also exactly two weeks ago when I began
Phase I of this Ultrametabolism program (www.ultrametabolism.com). It’s
been an amazing journey thus far.

At first, I was in bed, miserable. I was in a lot of pain, missing food.
I missed my chocolate fudge PopTarts, my egg rolls, my cheese, my M&Ms,
and a whole bunch of other food. I forced myself to eat a little bit
every day because I knew if I didn’t eat, I’d die. But food scared me. I
felt like it was slowly killing me and making me miserable in the
process. I didn’t know just what to do. Bread was a big help. Mom
started to make soup with no meat or any added fat, and I had a couple
of small bowls a day. I eventually added a PopTart or two a day because
the sugar helped settle my stomach. I was also able to enjoy some fresh
Parmesan cheese on my soup without pain, but I was still afraid of
food.

When Mom announced her plan to go on this detox, I reviewed the list and
realized I was eating so little and mostly the soup, I wasn’t enjoying
food. This plan would be much more painless as a result. And it had so
many of the “ingredients” needed to optimize my health, which was what I
desperately needed. Why not???

We decided to cut the weaning phase to 2 days, because I had already
been eating mostly what was allowed. I had to cut out the bread and
sugar, but I could have cheese for those two days.

Two weeks ago today we approached Phase I with trepidation. We were
growing cranky with the limited options by the end of my 3-day weekend,
so on Monday we headed to this food store that is supposed to be
amazing. It delivered, with tamales that fit our requirements,
gluten-free corn tortillas, and cool fruits and vegetables. We were also
delighted to find many healthy things we would like and be able to have
in a few weeks. We then went a mile away to this organic vegan raw food
restaurant. We inquired about a few ingredients, and we can basically
have ANYTHING on the menu!!! Whee! We ordered the pizza and were
instantly smitten. We took half as leftovers and finished it the next
day (mom, that night, actually). We went back to both places last
weekend and ordered an entree each, takeout each, and 2 desserts, even
though they are exorbitantly priced. W-ow. Their desserts would take
care of any sugar craving! Since then, I’ve been researching raw food
recipes, but they mostly require expensive equipment, usually a juicer,
a food processor, or a dehydrator. But, gosh, that food is absolutely
delicious. I could live like that most of the time. I’d want bread, a
bit of cheese, and a bit of meat, as well as the freedom to be able to
go out with friends and order whatever I want. I’d also want to be able
to indulge if I really want something, but I can see eating like that
almost all of the time. I’m getting in touch with this friend who eats
raw food and asking about recipes and equipment.

Since that first trip, we’ve gotten more creative. The red/black bean
and yam tamales are amazing with avocado and pomegranate seeds (a major
staple in my pantry now). I’ve made two different tasting vegetable and
cashew stir-fries this week and they are sooooo good. They basically
consisted of vegetables, raw cashews, Italian seasoning or 21-Seasoning
Salute, a bit of sea salt, a bit of pepper, olive oil, and water. Simple
but delicious with avocado and some fruit, eh? I’m loving the nut and
veggie or fruit combo.

I’ve been fascinated by what my body is feeling like and how my eating
habits have changed. I’m eating so little compared to what I was eating
before. I’m really loving the taste of fruits and vegetables, and I
really don’t crave sugar, cheese, and other foods. I never really did,
but I sure wanted the taste! Now I don’t so much. I’m finding that I’m
really missing bread, salad dressings, balsamic vinegar, and that kind
of thing. But not chocolate pudding. Not cheddar cheese. Amazing. I’m
finding, however, that my stomach is unsettled at times and it just
seems to cry out for bread or sugar to calm it down. Right now, for
example. I can’t wait until I can add bread back. A slice or two a day
would do, and I can continue to eat the way I’m eating with that one
addition.

I do seem to have some more energy, my mouth feels cleaner, and I feel
cleaner inside too. I don’t have achy knees and one finger doesn’t hurt
anymore. Hippocrates may have had something there when he said food is
medicine. I’ve believed that eating well is so important for a long time
now, but now I’m seeing proof of that. I wish I had more pep, though.

The most amazing thing is, however, how much weight I’ve lost. The last
time I went to the doctor, I weighed 272, and the number was exactly the
same when I got on a scale. Both were a few months ago, and my clothes
fit the same recently as they did at the time I weighed myself. I got on
a scale at the gym last Sunday and it read 235. WHAT? Almost 40
pounds??? I made my mom get on the scale to weigh herself to check its
accuracy. She said it was about right for her. We went to another gym
and on one scale, I weighed 250. On the other, I weighed 235. Mom said
the scales were accurate for her. What? Either 25 or 40 pounds??? I’m
not as small as I was at 235, though that could be not exercising, so
the 250 figure is probably the accurate one. Still, that’s incredible. I
didn’t do this to lose weight, but wotta perk! I tried on some clothes,
and my work wardrobe has expanded by several pieces now! *beam* The
clothes that were fitting before are noticeably looser. I’m not small
enough for most people to notice, I don’t think, but gosh, I’m amazed.

I just can’t get over how much I’m loving the food I’m eating. That’s
the most incredible part for me. This is really a fascinating experience
for me, which is one reason I started this blog. I’m going to use this
to record what Dr. Hyman recommends I record when I start adding back
some food, and I’ll probably post short posts frequently via e-mail from
here on out. I’m looking forward to the rest of this trip and what it
will bring me.

As the intro blurb shows, December 25, 2006 was the turning point for me. I was in so much pain from the gallstones, I’d cut out almost all food. I was having a few slices of bread and a few vegetables a day. My mom got so worried, she made me vegan, organic soup. Gallstones are a result of fat in food, and fat and sugar can aggravate gallstones. Hence, the no-fat deal.

I’d given her Ultrametabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman, because she saw him on PBS and loved what she heard. She devoured it and announced that she was going to go on it. I read it and it’s grounded in good science, taking the latest research and applying it to healthy eating. It fits what I know to be true – fruits, vegetables, grains, and water are what we should be eating most of/almost all of the time. He talks about how so many diseases are the result of inflammation, and what we eat can contribute to inflammation. What he discusses in the context of inflammation runs the gamut from diabetes to environmental allergies and a whole lot in between. It has three phases – one is a one-week, sort of “weaning” phase where a lot of foods are contraindicted. The second (what he inexplicably calls Phase I) has quite a limited variety of food. It basically cuts out sugar, dairy, wheat, any gluten, red meat, and all white meat except for lean, unskinned turkey and chicken. Very few condiments are allowed, and those that are allowed are mostly herbal. Olive oil is okay, thank goodness. Phase I lasts for 3 weeks. The third, known as Phase II, lasts for 4 weeks to a lifetime. You choose one food that has been forbidden for 3 weeks, have it, and monitor your body for any allergic reactions. Don’t add anything else for at least 48 hours. The rationale behind this is to discover if you have any food allergies, because allergies can cause inflammation and are a real culprit. There is a list of food that should be avoided for the rest of your life, including transfats and high fructose corn syrup. It generally recommends what I think we should all eat anyway – grass-fed beef, animals without hormones, organic food, as much unprocessed food as possible, and so forth.

When Mom announced she was doing it, I read some of the book. I surprised her (and myself) when I sighed, shrugged, and said, “I’m in.” I was unhappy, unable to eat much, and I just *had* to do something to get my health back. This seemed good. It’s healthy, based on current nutritional research, and I really couldn’t go wrong. It’s almost one month since Christmas, and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve just completed Day 14 of Phase I, and I’m liking it.