A Word About "Cheating"

The Change That Changes Everything, Part 10

First things first, I should probably 'fess up that yes, sometimes I "cheat." 

Our general policy with this new way of eating is to eat food that is as “clean” (pure) and unprocessed as possible—in the form that it grew in, eaten either raw or cooked. This is what "whole food, plant-based eating" is.

Sometimes I do “cheat,” however—but only in certain areas... and I try to have it be rare. 

I never cheat on the vegan piece or the gluten-free piece. No animal products and no gluten, ever. 

The other pieces I do sometimes “cheat” on, in the following (rare) ways:

- Refined oils. I’m sure that when we eat out, refined oil is used, even in the vegan/GF food we select. I don’t use any refined oils at home for cooking. (No, not even organic extra-virgin olive oil. Not even organic coconut oil. Not even organic avocado oil. Especially not any “junk” oils like vegetable oil or corn oil or canola oil!) True confession: we do sometimes have popcorn with a little high-quality olive oil from the exotic local oil and vinegar tap house (and nutritional yeast!) on it.

- Refined sugar. I am very strict with this piece of the puzzle because when I cheat with refined sugar—think a GF pastry treat from the local vegan bakery, or a Chick-fil-A “sun joy” i.e. “Arnold Palmer” here—the familiar band of nerve/muscle pain across my mid back returns within 24 hours! Nevertheless, very rarely,  I do have it. Interestingly, this band of pain does not return if I have a little bit of pure maple syrup or honey or use some dates as a natural sweetener. I think processed, refined sugar (whether white sugar or brown sugar) must really cause inflammation and other problems, at least in my body! We have not consumed artificial sweeteners (those terribly unhealthy, sickeningly sweet neurotoxins in the pink and yellow and blue packets) for many years now. If you’re still doing so, cut it out! (Actually, do what you want, of course. But I would strongly suggest you stop reading right now and investigate for yourself the many dangers of artificial sweeteners until you become convinced on your own to “cut it out”! But a discussion of that topic is beyond the purview of this post.) Bottom line? For sweetness, stick to fresh fruit, pure maple syrup, local raw honey, and dates—and even then, have it be moderate and rare! Walk away from the rest of it!

- Processed foods. I do occasionally have a GF pasta or GF crackers or a GF tortilla of some sort. I choose the “cleanest” possible alternative (fewest ingredients, and all permitted). But in general I try to avoid manufactured foods with barcodes. 

Now, by way of example—here's a specific question I’ve received concerning vegan cheese. It is “cheating” in both the refined oil category and in the processed food category (if store-bought). So I avoid it. I have eaten a pizza at the local make-your-own-individual pizza) place, with a GF crust and vegan cheese. It doesn’t satisfy the “real pizza" craving for me—and it is definitely “cheating”—so I only do this if this is where someone wants to eat out and I’m joining them. It’s happened once or twice, I think, in six months. (NOTE: Now I order the GF crust, get generous amounts of every veggie and fruit they have, and skip the vegan cheese. It's way more delicious without it!) 

There’s a vegan cheese spread at Trader Joe’s I bought once—and it’s delicious!— but it’s highly processed so I avoid buying it regularly. I just make homemade hummus instead and eat that on veggies or GF crackers (which are also “cheating”).

I have saved a couple of recipes for vegan cheese that I plan to try (still “cheating” with oil but not preservatives if I make it homemade) but I haven’t yet because I’m trying to avoid the cheating as much as possible!

My friend Rachel rarely cheats, if ever. She is the one who has rheumatoid arthritis and was wheel-chair bound when she started this. After years of eating this way, she is out of a wheelchair and completely pain-free. Of course she doesn't cheat! She has to eat this way to be able to walk and function.

I have to mostly eat this way to remain pain-free, so I try not to cheat. Since I don't fully understand how and why this has taken away all of my pain (and given me more energy, and improved my sleep), I don't want to mess too much with the variables!

I do notice a return of some pain when I consume processed sugar, so I avoid that pretty strictly. 

I have never cheated on the vegan or gluten-free piece since we started, as I feel certain from all my research that these are very big pieces of the puzzle.

Basically, I guess you will have to figure out what are your pieces that you will allow for "cheating" on, and how frequently. In the words of my daughter to a mutual friend of ours, however: “Don't say it didn't work unless you do it the right way, with no cheating, to see if you get better!"

Read Part 11, What a Typical Day Looks Like

NOTE: The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not a medical professional or healthcare provider, and I have no professional medical, nutritional, or dietary credentials. You yourself are responsible for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon any information or advice appearing on this site. 

Start the story at the beginning with Part 1.

“What On Earth Do You Eat?!"

The Change That Changes Everything, Part 9

This is by far the most common question I am asked by friends and acquaintances (and now total strangers who are friends of friends) who contact me with questions about how to apply this new way of eating.

First, let me reiterate that I am no expert on this way of eating. But I am a few months along this journey ahead of you, and I have leveled out on the (very steep) learning curve that occurs when you first start trying to do this.

There is a learning curve. And it's steep! 

Hear me when I say that I almost quit more than once during the first 2-3 weeks—in spite of my great success getting rid of all of my chronic, debilitating pain, and of feeling better than I had in years!—because I simply didn't know what to make and eat next.

It's overwhelming. I get it!

My best advice? Practice intermittent fasting—meaning, don't eat before <sometime between  9:30–10:30 a.m.> or after <about 4:30–5:30 p.m.> if at all possible—and only make two main meals a day.

This was a drastic shift for us, but it made a huge difference in how sustainable this way of food preparation was for us. It was simply too much to try to make breakfast, clean up and figure out what to make for lunch (and make it) a few hours later, then clean up and figure out what to make for dinner (and make it) a few hours after that. 

This may be difficult to work into your schedule if you're working full time anywhere but from your home. But it will not be difficult to do as far as your appetite goes. We are never hungry. We are ready to eat by the time it's time to eat again, yes, but we are never hungry between meals. And if we are, we grab some veggies or a piece of fruit and we're fine. 

Waiting until between 9–10 a.m. to eat breakfast is easy. Eating your main meal at lunch time (like between 1–2 p.m. ) is great because you eat your "big" meal midday when you are actually your hungriest and when have plenty of time to digest your largest meal over the course of the rest of the day. We "check in" with ourselves when 4 p.m. rolls around to see how hungry we are. If we  are still satisfied from lunch, which we usually are, we don't plan to eat much by way of dinner, and just make sure we grab our "snacky food" before 6 p.m. (More on what that might be, later.)

If you will make this one change—two main meals, breakfast and lunch, and then a light, snack-around dinner if you're hungry—this will immediately become so very much easier.

It is a pretty drastic shift. Psychologically, you may not like eating the main meal at lunchtime, especially if you and your family are at work and school all day and won't be able to eat this meal together. We Americans tend to like our big dinners, and we like them later in the day, like at least 6–7 p.m. This is the way we've always eaten. 

Well, since you're changing everything else about "the way you've always eaten," you may as well change this, too.

This way of eating also necessitates a huge and drastic shift in food prep. Everything takes longer than it used to. Everything is unfamiliar. It takes a long time to research and figure out what to make. Finding recipes. Clearing out your pantry and freezer of what you can no longer have. Restocking your pantry with new staples—after you figure out what they are! Chopping all these veggies!!

Hang in there. It really is overwhelming. You really are thinking about quitting and giving up. I promise it gets easier after about 2–3 weeks, if you are a comfortable cook—or at least used to be, with your old way of cooking. If you have never been one to do a lot of homemade meal prep, it may take a little longer, but you will get it!

If you're feeling overwhelmed and about to quit—this is true at any stage, whether days or weeks or months into it!—Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

You will notice in my last post (about coming off of the week-long water fast) that in my first 9 days of eating this way, I ate out a couple of different times (and ate leftovers from those meals at another time, so really I ate that Moe's and Cava food four times) and then I basically ate beans & rice with greens or veggie soup most every other meal.

This won't do for the long run, of course, but if it gets you through... go back to homemade veggie soups and power bowls! (Or even simpler still, eat sweet potatoes and greens, or quinoa and black beans, until you figure out how and when and what else to cook!)

Read Part 10, A Word About Cheating.

NOTE: The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not a medical professional or healthcare provider, and I have no professional medical, nutritional, or dietary credentials. You yourself are responsible for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon any information or advice appearing on this site. 

Start the story at the beginning with Part 1.

Yes, I Really Did a Week-Long Water Fast (Twice!)

The Change That Changes Everything, Part 8

Do you have to begin this program with a week-long water fast? No. 

Let me say it again. You do not have to do the week-long water fast! 

In fact, if you're over age 60, they recommend against it. If you're on prescription medications, you must not fast without a doctor's supervision. Even if you're not on any prescription medications, you should not fast for any significant length of time without a doctor's supervision. There are medical residential places you can go that will oversee your lengthy fast—including the safe re-introduction of food afterward—to ensure that you complete your fast safely.

So hear me when I say that I recommend you consult with those you trust for your healthcare before embarking on a fast!

That said, I confess that I did not do so. I "consulted" with a friend who had walked this path before me, meaning that I asked her about her research and experience, read some of the books she recommended, and then dove in. 

So, at the request of many, I share with you my experience(s) with week-long water fasting. This is not medical advice. This is simply me sharing my personal experience for informational purposes only, so you will know what to expect if you and your healthcare providers should decide that a week-long water fast would be beneficial for you.

First things first. Why did I do two week-long water fasts within six weeks of each other? Honestly? Because I have very little will power when it comes to food! 

Let me explain. 

Last spring, I decided I was going to embark upon a trial of this way of eating. We set the date for the week-long water fast and new eating plan to commence during the second week in July, after our family reunion Beach Week and a subsequent visit from our daughter were over. 

But then I slowly and increasingly found myself squarely engaging in "last hurrah" eating. 

I didn't set out to do that. I didn't explicitly plan for that or anything. It just started happening. 

"If I'm not going to get to ever have _________ again, I want to have it one last time!" (For me, that blank was full of things like pizza, chicken enchiladas, Gelati Celesti, zucchini fritte at Carrabbas, lasagna, Mexican restaurant food, steak, donuts, etc, etc, etc.) Essentially, I began crazy, out-of-control eating. I quickly realized that I was going to gain 20 pounds before Beach Week, and eat myself into 10 more pounds of weight gain and body damage while we were there! So I finally just decided to do an initial detox fast BEFORE beach week, even though it meant I might have to do another one afterward.

It's worth mentioning at this point that one is supposed to prepare for the week-long water fast by eating just fruits and vegetables for a couple of days first, to clear your system of any residual animal products before you shut down your system for a while. 

I tried to do that. I really did. 

I would get up and eat some fruit for breakfast, and be starving by mid morning. I'd grab a few baby carrots or something, but then by lunch I was starving again and I would eat whatever I had around—a cold cut sandwich, some leftover pasta, whatever—and decide to try again the next day. I was running out of time to get the week of fasting—and the week of safe food reintroduction—completed before Beach Week, so I called my mentor friend Rachel and 'fessed up. She said, "Have you eaten lunch yet today?" I indicated that I had (hoping desperately that she didn't ask me what I'd had, because it was a leftover chicken pasta dish) and she said, "Just start now. Don't eat again tonight, and count tomorrow as Day 1." So that's what I did. At the advice of my friend who knows me—or at least my type—well, I just dove in and started.

For whatever it's worth, since doing the fasts and commencing this way of eating, I am never hungry. I am never "starving and dying for something to eat" like I used to be. I never crave sugar. I never crave anything. I do not feel unsatisfied in any way. But before I started, I not only couldn't imagine doing it, but I couldn't do it! Something changes when you do this... not the least of which is your tastes. (Quite literally!) But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Below (just for informational purposes so you can have an example of what it might look like) are my notes from myweek-long water fast.

NOTE: This is not medical advice. This is not any kind of advice. It is not prescriptive (as in a model to follow) but rather descriptive (as in a chronicle of what it looked like for me). I hope it helps you to see some of the details of what you might experience if you decide to embark on a week-long water fast. 

Please DO NOT embark on an extended fast of any length if you are on any pharmaceutical medications at all unless you check with your physician and have a plan in place for monitoring you during your fast. Since I was not on any medications that I couldn't simply stop taking, I didn't have to worry about that piece of the puzzle.

Also note that you will likely feel terrible during your week-long water fast, and you will certainly have much less energy than usual! If you have been taking lots of NSAIDs or other medications for pain, you will most certainly be quite uncomfortable during the first few days of "detox" on the fast. I could not have continued to work full-time or to have continued my usual exercise routine. So be sure to plan accordingly if you decide to do such a fast for yourself.

Remember, this is descriptive, not prescriptive! I share it just so you can see what happened to me, NOT as a "plan" to follow!

My Water Fast

Practiced intermittent fasting (not eating before 10 am or after 5 pm) and lighter eating for a week before. I like the feeling of being a bit empty at bedtime.

Began water fast @noon on a Wednesday

Not taking any pharmaceuticals, including gabapentin, or using c-pap machine. One “normal” bowel movement this evening. 

DAY 1 (Thursday)

Not very different from the intermittent fasting. Stomach growling. Flesh wants to eat but not hungry. No bowel movement today. To bed by 9 pm. Woke at 2-something. Back asleep at 5 am.

DAY 2 (Friday)

Sweaty (like before you throw up during a stomach bug, but hot instead of cold and clammy). Moderate underlying headache all day. Weak and a little woozy all day. Tingly fingers at times. Teeth feel slick (like after you get your braces off) and very clean. Went to a graduation ceremony, moving slowly and sensitive to noise. To bed at 8 pm. Woke at 2-something, back asleep at 5 am  till 7:30 am.

DAY 3 (Saturday)

Small, solid bowel movement in the wee morning hours. No more sweating or tingly fingers but still weak with moderate headache. Majorly irritable, with very little patience. I feel worse today than yesterday. Headache is really awful by the end of day. No bowel movement the rest of the day. Can’t get to sleep. Certainly not “beginning to feel better,” as forecast for Day 3. 

DAY 4 (Sunday)

Still have the headache. I am able to get up and make it to church for nursery duty, but mostly sit in the rocking chair and let my husband play with the kids. Go to bed when I get home, though I don’t sleep. Up and soaking in the bath in the late afternoon (my lower back is killing me!) then watching TV with my husband in the early evening. Tiny bowel movement. Early to bed. Still don’t feel better. 

DAY 5 (Monday)

Headache is milder but still present. My lower back is KILLING me. (I had assumed that this was possibly from being rather inactive for several days, but Rachel told me later that the terrible backache is almost always a part of it, for everyone, regardless of activity levels.) We take a slow stroll to my parents’ house half a mile away, visit a bit, then return slowly. Weak and woozy. Soak in bath and have a back rub from my husband for pain. In the afternoon we go to my parents’ house for a cookout with the fam. It’s hard to prepare the salad and also not to eat all the yummy-looking food, but I don’t feel hungry. Feeling slightly better by evening, but certainly haven’t “turned a corner” yet..

DAY 6 (Tuesday)

I would say that yes, today I have technically “turned a corner,” but that phrase doesn’t mean what I thought it meant when I heard that prediction. I feel finally like I may actually survive this. And I don’t have a headache anymore. No "wonderful spike in energy" or "sudden clear thinking" like others describe, but like I have maybe, just maybe, cleared the hard part. Rainy today, so I am skipping the walk. A small, hard bowel movement today.

DAY 7 (Wednesday)

Still feeling weak today, but still somehow better. The pain in my thumb (from before the fast, for months) is gone, and also my shoulder. (It was intermittent “zingy” pain, so I am not sure if it’s totally gone, but I haven’t had it since about mid-fast.) My lower back still hurts. Throughout this process my teeth have been totally “clean” and slick-feeling, like when you’ve just had your braces off. Strange. Still raining so not walking.

BREAKING THE FAST

NOTE: It is extremely important when breaking a fast of longer than three days that you take great care with "reintroduction" of food to avoid "refeeding syndrome." As noted on Healthline.com, "Refeeding syndrome is a serious and potentially fatal condition that can occur during refeeding. It’s caused by sudden shifts in the electrolytes that help your body metabolize food."

Again, the rule of thumb is that you take <half as many days as your fast was long>  to reintroduce solid foods. So, for example, since I fasted for seven days, I needed to take 3-4 days to reintroduce my body to digestion slowly, allowing it time to begin producing all the digestive chemicals needed for digestion of solid foods (which it had "turned off" during the fast).

DAY 1 (Thursday)

It was astonishing how much stronger I felt after just a cup each of juice and broth! And both were soooo delicious!!

• Meal 1: green juice of celery, cucumber, granny smith apple, spinach, romaine, and lemon. Homemade veggie broth (diluted). (See "Two Song Soup," below.)
• Meal 2: same green juice but sub papaya for romaine. Homemade broth (diluted).
• Meal 3: sipped broth during community group, spoonful of sauerkraut juice (Bubbie’s brand).
  

DAY 2 (Friday)

Took a 2-mile walk today at about half pace. Feeling strong and good. Good energy. Low pain. I’m shocked that I’m not hungry at all or craving anything. Explosive loose stool this afternoon, very stinky. (Lots of floating black lumps that I think were possibly gallstones?) By nighttime my familiar “band of pain” back pain (at bra strap level, which has been with me for years) was really hurting me. Low-back pain from during the fast is gone.

• Meal 1: green juice and homemade broth (diluted).
• Meal 2: green juice and seitenbacher broth. Spoonful of sauerkraut juice. 
• Meal 3: spoonful of sauerkraut juice.

DAY 3 (Saturday)

Our young grandsons had a sleepover last night. We got up and walked 3.5 miles, but I was out of energy by the end. Today I begin eating “solids," but only very soft solids that are more like liquids. More loose stool with floating black things, though fewer this time.

• Meal 1: green juice, strained seitenbacher broth, small bowl of chunked papaya (about half), spoonful sauerkraut juice and a few tiny sprigs of sauerkraut, chewed very well 
• Meal 2: green juice, Two Song Soup (recipe below—eat the veggies and drink the broth.) Couple bites of sauerkraut and spoonfuls of juice, chewed very well

DAY 4 (Sunday)

Today I feel good. High energy, not much pain. Heading to church, then to finish "the book job”—a clean sweep of our entire book collection, which we had begun but never finished, and which now doesn’t seem as impossible or overwhelming as it has in the past. 

• Meal 1: early, before church: green juice, strained seitenbacher broth, couple forkfuls of sauerkraut w/juice
• Meal 2: after church, we went to Moe’s: shared really clean bowl of cilantro-lime rice, black beans, fresh tomato pico, cucumber, grilled peppers and onions. Chewed each bite to death. Skipped the chips. Drank lemon in water. 
• Meal 3: sauerkraut, watermelon, cherries

After finishing the “book job clean sweep” tonight, my back was hurting and I did the Kathleen “pillow rise” exercise followed by Janet’s abdominal leg lifts. It felt better, and after watching a show with my husband, I was falling asleep in the chair so I just went to bed... at 7 p.m.! 

DAY 5 (Monday)

I fell right to sleep with a face mask and ear plugs at 7 p.m. and slept until 5 a.m.—10 hours!!—with one up-to-pee-but-right-back-asleep moment in the middle of the night! Unbelievable. This morning I feel great! A friend and I walk First Landing with the dogs for 4 miles.

• Meal 1: green juice, broth
• Meal 2: a bowl of rice, beans, and greens (since Moe's was so yummy yesterday). 
• Meal 3: another bowl of same thing, kefir soda, 2 strawberries 

Tonight, I skipped joining my husband and daughter for yummy-looking homemade spaghetti. Heading to bed at 8:30 p.m. with ZERO pain anywhere! I don’t want to jinx it, but I can’t believe it! So happy!

DAY 6 (Tuesday)

Again, I fell right to sleep with face mask and ear plugs (this time at 8:30 p.m.) and slept until 5 a.m.—8.5 hours!—with one up-to-pee-but-right-back-asleep moment in the middle of the night! Again, I can’t believe it! No c-pap or gabapentin and I’m sleeping through the night fine. Still no pain. 

• Meal 1: green juice with some VitaMix berries (with pulp)
• Meal 2: another of the same bowl, kefir soda

DAY 7 (Wednesday)

Still sleeping great. The weird fourth toe is hurting today (for no reason other than a couple of 4+ mile walks the past couple of days, maybe?)

• Meal 1: leftover green juice with berries (pulped), bowl of well-cooked oatmeal
• Meal 2: homemade veggie stew, kefir soda
• Meal 3: veggie stew, kefir soda

DAY 8 (Thursday)

Slept 9-5 last night, without even getting up to pee! Walk 4+ miles with my dad and grandsons. Feeling really good!

• Meal 1: green juice with juiced berries, spoonful of sauerkraut, oatmeal, 3 strawberries
• Meal 2: half a Cava bowl (mixed greens, brown rice, black lentils, grilled veggies, sweet potatoes, roasted cucumber, pickled onions, cabbage/slaw, hummus) 2 vegan donut holes
• Meal 3: bowl of veggie soup, bite of vegan donut

Having trouble getting to sleep tonight… ate later in day, ate sugar, up late making food for beach week… not sure reason but still awake at 1:30 a.m. :(

DAY 9 (Friday)

Only slept about 4 hours. Walked 4 miles this morning. Feeling droopy and tired. 

• Meal 1: leftover other half of Cava bowl, kefir soda, 3 strawberries
• Meal 2: veggie stew, strawberries
• Meal 3: green juice with strawberries and blueberries, bowl of well-cooked oatmeal

So, there you have it. Just so you know some of what I experienced as I did a week-long water fast, and the things I ate as I was re-introducing food afterward. You'll notice that I relied heavily on a couple of trips to restaurants (Moe's and Cava) and a couple of simple meals (beans & rice and veggie soup), mostly because I had no idea what to eat or how to eat this way. More on that in the next part!

Here is the recipe for the broth/soup that I made for when I was reintroducing food in those first couple of days after the fast. I now make this and freeze it in jars to serve as the base for many other dishes. It is delicious and very healthy.

TWO SONG SOUP* (vegan broth for nourishing, gentle nutrition)

Only purchase organic ingredients:

fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (put in herb bag)

bay leaves (5)

garlic (1 bulb, crush cloves)

onions (2)

carrots (5-6)

parsnips (5-6)

celery (5-6 ribs)

celery root, washed well (1 whole)

leeks (1 huge or more)

fresh greens (sweet leaves: sweet baby lettuces, baby spinach, chopped romaine)

nutritional yeast (1/2 cup)

kombu (laminaria japonica seaweed, Emerald Cove brand)—2 sheets

dried mushrooms (forest blend of porcini, chantrelle, etc) (1/2-1 bag)

strained seitenbacher broth (1/2 cup powder, brewed then strained)

Celtic sea salt (grey, 1-2 Tbsp)

Roughly chop vegetables, but into smaller chunks not huge. Fill stock pot full (they cook way down) and then fill to top level of pressed-down veggies with water/broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer (strong) for 45 minutes exactly.

Serve cooked veggies and broth together as a soup.

*”Eating leeks and onions by the Nile” from “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt” by Keith Green

*“Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme” from “Scarborough Fair” by Simon & Garfunkel

Helpful Videos / Articles on Fasting:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=amCyI5JBRoc

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319835

https://www.nateliason.com/blog/5-day-water-fast-health-benefits

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/water-fasting#how-it-works

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gq.com/story/six-day-water-fast-diet/amp

https://hvmn.com/blogs/blog/biohacking-water-fasting-all-you-need-to-know

https://thepilotworks.com/break-a-long-water-fast/

https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/whats-water-weight

Read Part 9, “What On Earth Do You Eat?”

NOTE: The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not a medical professional or healthcare provider, and I have no professional medical, nutritional, or dietary credentials. You yourself are responsible for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon any information or advice appearing on this site. 

Start the story at the beginning with Part 1.