Friday, March 02, 2007

Master Cleanse, Day 1, noon: Altered States

I think I'm still in shock over the salt water flush. I've been spaced-out all morning, and I can't really explain it based upon skipping breakfast. I broke down and had a cup of coffee at work, and that seemed to settle me down a bit. It's a clear violation of the Stalinesque rules for this thing, but I couldn't find any rational basis for the rule.

I did find plenty more irrationality, though. The science behind this is pretty loopy. Cases in point:
  • Claim: You get all the nutrients you need from maple syrup
  • Rebuttal: I'll be getting plenty of manganese and zinc, and a lot of Vitamin C from the lemons. Honey has nothing but calories. Molasses is a bit better, with loads of manganese, copper, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin B6, and selenium. Not complete, but better. Too bad the molasses concotion tastes so nasty. Either way, a fast most definitely leaves you nutrient deprived.
  • Claim: You won't need proteins, because they are composed of amino acids, and amino acids are composed of nitrogen, and you get nitrogen from the air.
  • Rebuttal: People are not soybeans. They do not fix nitrogen from the air.
  • Claim: You are tired because your body is diverting energy away from playing and into fighting toxins.
  • Rebuttal: You are tired because you aren't getting enough calories.
I need to read up more on the science of fasting. This is nice because it provides a structure, but the official sites drive me crazy with their half-baked ideas and rules.

Meanwhile, I've drank almost all the Concoction that I brought to work. I'm doing all right with my normal workload but am too spaced out to have a normal conversation.

It'll be interesting to watch my relationship to food change. I hadn't realized how much I use it as a crutch - as in, eating 'cause I'm bored rather than because I'm hungry. I'm not stressed about skipping meals, but am a bit stressed about skipping all the snacking I do constantly. It will be nice to break that habit.

I've been saying that this is my first fast, but I did do a semi-fast in Turkey during Ramadan. I'd have breakfast [Turkish style: olives, cheese, an egg, yogurt, tomatoes, and cucumbers], and sometimes a light lunch [lentil soup, sourdough bread], and then until later at night to have a full meal. I lost weight, which I didn't want to, but felt great. I was also told I looked a lot younger and that my skin looked a lot better when I got home. Friends say the same thing happens on this one, especially that the skin clears up.

The plan tonight: make it through the day, get home early, clean house so it's nice and comfy ... and then curl up in a foetal position for the weekend.

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